Indemnity is a contract by which one engages to save another from a legal consequence of the conduct of one of the parties, or of some other person.

An agreement to indemnify a person against an act already done, is valid, even though the act was known to be wrongful, unless it was a felony.

An agreement to indemnify against the acts of a certain person, applies not only to his acts and their consequences, but also to those of his agents.

An agreement to indemnify several persons applies to each, unless a contrary intention appears.

One who indemnifies another against an act to be done by the latter, is liable jointly with the person indemnified, and separately, to every person injured by such act.

In the interpretation of a contract of indemnity, the following rules are to be applied, unless a contrary intention appears:

1. Upon an indemnity against liability, expressly, or in other equivalent terms, the person indemnified is entitled to recover upon becoming liable;

2. Upon an indemnity against claims, or demands, or damages, or costs, expressly, or in other equivalent terms, the person indemnified is not entitled to recover without payment thereof;

3. An indemnity against claims, or

demands, or liability, expressly, or in other equivalent terms, embraces the costs of defense against such claims, demands, or liability incurred in good faith, and in the exercise of a reasonable discretion;

4. The person indemnifying is bound, on request of the person indemnified, to defend actions or proceedings brought against the latter in respect to the matters embraced by the indemnity, but the person indemnified has the right to conduct such defenses, if he chooses to do so;

5. If, after request, the person indemnifying neglects to defend the person indemnified, a recovery against the latter suffered by him in good faith, is conclusive in his favor against the former;

6. If the person indemnifying, whether he is a principal or a surety in the agreement, has not reasonable notice of the action or proceeding

against the person indemnified, or is not allowed to control its defense, judgment against the latter is only presumptive evidence against the former;

7. A stipulation that a judgment against the person indemnified shall be conclusive upon the person indemnifying, is inapplicable if he had a good defense upon the merits, which by want of ordinary care he failed to establish in the action.

Where one, at the request of another, engages to answer in damages, whether liquidated or unliquidated, for any violation of duty on the part of the latter, he is entitled to be reimbursed in the same manner as a surety, for whatever he may pay.

of the promisee or the promisee’s agents, servants, or independent contractors who are directly responsible to the promisee, or for defects in design furnished by those persons, are against public policy and are void and unenforceable; provided, however, that this section shall not affect the validity of any insurance contract, workers’ compensation, or agreement issued by an admitted insurer as defined by the Insurance Code.

2782.1, 2782.2, and 2782.5, provisions, clauses, covenants, or agreements contained in, collateral to, or affecting any construction contract with a public agency entered into on or after January 1, 2013, that purport to impose on any contractor, subcontractor, or supplier of goods or services, or relieve the public agency from, liability for the active negligence of the public agency are void and unenforceable.

owner from, liability are unenforceable to the extent of the active negligence of the owner, including that of its employees.

amendments thereto, that purport to insure or indemnify, including the cost to defend, the builder, as defined in Section 911, or the general contractor or contractor not affiliated with the builder, as described in subdivision (b) of Section 911, by a subcontractor against liability for claims of construction defects are unenforceable to the extent the claims arise out of, pertain to, or relate to the negligence of the builder or contractor or the builder’s or contractor’s other agents, other servants, or other independent contractors who are directly responsible to the builder, or for defects in design furnished by those persons, or to the extent the claims do not arise out of, pertain to, or relate to the scope of work in the written agreement between the parties. This section shall not be waived or modified by contractual agreement, act, or omission of the parties. Contractual provisions, clauses, covenants, or agreements not expressly prohibited herein are reserved to the agreement of the parties.

Nothing in this subdivision shall prevent any party from exercising its rights under subdivision (a) of Section 910. This subdivision shall not affect the obligations of an insurance carrier under the holding of Presley Homes, Inc. v. American States Insurance Company (2001) 90 Cal.App.4th 571. Nor shall this subdivision affect the obligations of a builder or subcontractor pursuant to Title 7 (commencing with Section 895) of Part 2 of Division 2.

