Do interior designers in Ontario have to carry insurance?

ARIDO members do. Its board policy, accepted in September 2021, requires all members carrying out interior design services to the public to carry errors and omissions insurance, with a minimum of $250,000. Some members are exempt, such as public sector employees. Designers who are not ARIDO members have no title-based rule, but client contracts and landlords usually require insurance anyway.

Does ARIDO require general liability insurance?

Not anymore. ARIDO's 2021 board policy removed commercial general liability as a condition of membership and kept the errors and omissions requirement. That does not make CGL optional in practice. Landlords, condo corporations and commercial clients still ask for it, and it is the policy that pays when someone is injured or property is damaged on your project.

I prepare permit drawings. Do I need different insurance?

Possibly. Ontario's Building Code requires people in the business of providing design activities to the public to register, unless an exemption applies, such as work only on the extension, alteration or repair of a house. Registered designers must carry claims-made insurance with limits from $250,000 to $1,000,000 per claim, depending on fees billed in the prior 12 months.

Am I covered if furniture I ordered for a client is damaged before delivery?

Only if you carry cover for goods in transit and storage, often called an installation floater. Your E&O covers financial loss from your professional errors, and your CGL covers damage to other people's property, but neither is designed to insure goods you have bought and are responsible for. Check limits per shipment and at each warehouse you use.

What if a supplier goes bankrupt holding my client's deposit?

That is usually not an insured loss. Insurance responds to physical damage, theft, fraud and professional negligence, not to a supplier's insolvency. Manage the risk with staged payments, credit cards where possible, separate accounts for client deposits, and clear terms in your client agreement about who bears that risk. Crime insurance helps only if the loss involves fraud or theft.

Do I need contractor insurance if I hire the trades?

Usually, yes. Once you contract for the installation or construction, you take on the trades' risk. Your general liability must be written for that work, ideally with completed operations cover, and each trade should carry its own CGL and name you as an additional insured. Larger renovations may also need builder's risk for the work in progress.

Is damage I cause while installing at a client's home covered?

Damage to the building, a neighbour's unit or a condo's common areas is generally a general liability claim. Damage to property in your care, such as the client's furniture you are moving, and to the work you installed may be limited or excluded. Ask your broker how your wording treats care, custody or control before your first install.

How much E&O should an interior designer carry?

Start with the highest of three numbers: ARIDO's $250,000 minimum if you are a member, any Building Code minimum if you are a registered designer, and the limit your largest client contracts require. Commercial and hospitality clients often ask for more than the minimums. Then allow for defence costs if they sit inside the limit.

How is interior designer insurance priced?

Insurers rate on what you do and how much of it: design fees versus product sales versus contracted work, residential versus commercial projects, the largest project values, any permit drawing work, and the values of goods in transit and storage. Limits, deductibles, claims history and written client agreements also move the price. Design-build studios are rated closer to contractors.

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Interior Designer Insurance in Canada

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In short

An interior designer in Canada needs professional liability (E&O) for errors in plans, specifications and project management, and general liability for injury or damage at client sites. Most also need cover for furniture and finishes bought for clients while in transit, storage and installation. In Ontario, ARIDO requires members serving the public to carry at least $250,000 of E&O. Designers who hire trades take on contractor risk as well.

Last reviewed October 26, 2026

Minimum E&O ARIDO requires of members carrying out interior design services to the public (board policy, 2021): $250K; Minimum E&O ARIDO requires of members carrying out interior design services to the public (board policy, 2021)
Per-claim and aggregate insurance for Ontario registered designers billing $100,000 or more (Building Code, Div. C, 3.6.2): $1M / $2M; Per-claim and aggregate insurance for Ontario registered designers billing $100,000 or more (Building Code, Div. C, 3.6.2)
Ontario's basic limitation period, counted from when a claim is discovered (Limitations Act, 2002): 2 years; Ontario's basic limitation period, counted from when a claim is discovered (Limitations Act, 2002)
Canadian insurers we compare for interior design firms: 17; Canadian insurers we compare for interior design firms

Interior designers carry three kinds of risk at once. The advice: a wrong measurement or a specification that fails review. The goods: custom pieces bought with a client's deposit and shipped, stored and installed under your care. And the site: installers and trades working in occupied homes, condo buildings and commercial spaces. In Ontario, ARIDO requires members serving the public to carry errors and omissions insurance. Our professional liability guide explains how that cover works.

