Snow Removal Insurance

Snow Removal Insurance

Protect your assets with customized liability insurance for your snow removal business

Zensurance - snow removal contractor

Partnerships with over 50 leading Canadian insurance providers

Partnerships with over 50 leading Canadian insurance providers

Snowplow contractor
Snowplow contractor

Insurance for snow removal contractors

Heavy snowfalls, blizzards, and ice storms are not uncommon in Canada.  

Snow removal contractors know theirs is a high-risk business due to the threat of accidents, unforeseen incidents, and third-party lawsuits.

Liability insurance is necessary for snow removal contractors to pay for expensive damages and losses. It may be required to operate legally in some jurisdictions or by the terms of your customer contracts.

What is snow removal insurance?

Snow removal insurance is a customized policy featuring several coverages designed to shield snow removal contractors and small businesses from the costs of third-party property damages, third-party bodily injuries, accidents, and equipment breakdowns.

It can be challenging to get the right coverage to protect your snow removal business and operations from its liabilities. Zensurance helps thousands of Canadian snow removal contractors quickly get the comprehensive protection they need.

What does snow removal insurance cover?

Most snow removal insurance policies contain several coverages, including:

  • Commercial General Liability (CGL) Insurance: CGL, or general liability insurance, covers third-party bodily injuries and third-party property damage caused by your operations. For example, if a customer or third party slips on ice and is injured on a property you’re responsible for clearing, you may be liable for their injuries and could be sued. CGL would help cover an injured person’s medical expenses and your legal defence expenses.
  • Commercial Property Insurance: Commercial property insurance protects your business’s property, office, or warehouse and its contents and inventory if they are damaged by fire, water, a natural disaster, theft, or vandalism. It may also include business interruption insurance to cover your lost income and operational overhead if you’re forced to close temporarily following an insurable loss. You can add business interruption coverage to your policy if it is not automatically included.
  • Commercial Auto Insurance: Commercial auto insurance is vital for snow removal contractors driving snowplows and other business vehicles. It covers damages to your vehicle, other vehicles, stationary objects, or injuries to third parties if you’re involved in a collision.
  • Hired and Non-Owned Vehicle Coverage: This type of coverage is designed to protect vehicles used in connection with your business that you don’t own. If you rent, lease, or borrow vehicles to run your operations, or employees use their personal vehicles for commercial purposes, hired and non-owned vehicle insurance is vital to add to your policy. For example, an employee attaches a snowplow to the front of their pickup truck but crashes while working at a job site. This type of coverage may cover repairing your employee’s vehicle.
  • Tools and Equipment Insurance: Tools and equipment insurance repairs or replaces your transportable tools and equipment that are vandalized, stolen, lost, or damaged by fire or water.
  • Equipment Breakdown Insurance: Equipment breakdown insurance covers repairing or replacing your equipment and computers that cease to function because of an internal mechanical or electrical malfunction.

How much does snow removal insurance cost?

Insurance companies determine the price of a snow removal insurance policy based on several factors, including:

  • Your business’s size and location
  • Your services and the types of properties you service
  • The type and value of your vehicles and snow removal equipment
  • The type and value of your business property, contents, and inventory or raw materials
  • Your experience and training
  • How many employees you have, and their experience and training (if applicable)
  • Your annual and gross projected revenue
  • Your business’s insurance claim history

It’s worth noting that the Insurance Bureau of Canada estimates liability claims involving slip-and-fall incidents on icy surfaces increased by 108% between 2013 and 2020, rising from $2.4 billion to $5.1 billion. More frequent and expensive claims can lead to higher premiums.

Frequently asked questions

Are there specific exclusions in what a snow removal insurance policy will cover?

Yes. All liability insurance policies contain exclusions. An exclusion is a provision that removes your coverage for certain risks, hazards, or events and outlines what is not covered by your policy. They are designed to help keep the price of premiums affordable.

A common exclusion in a snow removal policy may be damages caused by intentional or criminal acts. Speak to a licensed Zensurance broker to understand your policy’s details and what your coverage provides and excludes.

How can I keep an annual snow removal insurance premium as low as possible?

There are a few steps business owners and snow removal contractors can take to keep the cost of their policies low, including:

  • Only allow experienced, trained employees to drive snowplow vehicles who have clean driving records and no history of filing an insurance claim.
  • Accurately document and maintain records of your work on customer properties.
  • Have a documented risk management and business continuity plan that includes regular safety and equipment inspections.
  • Have a lawyer draft and review customer contracts and liability waivers detailing your work scope and responsibilities to help prevent legal disputes.

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Common claims scenarios

snow removal contractor

Problem: A person slips on ice that wasn’t cleared on one of your commercial customer’s properties. Their wrist is fractured from the fall, and they threaten legal action.

Outcome: Commercial general liability insurance may cover the injured person’s medical and rehabilitation expenses and your legal defence fees if you’re sued.

Snowplow in the parking lots with snow removed

Problem: While using a snowplow vehicle to clear a commercial customer’s parking lot of snow, your snowplow damages a streetlight.

Outcome: Commercial general liability insurance may pay to repair or replace the damaged streetlight.

snow removal truck in the snow

Problem: Tools stored in a locked container in the back of your pickup truck are stolen overnight. You are forced to rent or buy new tools to continue to provide snow removal services to your customers.

Outcome: Tools and equipment insurance may pay to replace your stolen tools.

Additional resource for snow removal contractors

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Let our knowledgeable brokers get the low-cost, customized snow removal insurance policy you need, so you’re ready to tackle whatever winter weather comes your way.