The standard of care is the level of professional skill and care expected of a comparable professional working under similar circumstances.
Definition
For an engineering firm, the standard of care describes the expected manner of performing professional services in light of the circumstances, project scope, available information, and applicable requirements. It can be relevant to design, review, documentation, and communication. Contract language and applicable law may affect how the standard is understood, and the facts of a particular project matter. It is not a promise that plans will be perfect, that construction will have no problems, or that a project will achieve a particular result. Nor does it automatically mean compliance with every possible standard or code beyond the agreed services. Firms use the term when reviewing proposed contract language and aligning quality processes with the services they have agreed to perform. Its legal application is not determined by the phrase alone; the agreement and circumstances must be considered together. A professional engineering organization provides resources on professional practice and ethics.
How owners use it
- Owners review contract performance language to identify wording that could be read as a result guarantee instead of a professional care obligation.
- A firm compares a proposed duty to deliver a flawless design with its usual standard-of-care language and flags the difference for contract review.
- Project leaders use the agreed scope and quality procedures to set expectations for reviews, coordination, and documentation.
- When a dispute arises, owners preserve relevant contracts, project records, and review history for assessment in context.