We build programs around what you actually do on a project. That means E&O, general liability written for your installs, goods in transit and storage, contents, crime and cyber, with contractor coverage when you hire the trades. The wider picture for advice-based firms is on our business and professional services page.

What the package includes

Professional liability (E&O), including ARIDO's minimum for members
Commercial general liability written for installation work
Goods in transit, storage and installation floater for client purchases
Samples, studio contents and business interruption
Commercial crime with social engineering for client deposits
Cyber liability for client plans and personal information
Completed operations and subcontractor requirements for design-build

Who this guide is for

This page covers residential and commercial interior designers, decorators, kitchen and bath designers, home stagers and design-build studios. The work ranges from paint colours and furniture selection to full commercial fit-outs with permit drawings and a team of trades. The insurance has to follow that range.

The key question is what you actually do on a project. A designer who advises and specifies is a professional services firm, and the general picture for those firms sits on our business and professional services page. A designer who buys goods, hires trades and runs the site is also a contractor, with the exposures that come with it.

The coverages an interior design business needs, and why

Core insurance for an interior design business
Coverage	What it answers	Notes for designers
Professional liability (E&O)	A client says your plan, measurement, specification or project management was negligent and cost them money	Required by ARIDO for members serving the public. Claims-made, so keep it continuous
Commercial general liability	Injury to others and damage to their property, at client sites, showrooms and your studio	Landlords, condo corporations and commercial clients ask for certificates before installs
Goods in transit and installation cover	Furniture, fixtures and finishes you have bought for clients, while shipped, stored or being installed	Often arranged as a floater or through cargo or contents extensions
Business contents	Samples, sample libraries, computers and studio fit-out, plus lost income after a fire or flood	Include samples and laptops taken to client homes
Commercial crime	Employee theft, and fraud that diverts client deposits or supplier payments	Social engineering cover is usually a separate sublimit
Cyber liability	Ransomware, breaches of client files, and spoofed payment requests	Client floor plans, addresses and access codes are sensitive data
Commercial auto	Vehicles used to move samples and small deliveries	A personal policy may not respond to regular business deliveries

ARIDO and the rules on insurance

In Ontario, the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO) is the professional body. Its Registered Membership page states that registered members have exclusive use of the title "Interior Designer" in Ontario, and lists proof of liability insurance as both an entry criterion and an ongoing requirement.

The detail is in ARIDO's insurance board policy, accepted September 13, 2021. It requires all members carrying out interior design services to the public to be covered by errors and omissions insurance, with a minimum of $250,000. It no longer mandates commercial general liability as a condition of membership. Firm owners, principals and partners who are members report coverage for the whole firm, and members working on contract or freelance must carry and report their own E&O. Exemptions apply to members in the public sector, those designing a private corporation's own premises, members who are unemployed or on inactive status, and non-resident members serving the public in another jurisdiction. Check ARIDO's current policy before you renew, because these rules can change.

Two practical points follow. First, $250,000 is a membership floor, not a recommendation, and commercial clients often ask for more. Second, dropping CGL from the membership rule did not reduce the need for it. Landlords and clients still require it, and it is the policy that responds when someone is hurt on your project.

Designers who are not ARIDO members, and designers outside Ontario, generally face no insurance rule tied to their title. Their minimum is whatever their clients' contracts require. Other provinces have their own associations, so check yours if you are a member.

Permit drawings: Ontario's registered designer insurance

If your firm prepares drawings for building permits in Ontario, the Building Code may apply directly. Division C, Subsection 3.2.4 requires every person engaged in the business of providing design activities to the public to be registered with the director, subject to listed exemptions. One exemption matters to many residential designers: design activities that relate only to the extension, material alteration or repair of a house. Commercial fit-outs do not fall under it.

A registered designer must carry insurance meeting Subsection 3.6.2. The policy is claims-made, names the registered person, and has minimum limits set by fees billed in the 12 months before the policy is issued.

