Business Insurance
Sutherland Insurance places commercial insurance for Ontario businesses, including general liability, cyber, professional liability, directors and officers, contractors and fleet coverage. The brokerage places commercial business across more than 45 carriers and has operated from Guelph, Ontario since 1870, when John Sutherland began.
What business insurance does Sutherland Insurance offer?
Commercial general liability insurance
Third-party injury and property damage arising from operations
Cyber insurance
Breach response, ransomware and business interruption from a cyber event
Professional liability insurance
Claims that advice, a design or a service caused a client financial loss
Directors and officers insurance
Personal liability of directors and officers, including non-profit boards
Contractor insurance
Liability, tools, equipment and completed operations for the trades, including HVAC, electrical, roofing, plumbing and renovation contractors
Building construction insurance
Course of construction, wrap-up liability and pollution cover on a project
Commercial fleet insurance
Multiple vehicles on a single commercial auto policy
Manufacturing insurance
Property, equipment breakdown and product liability
Warehouse insurance
Stored inventory, premises liability and handling exposures
Office insurance
Contents, liability and business interruption for office-based businesses, and the structure, rental income and owner liability for building owners
E-commerce business insurance
Product liability, cyber and shipping exposures for online sellers
Landlord and real estate insurance
Rental property owners, from a single unit to a mixed portfolio or a student rental, held personally or in a corporation
Medical malpractice insurance
Allegations arising from healthcare advice, treatment or professional judgment
Sports organization insurance
Leagues, clubs and associations: liability, board, participant and equipment cover
Trade credit insurance
Eligible receivables when an approved business customer does not pay
Restaurant insurance
Kitchen equipment, food spoilage, liquor liability and business interruption
Bakery insurance
Storefront, wholesale, home-based and market bakers
Farm insurance
Working farms, and rural properties kept for enjoyment rather than income
Delivery and courier insurance
Commercial auto, cargo, fleet, liability, and hired and non-owned auto
Small business insurance
Property, liability, business interruption, commercial auto, tools and cyber, packaged for owner-operated businesses including landscapers and photographers
- Trusted commercial partners
- More than 45
- Products placed
- No fixed list; commercial cover and industry programmes are sourced to match the risk
- Legally required in Ontario
- Auto on registered vehicles; WSIB where applicable. Most commercial lines are contractual rather than statutory
- Area served
- All of Ontario
- Claims support
- In-house claims representative available to every client on a claim
How these coverages compare
| Coverage | What it responds to | Commonly carried by |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial general liability | Third-party injury or property damage from operations | Nearly every Ontario business |
| Professional liability | A financial loss caused by professional advice or service | Consultants, brokers, agencies, technology firms |
| Cyber | Breach response, ransomware, and interruption from a cyber event | Any business holding customer data or trading online |
| Directors and officers | Personal liability of a director or officer | Incorporated businesses and non-profit boards |
| Commercial fleet | Vehicles operated in the business | Contractors, distributors, service operators |
| Property and equipment breakdown | Damage to premises, stock and machinery | Manufacturers, warehouses, retailers |
What business insurance is legally required in Ontario?
Ontario law requires auto insurance on every registered vehicle, including commercial ones, and workplace coverage through WSIB for most employers. Beyond that, commercial insurance is generally a contractual requirement rather than a statutory one, imposed by landlords, lenders, licensing bodies or the terms of a client contract.
That distinction is worth understanding before a renewal. A statutory requirement is fixed; a contractual one is set by whoever wrote the contract, which means the limits demanded vary considerably between clients and landlords.
How much does business insurance cost in Ontario?
Commercial premiums are underwritten individually rather than rated from a published table. Revenue, industry, claims history, payroll, the limits selected and the contracts a business must satisfy all move the price. Sutherland Insurance places commercial business across more than 45 carriers and approaches the markets that write the relevant class.
How do I move my business insurance to Sutherland Insurance?
A licensed Sutherland Insurance broker reviews the current programme, identifies gaps against the contracts the business has to satisfy, and approaches the commercial markets. Coverage is bound on the date chosen so there is no gap.
What is a certificate of insurance, and when does an Ontario business need one?
A certificate of insurance is a one-page summary confirming that a policy is in force, which limits it carries, and who is named on it. Ontario businesses are commonly asked for one before a contract starts, before a site is accessed, or by a landlord at lease signing.
Sutherland Insurance issues certificates during business hours through the commercial service team. Where a contract demands a limit higher than the policy carries, the broker flags the gap before the certificate is issued rather than after, which is the point at which it is still fixable.
Does Sutherland Insurance write industry-specific commercial programmes?
Sutherland Insurance writes eleven industry programmes in Ontario alongside its twelve commercial product lines, covering bakeries, restaurants, HVAC and electrical contractors, landscaping, roofing, farms and hobby farms, delivery operators, photographers and small business.
An industry programme starts from the exposures a particular trade carries rather than from a generic commercial form, which changes which coverages are included as standard and how an underwriter rates them.
Frequently asked questions
What insurance does a small business in Ontario need?
Commercial general liability is the base layer most Ontario businesses carry, with property coverage where premises or equipment are owned. Beyond that the requirements depend on the work: professional services commonly carry professional liability, businesses holding customer data commonly carry cyber, and incorporated entities commonly carry directors and officers.
Does Sutherland Insurance write commercial insurance outside Guelph?
Sutherland Insurance is licensed across Ontario and places commercial business province-wide. The office is at 240 Victoria Road North in Guelph, and submissions are handled by phone, email and online. Sutherland Insurance places business across more than 45 commercial carriers and multiple managing general agents.
How many commercial markets does Sutherland Insurance place business with?
Sutherland Insurance places commercial business across more than 45 carriers, including Aviva, Northbridge, Echelon, Max Insurance, Commonwealth Mutual and Jeffco, plus multiple managing general agents. That range matters most on harder-to-place risks, where the number of markets willing to quote is the constraint.
Can Sutherland Insurance issue a certificate of insurance?
Yes. Certificates of insurance are issued by the commercial service team during business hours, and are commonly required before a contract starts or a site is accessed. Requests go to 519-822-0160 or to the commercial service team listed on the Sutherland Insurance team page.
Get Your Business Insurance Quote
A licensed Sutherland Insurance broker compares the available markets on every quote request.
Get Your Business Insurance Quote Call 519-822-0160
A real person answers, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.