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Construction & Trades
Coverage for everything you carry, the buildings you carry it through and the trucks that carry it.
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A moving company in Canada needs motor truck cargo insurance for customers' goods in its care, commercial general liability for damage to homes and buildings at both ends of the move, and commercial auto or truck coverage for its fleet. Storage operations add warehouse legal liability. In Ontario, carriers moving goods for compensation must carry cargo insurance under O. Reg. 643/05, which also sets household goods liability rules and claim deadlines.
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A moving company's main exposure is the customer's property in its care, which a standard commercial general liability policy excludes. We build programs around motor truck cargo with limits that match your largest loads, CGL for damage at both ends of every move, and auto or truck coverage for the fleet. Storage operations add warehouse legal liability.
In Ontario, O. Reg. 643/05 requires carriers to insure the goods they carry and sets household goods liability at $4.41 per kg unless the customer declares a higher value. We review your bill of lading and valuation options so the contract and the policy agree. See the construction and contractors guide for the wider sector view.
A moving company's whole business is other people's property. From the moment a crew wraps the first dresser to the moment the last box is signed for, the customer's furniture, electronics and keepsakes are in your care, custody and control. That is exactly the property a standard commercial general liability (CGL) policy excludes.
So movers need two liability policies, not one. Motor truck cargo pays when goods you are carrying or handling are lost or damaged. CGL pays when your crew damages the building: a gouged floor, a dented elevator, a cracked door frame or a visitor hurt by a falling item. Moving sits under our construction and contractors sector because of the property damage it causes in homes, but its cargo and fleet rules come from transportation. Our transportation and logistics guide covers those in depth.
A moving program usually has five to seven parts. Cargo and auto carry most of the premium.
| Coverage | What it answers | Points to check |
|---|---|---|
| Motor truck cargo | Loss of or damage to customers' goods while loaded, in transit or being handled | Limit per vehicle and per shipment, excluded items, theft conditions; see cargo insurance |
| Commercial general liability (CGL) | Damage to homes, condo buildings and elevators, and injury to third parties | Care, custody or control exclusion, additional insured endorsements |
| Commercial auto or truck | Trucks, vans and trailers, and the people they could injure | Limits well above the legal minimum, rented units, drivers; see commercial truck |
| Warehouse legal liability | Goods in your storage facility between moves | Storage terms, fire and sprinkler protection, limit per location |
| Tools and equipment | Dollies, piano boards, straps, pads and lift equipment | Theft from vehicles; see tools and equipment |
| Commercial crime | Employee theft from customers' homes or goods | Third-party (client property) coverage; see commercial crime |
| Workers' compensation and employer's liability | Lifting and stair injuries to crew | Provincial board rules, plus employer's liability |
Movers with ten or more units should compare a fleet policy against separate vehicle policies.
Ontario regulates the contract between a mover and the customer through O. Reg. 643/05, Carriage of Goods, made under the Highway Traffic Act. Its definition of household goods covers furniture, appliances and personal effects moved as part of a household relocation, including vehicles and boats. It also covers uncrated office and institutional furniture, stock moved in a business relocation, and art, exhibits, computers and electronics that need specialized handling.
One limit matters before anything else. The regulation does not apply to goods carried solely within a local municipality. A move across town in one city may fall outside it, while a move between municipalities falls inside it.
| Rule | What the regulation says | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Cargo insurance | Each vehicle carrying goods for compensation must carry insurance for loss or damage to goods in an amount sufficient to cover the goods carried, with evidence kept in the vehicle | Your cargo limit has to fit your largest load, not your average one |
| Contract contents | The contract must include an inventory, a space for declared value, the delivery date or period, and a conspicuous statement that the consignee's signature does not preclude a later claim | Use a bill of lading built to the regulation |
| Liability amount | The lesser of the goods' value at shipment and the greater of the declared value and $4.41 per kg of total shipment weight | Declared value raises your liability; your cargo limit must keep up |
| Per-article election | If the customer elects it on the contract, liability is based on $1.32 per kg per article | A low-cost option for the customer, with very low recoveries |
| Exceptions | No liability for listed causes such as acts of God or a defect in the goods. Unless the carrier was negligent, no liability for fragile items the carrier did not pack, or for internal electronic or mechanical failure it did not service | The carrier must prove it was not negligent, so documentation decides these claims |
| Notice of claim | Written notice within 60 days after delivery, or nine months after shipment if goods were never delivered; the carrier must acknowledge a claim within 30 days | Diary every claim and answer in time |
| Extraordinary value | Documents, specie and articles of extraordinary value need a special agreement; if undisclosed, liability is capped at the Article 9 amount | Ask about jewellery, art and collectibles at the estimate |
Outside Ontario, conditions of carriage, cargo insurance requirements and consumer protection rules for movers vary by province. We check the rules where your contract is made before we set limits.