Minimum insurance for Ontario registered designers (Building Code, Div. C, 3.6.2.3)
Fees billed in the previous 12 months	Per claim	Aggregate
$100,000 or more	$1,000,000	$2,000,000
More than $50,000 and less than $100,000	$500,000	$1,000,000
$50,000 or less	$250,000	$500,000

The same article limits the deductible to the lesser of $70,000 and 5% of fees, keeps defence costs outside the limit unless the claim limit exceeds $2,000,000, and requires 30 days' notice to the director before cancellation. Newly registered designers use estimated fees for the next 12 months. Confirm with us whether your current E&O wording meets these terms before you renew your registration.

Design-build and contractor coordination

Many studios now hire and pay the trades themselves, or mark up a contractor's work. That changes the risk. When a cabinet installer floods a kitchen or a drywaller damages a condo hallway, the client and the building look to whoever holds the contract, and if that is you, it is your claim.

Your CGL must be written for the work you actually do. A policy rated as design consulting may not respond to installation or construction operations. Tell us if you supervise or perform installs.
Completed operations cover matters for design-build: it responds to injury or damage that happens after the job is finished, such as a shelf that falls a month later.
Subcontractors should carry their own CGL, name you as an additional insured, and give you a certificate before they start.
Workers' compensation rules for trades you hire differ by province and by type of work. Confirm each trade's status before they start.
Larger renovations may call for builder's risk for the work in progress.

If design-build is a growing share of your revenue, read our construction and contractors package and our renovation insurance guide. Our post on the contractor's full coverage stack explains what trades carry.

Goods ordered for clients, and the deposits behind them

Designers routinely order custom furniture, lighting, millwork and fabric on a client's behalf, often paid for with the client's deposit. Between the order and the install, those goods can be damaged in shipping, lost in a warehouse fire or broken on the way up the stairs. Who carries that loss depends on your terms of sale and when ownership passes, so set it out in your client agreement.

Goods in transit and in storage: an installation floater or transit cover pays for physical loss or damage to client goods while you are responsible for them. Confirm limits per shipment and per location, including third-party warehouses.
Spec errors: if a sofa will not fit through the door because a measurement was wrong, that is an E&O claim, not a property claim.
Supplier failure: a supplier that goes out of business with your client's deposit is generally not an insured loss. Pay suppliers in stages, use credit cards where possible, and keep deposits separate from operating funds.
Payment fraud: fake supplier invoices and spoofed changes to banking details are a real risk for any business that passes client money to vendors. Crime cover with social engineering, plus call-back verification, is the answer.

Bodily injury and property damage at client sites

Designers spend time in occupied homes, offices and condo buildings. A client trips over a sample case. A mirror being hung falls and cuts a child. A dolly gouges a lobby floor. These are general liability claims, and in condo buildings and commercial towers the property manager will want your certificate, naming the corporation or landlord, before your installers get a move-in booking.

Watch two gaps. Many CGL wordings limit cover for damage to property in your care, custody or control, such as the client's own furniture you are moving. And damage to the very work you installed is often excluded. Ask how your policy treats both before the first install.

The claims that actually happen (hypothetical scenarios)

These hypothetical scenarios show which policy responds, not what a claim would cost.

Hypothetical interior design claims and the policy that responds
Scenario	Allegation	Policy that responds
A custom banquette is built to the wrong dimensions and has to be remade	Measurement error in the shop drawings you approved	E&O
A restaurant fit-out opens late because finishes specified were discontinued and substitutes failed fire rating review	Negligent specification caused delay and lost revenue	E&O
An installer hired by your studio damages a condo corridor and an elevator cab	Property damage during work you contracted for	CGL written for installation work
A truck carrying a client's dining set is in a collision	Physical damage to goods you were responsible for	Goods in transit or installation floater
Your bookkeeper receives a spoofed email changing a supplier's bank account and pays a client deposit to a fraudster	Loss of funds through social engineering	Commercial crime with social engineering cover

What interior designer insurance costs: the rating logic

Insurers start with what you do. Design and specification only is a lighter professional risk than full project management, and both are lighter than design-build with trades on your payroll or contract.

Revenue split between design fees, product sales and contracted work.
Residential versus commercial projects, and the largest project values.
Whether you prepare permit drawings, and for what building types.
Limits and deductibles on E&O and CGL, and any completed operations exposure.
Values of goods in transit and storage, and where they are stored.
Claims history, written client agreements and subcontractor certificate practice.

