Advance loss of profit (ALOP) insurance covers financial losses caused by construction and infrastructure project delays.
ALOP will also compensate corporations if a project takes longer than projected to finish, resulting in greater expenses or lost earnings. ALOP is also known as delayed completion coverage or delay in start-up (DSU) insurance.
Large construction projects buy advance loss of profit insurance because they confront many risks that could cause project completion to be delayed. A hard winter, for example, may cause a project's start and hence completion date to be delayed, or the construction site soil may be more unstable than engineers originally expected. Delays can have a variety of causes, many of which are unanticipated.
Such delays can have a significant impact on the finances of businesses that rely on the prompt completion of a building project. Furthermore, businesses that use debt financing may have difficulty repaying debts accrued for renting or acquiring construction equipment.
Companies that intend to relocate to a new location may lose money if they are unable to launch for business. Delays in some projects, such as harbors, airports, bridges, and tunnels, may have a detrimental impact on many businesses throughout a large geographic area.
Advance loss of profit insurance protects against losses associated with these types of risks, and organizations that obtain ALOP coverage can take on a number of roles on a building project. ALOP insurance may be purchased by project investors to cover the cost of not being able to generate rent from building occupants.
Building contractors may acquire insurance to cover the costs of renting construction equipment and paying staff for longer periods of time than intended. Companies that lend out construction equipment may also utilize insurance to cover the costs of not being able to rent the equipment for other projects.
Advance loss of profit insurance only covers the actual loss of gross profit as a result of a project delay. The policy language specifies the types of events that trigger coverage, however it may not cover all event types. Ambiguity in defining gross profit might cause problems.
Before underwriting a policy, brokers and underwriters should run several scenarios to test their proposed definition of gross profit. In the case of a loss, this will ensure that it accurately reflects their goals. Time spent on these areas will assist to reduce misunderstandings later on and ensure expectations are met when a loss occurs.