This example is hypothetical. A family moves from Ottawa to Kingston. The shipment weighs 3,000 kg and the contents are worth $60,000. The customer signs the bill of lading without declaring a value or electing the per-article rate. A load shift damages furniture worth $18,000.
Under Schedule 3, liability is the lesser of the goods' value and the greater of the declared value and $4.41 per kg. With no declared value, the cap for the whole shipment is 3,000 kg times $4.41, or $13,230. The mover owes $13,230 and the family absorbs the rest.
Change one fact. If the family had declared $60,000 on the contract, the mover's liability would follow the actual loss, up to that value. That is $18,000 here, and the mover's cargo policy has to be large enough to pay it. If the family had elected the per-article rate instead, a 40 kg television would be worth only $52.80 in a claim. Explaining these options at the estimate prevents disputes and lets you price valuation properly.
The scenarios below are hypothetical. They reflect the patterns underwriters ask about on moving company applications.
| Hypothetical scenario | What went wrong | Policy that responds |
|---|---|---|
| Dining table splits when a strap slips in the truck | Load not secured | Motor truck cargo, up to the contract's liability amount |
| Condo elevator panels dented during a move-in | Elevator not padded | CGL property damage; the condo may also hold your deposit |
| Truck stolen overnight from a motel lot with a full load | Vehicle left unattended | Cargo, subject to theft and unattended vehicle conditions; auto physical damage for the truck |
| Customer says a ring went missing during packing | Theft allegation against a crew member | Commercial crime with third-party cover, if bought |
| Mover drops a sofa down a stairwell and injures a neighbour | Bodily injury to a third party | CGL |
| Water reaches stored furniture in your warehouse | Roof leak at the storage facility | Warehouse legal liability, subject to your storage terms |
Theft is the cargo loss that has grown fastest in Canada. Équité Association estimates about 970 trailer thefts in 2025, up from about 570 in 2024, according to Truck News. Our post on peak season cargo cover explains the security conditions insurers expect.
Ontario's Ministry of Transportation requires a CVOR certificate for trucks with a registered gross weight or actual weight over 4,500 kg. A trailer and its load count toward gross weight if the trailer weighs more than 2,800 kg. Many straight trucks used for moves can cross that line, so check the registered gross weight of each unit. Trucks plated in other provinces need a safety certificate from their home jurisdiction.
Section 251 of Ontario's Insurance Act sets $200,000 as the minimum third-party auto liability for any one accident. A loaded moving truck can cause far more harm than that, and commercial and building clients often ask for higher limits.
Many movers store goods between a sale and a purchase, or for months during a renovation. Once goods are in your warehouse, cargo coverage usually stops or applies only for a short period, and a warehouse legal liability policy takes over. It pays when you are legally liable for loss or damage to stored goods, so your storage contract terms matter as much as the policy. Our warehousing guide covers building, sprinkler and stock issues.
Lifting, stairs and trucks make moving physically demanding work. Every province runs a workers' compensation system, and your board's industry classification sets your rates and obligations. In Ontario, owners outside construction are not covered unless they buy optional WSIB insurance, so an owner-operator who still lifts should consider it or personal disability cover.
Condominium corporations, property managers and commercial clients routinely ask for a certificate of insurance before a move, often naming the building as an additional insured. Keep a template ready and know the limits each major building asks for. Movers who also haul away unwanted items should read our junk removal insurance page for the disposal side.
Cargo is usually rated per vehicle or on revenue, with the limit, deductible and type of goods driving the price. Auto is rated per unit on weight, radius and driver records. Liability is rated on revenue or payroll. The underwriter then looks at:
The wider market is favourable for buyers. Marsh put overall Canadian commercial insurance rates down 6% in the third quarter of 2026, but cargo pricing still turns on theft experience and the goods you carry.
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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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