A design-only studio can often combine E&O, CGL and contents in one small package. Studios that sell product or run trades should expect the CGL to be rated more like a contractor's. Our professional liability guide covers limits and defence costs.

How we build an interior design insurance program

1Map the work: design only, procurement, project management or design-build, and the split between residential and commercial.
2Check the rules: ARIDO membership, any registered designer status under the Building Code, and the insurance each requires.
3Read the contracts: client agreements, landlord and condo requirements, and the terms you give clients on goods and deposits.
4Fill the gaps: E&O, CGL written for your installs, goods in transit and storage, contents, crime and cyber, compared across the insurers on our panel of 17.
5Keep it current: certificates for every install booking, subcontractor certificates on file, and limits that grow with project size.

Working with an architect on a project? See our architect insurance guide for how their cover fits with yours, or request a quote.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Do interior designers in Ontario have to carry insurance?: ARIDO members do. Its board policy, accepted in September 2021, requires all members carrying out interior design services to the public to carry errors and omissions insurance, with a minimum of $250,000. Some members are exempt, such as public sector employees. Designers who are not ARIDO members have no title-based rule, but client contracts and landlords usually require insurance anyway.
Does ARIDO require general liability insurance?: Not anymore. ARIDO's 2021 board policy removed commercial general liability as a condition of membership and kept the errors and omissions requirement. That does not make CGL optional in practice. Landlords, condo corporations and commercial clients still ask for it, and it is the policy that pays when someone is injured or property is damaged on your project.
I prepare permit drawings. Do I need different insurance?: Possibly. Ontario's Building Code requires people in the business of providing design activities to the public to register, unless an exemption applies, such as work only on the extension, alteration or repair of a house. Registered designers must carry claims-made insurance with limits from $250,000 to $1,000,000 per claim, depending on fees billed in the prior 12 months.
Am I covered if furniture I ordered for a client is damaged before delivery?: Only if you carry cover for goods in transit and storage, often called an installation floater. Your E&O covers financial loss from your professional errors, and your CGL covers damage to other people's property, but neither is designed to insure goods you have bought and are responsible for. Check limits per shipment and at each warehouse you use.
What if a supplier goes bankrupt holding my client's deposit?: That is usually not an insured loss. Insurance responds to physical damage, theft, fraud and professional negligence, not to a supplier's insolvency. Manage the risk with staged payments, credit cards where possible, separate accounts for client deposits, and clear terms in your client agreement about who bears that risk. Crime insurance helps only if the loss involves fraud or theft.
Do I need contractor insurance if I hire the trades?: Usually, yes. Once you contract for the installation or construction, you take on the trades' risk. Your general liability must be written for that work, ideally with completed operations cover, and each trade should carry its own CGL and name you as an additional insured. Larger renovations may also need builder's risk for the work in progress.
Is damage I cause while installing at a client's home covered?: Damage to the building, a neighbour's unit or a condo's common areas is generally a general liability claim. Damage to property in your care, such as the client's furniture you are moving, and to the work you installed may be limited or excluded. Ask your broker how your wording treats care, custody or control before your first install.
How much E&O should an interior designer carry?: Start with the highest of three numbers: ARIDO's $250,000 minimum if you are a member, any Building Code minimum if you are a registered designer, and the limit your largest client contracts require. Commercial and hospitality clients often ask for more than the minimums. Then allow for defence costs if they sit inside the limit.
How is interior designer insurance priced?: Insurers rate on what you do and how much of it: design fees versus product sales versus contracted work, residential versus commercial projects, the largest project values, any permit drawing work, and the values of goods in transit and storage. Limits, deductibles, claims history and written client agreements also move the price. Design-build studios are rated closer to contractors.

Sources

Proposed Changes to Insurance Requirement and Reporting (revised insurance board policy). Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO), Accepted September 13, 2021.
Registered Membership. Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO), Accessed October 26, 2026.
O. Reg. 332/12, Building Code, Division C, Subsection 3.2.4 and Subsection 3.6.2 (designer registration and insurance). Government of Ontario, e-Laws, Current consolidation.
Limitations Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 24, Sched. B (ss. 4 and 15). Government of Ontario, e-Laws, Current consolidation.

This page is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Coverage depends on your policy wording and the insurer. Speak with a licensed broker about your situation.

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