Contract for design professional services -- Agreements to indemnify.
Utah Code § 13-8-7
in effect13-8-7. Contract for design professional services -- Agreements to indemnify.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) "Design professional" means:
(i) an individual licensed under:
(A) Title 58, Chapter 3a, Architects Licensing Act;
(B) Title 58, Chapter 22, Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors Licensing Act; or
(C) Title 58, Chapter 53, Landscape Architects Licensing Act; or
(ii) a nongovernmental entity engaged in the business of providing services that require a license described in Subsection (1)(a)(i).
(b) "Design professional services" means:
(i) professional services within the scope of the practice of architecture as defined in Section 58-3a-102;
(ii) professional engineering or professional land surveying as defined in Section 58-22-102; or
(iii) professional services within the scope of the practice of landscape architecture as defined in Section 58-53-102.
(c)
(i) "Design professional services contract" means a contract under which a design professional agrees to provide design professional services:
(A) to a governmental entity; or
(B) for an improvement owned or to be owned by a governmental entity.
(ii) "Design professional services contract" does not include a construction contract, as defined in Section 13-8-1.
(d) "Indemnification provision" means a covenant, promise, agreement, or understanding in, in connection with, or collateral to, a design professional services contract that requires the design professional to:
(i) indemnify or hold harmless any person from or against liability for damages other than liability for damages to the extent caused by or resulting from:
(A) the design professional's breach of contract, negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct; or
(B) the design professional's subconsultant's negligence;
(ii) defend any person from or against a claim alleging liability for damages, including a claim alleging:
(A) the design professional's breach of contract, negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct; or
(B) the design professional's subconsultant's negligence; or
(iii) reimburse any person for attorney fees or other costs incurred by the person in defending against a claim alleging liability for damages, except to the extent the attorney fees or costs were incurred due to:
(A) the design professional's breach of contract, negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct; or
(B) the design professional's subconsultant's negligence.
(e) "Governmental entity" means the same as that term is defined in Section 63G-7-102.
(f) "Improvement" means the same as that term is defined in Section 78B-2-225.
(g) "Subconsultant" means a person with whom a design professional contracts to provide a service related to or part of the design professional services that the design professional agrees to perform under a design professional services contract.
(2) An indemnification provision is void.
(3)
(a) A design professional shall perform design professional services under a design professional services contract consistent with the professional skill and care ordinarily provided by other design professionals:
(i) with the same or similar professional license; and
(ii) providing the same or similar design professional service:
(A) in the same or similar locality;
(B) at the same or similar time; and
(C) under the same or similar circumstances.
(b)
(i) Except as provided in Subsection (3)(b)(ii), a design professional services contract may not establish a standard of care different from the standard of care described in Subsection (3)(a).
(ii) A design professional services contract may require a design professional to perform design professional services consistent with a specialized design expertise if the nature of the project that is the subject of the design professional services contract reasonably requires the specialized design expertise.
(c) A provision in a design professional services contract that purports to waive or conflicts with a provision of Subsection (3)(b) is void.
(4) The provisions of this section apply to a design professional services contract executed on or after May 8, 2018.
Enacted by Chapter 222, 2018 General Session
Source: Utah Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel (le.utah.gov)URL: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title13/Chapter8/13-8-S7.html?v=C13-8-S7_2018050820180508Fetched: 10/26/2026