general contractor provides a written tender of the claim, or portion thereof, to the subcontractor which includes all of the information provided to the builder or general contractor by the claimant or claimants, including, but not limited to, information provided pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 910, relating to claims caused by that subcontractor’s scope of work. This written tender shall have the same force and effect as a notice of commencement of a legal proceeding. If a builder or general contractor tenders a claim for construction defects, or a portion thereof, to a subcontractor in the manner specified by this provision, the subcontractor shall elect to perform either of the following, the performance of which shall be deemed to satisfy the subcontractor’s defense obligation to the builder or general contractor:

claim or portion of claim to which the defense obligation applies. If a subcontractor elects to defend under this paragraph, the subcontractor shall provide written notice of the election to the builder or general contractor within a reasonable time period following receipt of the written tender, and in no event later than 90 days following that receipt. Consistent with subdivision (d), the defense by the subcontractor shall be a complete defense of the builder or general contractor of all claims or portions thereof to the extent alleged to be caused by the subcontractor, including any vicarious liability claims against the builder or general contractor resulting from the subcontractor’s scope of work, but not including claims resulting from the scope of work, actions, or omissions of the builder, general contractor, or any other party. Any vicarious liability imposed upon a builder or general contractor for claims caused by the subcontractor electing to defend under this paragraph shall be directly

enforceable against the subcontractor by the builder, general contractor, or claimant.

subcontractor is participating in the defense. Any amounts not collected from any particular subcontractor may not be collected from any other subcontractor.

reasonable attorney’s fees incurred to recover these amounts. The builder or general contractor shall bear the burden of proof to establish both the subcontractor’s failure to perform under either paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (e) and any resulting damages. If, upon request by a subcontractor, a builder or general contractor does not reallocate defense fees to subcontractors within 30 days following final resolution of the claim as described above, the subcontractor shall have the right to pursue a claim against the builder or general contractor for any resulting compensatory and consequential damages, as well as for interest on the fees, from the date of final resolution of the claim, at the rate set forth in subdivision (g) of Section 3260, and the subcontractor’s reasonable attorney’s fees incurred in connection therewith. The subcontractor shall bear the burden of proof to establish both the failure to reallocate the fees and any resulting damages. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the parties

from mutually agreeing to reasonable contractual provisions for damages if any party fails to elect for or perform its obligations as stated in this section.

any other loss, damage, or expense are void and unenforceable to the extent the claims arise out of, pertain to, or relate to the active negligence or willful misconduct of that general contractor, construction manager, or other subcontractor, or their other agents, other servants, or other independent contractors who are responsible to the general contractor, construction manager, or other subcontractor, or for defects in design furnished by those persons, or to the extent the claims do not arise out of the scope of work of the subcontractor pursuant to the construction contract. This section shall not be waived or modified by contractual agreement, act, or omission of the parties. Contractual provisions, clauses, covenants, or agreements not expressly prohibited herein are reserved to the agreement of the parties. This section shall not affect the obligations of an insurance carrier under the holding of Presley Homes, Inc. v. American States Insurance Company (2001) 90 Cal.App.4th 571, nor the rights of an

insurance carrier under the holding of Buss v. Superior Court (1997) 16 Cal.4th 35.

indemnity obligation.

benefits or protections provided by the governmental immunity laws.

provides a written tender of the claim, or portion thereof, to the subcontractor that includes the information provided by the claimant or claimants relating to claims caused by that subcontractor’s scope of work. In addition, the general contractor or construction manager shall provide a written statement regarding how the reasonable allocated share of fees and costs was determined. The written tender shall have the same force and effect as a notice of commencement of a legal proceeding. If a general contractor or construction manager tenders a claim, or portion thereof, to a subcontractor in the manner specified by this subdivision, the subcontractor shall elect to perform either of the following, the performance of which shall be deemed to satisfy the subcontractor’s defense obligation to the general contractor or construction manager:

defense for any claim or portion of claim to which the defense obligation applies. If a subcontractor elects to defend under this paragraph, the subcontractor shall provide written notice of the election to the general contractor or construction manager within a reasonable time period following receipt of the written tender, and in no event later than 30 days following that receipt. Consistent with subdivision (a), the defense by the subcontractor shall be a complete defense of the general contractor or construction manager of all claims or portions thereof to the extent alleged to be caused by the subcontractor, including any vicarious liability claims against the general contractor or construction manager resulting from the subcontractor’s scope of work, but not including claims resulting from the scope of work, actions, or omissions of the general contractor or construction manager, or any other party. Any vicarious liability imposed upon a general contractor or construction manager for claims caused by

the subcontractor electing to defend under this paragraph shall be directly enforceable against the subcontractor by the general contractor, construction manager, or claimant. All information, documentation, or evidence, if any, relating to a subcontractor’s assertion that another party is responsible for the claim shall be provided by that subcontractor to the general contractor or construction manager that tendered the claim.

