Electrical Contractor Insurance
Sutherland Insurance places electrical contractor insurance for Ontario electrical trades, covering general liability, completed operations, tools and equipment, commercial auto and professional liability. It is an independent brokerage in Guelph, Ontario that has placed commercial insurance since 1870, and an in-house claims representative is available on any claim.
- Line
- Commercial insurance
- Area served
- All of Ontario
- Claims support
- In-house claims representative available to every client on a claim
Who needs electrical contractor insurance?
Electrical contractor insurance applies to licensed electrical contractors of every size, from sole operators to firms running several crews across commercial and industrial projects, and to specialists in solar installation, smart-building systems and high-voltage work.
Fire is what sets this trade apart in an underwriter’s view. A defect in electrical work is a recognized ignition source, so completed operations cover carries more weight here than in most trades and claims arrive long after the work was signed off. The Electrical Safety Authority regulates licensing and inspection in Ontario; carrying liability insurance is separately required by most general contractors and property owners before a subcontractor is permitted on site.
What can an Ontario electrical contractor insurance policy cover?
What a policy can cover
- Commercial general liability: third-party bodily injury and property damage arising from operations
- Completed operations: claims arising after a job is finished and handed over
- Tools and equipment: theft of or damage to portable tools and equipment away from the premises
- Commercial auto: vehicles registered to the business and driven for business purposes
- Professional liability: allegations of negligence in professional advice or services
- Inland marine: specialist equipment in transit or at a temporary site
- Hired and non-owned auto: liability arising from vehicles the business does not own but directs
Commonly excluded under standard Ontario electrical contractor insurance wordings
- The cost of correcting faulty workmanship itself, as distinct from resulting damage
- Workplace injury to the business’s own employees, which falls to WSIB coverage in Ontario
- Wear, tear and gradual deterioration
- Liquidated damages or penalties accepted under contract
- Gradual pollution and contamination
Exclusions vary by insurer and by policy form; the issued policy governs.
Frequently asked questions
Is liability insurance required to hold an ECRA licence?
The Electrical Safety Authority sets licensing requirements for electrical contractors in Ontario, and liability insurance forms part of the contractor licence conditions. General contractors and property owners impose their own limits by contract, which are often higher than the licensing minimum.
Does the policy cover damage to the wiring itself?
Liability answers third-party injury and damage to other property. The cost of correcting the contractor’s own defective work is excluded, while resulting damage, a fire that follows the defect, falls to the liability section subject to the wording. Completed operations coverage responds to damage that appears after the work is finished and the contractor has left the site.
Is solar installation rated differently?
Solar and high-voltage work is declared separately when a policy is written. Roof work, working at elevation and the replacement value of the installed equipment all change the rating, and an insurer needs those operations listed on the policy schedule for the liability section to respond to a claim arising from them.
Get an electrical contractor insurance quote
A licensed Sutherland Insurance broker compares the available markets on every quote request.
Get an electrical contractor insurance quote Call 519-822-0160
A real person answers, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.