NRS338.155. Provisions relating to design professional who is not member of design-build team.

      1.  If a public body enters into a contract with a design professional who is not a member of a design-build team, for the provision of services in connection with a public work, the contract:

      (a) Must set forth:

             (1) The specific period within which the public body must pay the design professional.

             (2) The specific period and manner in which the public body may dispute a payment or portion thereof that the design professional alleges is due.

             (3) The terms of any penalty that will be imposed upon the public body if the public body fails to pay the design professional within the specific period set forth in the contract pursuant to subparagraph (1).

             (4) That the prevailing party in an action to enforce the contract is entitled to reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.

      (b) May set forth the terms of any discount that the public body will receive if the public body pays the design professional within the specific period set forth in the contract pursuant to subparagraph (1) of paragraph (a).

      (c) May set forth the terms by which the design professional agrees to name the public body, at the cost of the public body, as an additional insured in an insurance policy held by the design professional, if the policy allows such an addition.

      (d) Must not require the design professional to defend, indemnify or hold harmless the public body or the employees, officers or agents of that public body from any liability, damage, loss, claim, action or proceeding caused by the negligence, errors, omissions, recklessness or intentional misconduct of the employees, officers or agents of the public body.

      (e) Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, may require the design professional to defend, indemnify and hold harmless the public body, and the employees, officers and agents of the public body from any liabilities, damages, losses, claims, actions or proceedings, including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, to the extent that such liabilities, damages, losses, claims, actions or proceedings are caused by the negligence, errors, omissions, recklessness or intentional misconduct of the design professional or the employees or agents of the design professional in the performance of the contract. If the insurer by which the design professional is insured against professional liability does not so defend the public body and the employees, officers and agents of the public body and the design professional is adjudicated to be liable by a trier of fact, the trier of fact shall award reasonable attorney’s fees and costs to be paid to the public body by the design professional in an amount which is proportionate to the liability of the design professional.

      2.  Any provision of a contract entered into by a public body and a design professional who is not a member of a design-build team that conflicts with the provisions of paragraph (d) or (e) of subsection 1 is void.

      3.  As used in this section, “agents” means those persons who are directly involved in and acting on behalf of the public body or the design professional, as applicable, in furtherance of the contract or the public work to which the contract pertains.

      (Added to NRS by 1997, 2975; A 1999, 3481; 2001, 1270, 2022; 2003, 119, 124, 2438; 2005, 823; 2009, 2226; 2011, 3693)