the extent a claim or claims are alleged to be caused by its work, actions, or omissions, and a share to each subcontractor to the extent a claim or claims are alleged to be caused by the subcontractor’s work, actions, or omissions, regardless of whether the general contractor or construction manager actually tenders the claim to any particular subcontractor, and regardless of whether that subcontractor is participating in the defense. Any amounts not collected from any particular subcontractor may not be collected from any other subcontractor.

perform its obligations under paragraph (2) of subdivision (e), the general contractor or construction manager shall have the right to pursue a claim against the subcontractor for any resulting compensatory damages, interest on defense and indemnity costs, from the date incurred, at the rate set forth in subdivision (g) of Section 3260, consequential damages, and reasonable attorney’s fees incurred to recover these amounts. The general contractor or construction manager shall bear the burden of proof to establish both the subcontractor’s failure to perform under either paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (e) and any resulting damages. If, upon request by a subcontractor, a general contractor or construction manager does not reallocate defense fees to subcontractors within 30 days following final resolution of the claim, the subcontractor shall have the right to pursue a claim against the general contractor or construction manager for any resulting compensatory damages with interest, from the date of final

resolution of the claim, at the rate set forth in subdivision (g) of Section 3260. The subcontractor shall bear the burden of proof to establish both the failure to reallocate the fees and any resulting damages. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the parties from mutually agreeing to reasonable contractual provisions for damages if any party fails to elect for or perform its obligations as stated in this section.

subcontractor, means a person who has entered into a construction contract and who has entered into a subcontract with that subcontractor under which the subcontractor agrees to perform a portion of that scope of work. Where a subcontractor has itself subcontracted a portion of its work, that subcontractor, along with its general contractor, shall be considered a general contractor as to its subcontractors.

governed by this section.

from the alleged active negligence of the public agency under subdivision (b) of Section 2782 or to indemnify, including defending or paying the costs to defend, an owner of privately owned real property to be improved against any claim arising from the alleged active negligence of the owner under subdivision (c) of Section 2782.

Nothing contained in Section 2782 shall prevent a contractor responsible for the performance of a construction contract, as defined in Section 2783, from indemnifying fully a person, firm, corporation, state or other agency for whose account the construction contract is not being performed but who, as an accommodation, enters into an agreement with the contractor permitting such contractor to enter upon or adjacent to its property for the purpose of performing such construction contract for others.

licentiate of another state authorized by the laws of that state to perform the audit.

from willful misconduct.

Nothing contained in Section 2782 shall prevent a party to a construction contract and the owner or other party for whose account the construction contract is being performed from negotiating and expressly agreeing with respect to the allocation, release, liquidation, exclusion, or limitation as between the parties of any liability (a) for design defects, or (b) of the promisee to the promisor arising out of or relating to the construction contract.

materials.

or becomes subject to regulation by any agency of the state, any municipality or political subdivision of the state, or the United States. “Hazardous materials” includes, but is not limited to, any material or substance that is any of the following:

25115 of the Health and Safety Code.

of Section 9001 of the federal Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. Sec. 6991).

are unenforceable, except to the extent that the claims against the indemnitee arise out of, pertain to, or relate to the negligence, recklessness, or willful misconduct of the design professional. In no event shall the cost to defend charged to the design professional exceed the design professional’s proportionate percentage of fault. However, notwithstanding the previous sentence, in the event one or more defendants is unable to pay its share of defense costs due to bankruptcy or dissolution of the business, the design professional shall meet and confer with other parties regarding unpaid defense costs. The duty to indemnify, including the duty and the cost to defend, is limited as provided in this section. This section shall not be waived or modified by contractual agreement, act, or omission of the parties. Contractual provisions, clauses, covenants, or agreements not expressly prohibited herein are reserved to the agreement of the parties.

chapter.

apply to either of the following:

unenforceable.

self-insured retention or deductible is incurred by the builder or general contractor and in an amount that bears a reasonable and proportionate relationship to the alleged liability arising from the claim or claims alleged to be caused by the participant’s scope of work, when viewed in the context of the entirety of the alleged claim or claims. Any contribution shall only be collected from a participant after written notice to the participant of the amount of and basis for the contribution. In no event shall the total amount of contributions collected from participants exceed the amount of any self-insured retention or deductible due and payable by the builder or general contractor for the claim or claims. However, this requirement does not prohibit any legally permissible recovery of costs and legal fees to collect a participant’s contribution if the contribution satisfies the requirements of this subdivision and is not paid by the participant when due.

For any wrap-up insurance policy or other consolidated insurance program that insures a private residential (as that term is used in Title 7 (commencing with Section 895) of Part 2 of Division 2) work of improvement that first commences construction after January 1, 2009, the following shall apply:

compensation for premium required from a subcontractor or other participant for that wrap-up policy in the contract documents.

limits remaining under the policy as of a date indicated in the disclosure obtained from the insurer.

participant, a copy of the insurance policy shall be provided, if available, that shows the coverage terms and items in paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (b) above. If the policy is not available at the time of the request, a copy of the insurance binder or declaration of coverage may be provided in lieu of the actual policy. Paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (b) may be satisfied by providing the participant with a copy of the binder or declaration. Any party receiving a copy of the policy, binder, or declaration shall not disclose it to third parties other than the participant’s insurance broker or attorney unless required to do so by law. The participant’s insurance broker or attorney may not disclose the policy, binder, or declaration to any third party unless required to do so by law.

does not disclose the total amount or method of calculation of the premium credit or compensation to be charged to the participant prior to the time the participant submits its bid, the participant shall not be legally bound by the bid unless that participant has the right to increase the bid up to the amount equal to the difference between the amount the participant included, if any, for insurance in the original bid and the amount of the actual bid credit required by the owner, builder, or general contractor obtaining the wrap-up insurance policy or other consolidated insurance program. This subdivision shall not apply if the owner, builder, or general contractor obtaining the wrap-up insurance policy or other consolidated insurance program did not require the subcontractor to offset the original bid amount with a deduction for the wrap-up insurance policy or program.

If an owner, builder, or general contractor obtains a wrap-up insurance policy or other consolidated insurance program for a public work as defined in Section 1720 of the Labor Code or any other project other than residential construction, as that term is used in Title 7 (commencing with Section 895) of Part 2 of Division 2, that is put out for bid after January 1, 2009, the following shall apply:

declaration shall not disclose it to third parties other than the participant’s insurance broker or attorney unless required to do so by law. The participant’s insurance broker or attorney may not disclose the policy, binder, or declaration to any third party unless required to do so by law.

As used in Sections 2782 and 2782.5, “construction contract” is defined as any agreement or understanding, written or oral, respecting the construction, surveying, design, specifications, alteration, repair, improvement, renovation, maintenance, removal of or demolition of any building, highway, road, parking facility, bridge, water line, sewer line, oil line, gas line, electric utility transmission or distribution line,

railroad, airport, pier or dock, excavation or other structure, appurtenance, development or other improvement to real or personal property, or an agreement to perform any portion thereof or any act collateral thereto, or to perform any service reasonably related thereto, including, but not limited to, the erection of all structures or performance of work in connection therewith, electrical power line clearing, tree trimming, vegetation maintenance, the rental of all equipment, all incidental transportation, moving, lifting, crane and rigging service and other goods and services furnished in connection therewith.

As used in Sections 2782 and 2782.5, a “design defect” is defined as a condition arising out of its design which renders a structure, item of equipment or machinery or any other similar object, movable or immovable, when constructed substantially in accordance with its design, inherently unfit, either wholly or in part, for its intended use or which impairs or renders the use of such structure, equipment, machinery or property dangerous.

Any provision, promise, agreement, clause, or covenant contained in, collateral to, or affecting any hauling, trucking, or cartage contract or agreement is against public policy, void and unenforceable if it purports to indemnify the promisee against liability for any of the following damages which are caused by the sole negligence or willful misconduct of the promisee, agents, servants, or the independent contractors directly responsible to the promisee, except when such agents, servants, or independent contractors are under the direct supervision and control of the promisor:

bodily injury or death to persons.

This section shall not affect the validity of any insurance contract, workmen’s compensation insurance contract, or agreement issued by an admitted insurer as defined by Sections 23 and 24 of the Insurance Code or insurance effected by surplus line brokers under Sections 1760 through 1780 of the Insurance Code.