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17 insurers · One form · No obligation
Fill in one form and a licensed advisor takes your business to 17 of Canada's leading insurers — then explains what actually differs between the quotes, not just which number is smallest. Free, no obligation, and no credit check.
About two minutes · No account needed · Nothing is bound until you say so
Start here
Personal auto insurance is close to a commodity — the coverage is largely set by regulation, so comparing on price is reasonable. Commercial insurance is not that. Two quotes for the same business can differ in the limit, the valuation basis, the perils, the exclusions and the endorsements, and none of that appears in the premium column.
Which is why the cheapest quote is so often the one that pays out least. It isn't a trick; it's arithmetic. Narrower coverage costs less to provide, and if nobody points out what was narrowed, the difference only shows up at claim time.
Below is what we look at on your behalf. It's worth reading whether or not you ever ask us for a quote.
The real comparison
Put every quote at the same limit and the same deductible first. Then read these ten lines. If two quotes match all the way down, the cheaper one genuinely is cheaper.
| What to check | What the cheap quote often says | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Liability limit | $1M per occurrence, $1M aggregate | The aggregate is the ceiling for the whole policy year, not per claim. Two bad months can exhaust a $1M aggregate and leave you uninsured until renewal. |
| Defence costs | Included within the limit | Legal defence is often the larger bill. If it comes out of the limit rather than sitting on top of it, the money meant to pay a settlement is spent on lawyers first. |
| Professional liability trigger | Claims-made | A claims-made policy only responds while it's in force. Cancel or switch without prior-acts cover or an extended reporting period and years of past work stop being insured. |
| Property valuation | Actual cash value | Actual cash value pays the depreciated worth of what you lost. Replacement cost pays what it costs to replace it today — on a ten-year-old fit-out, that gap is most of the claim. |
| Perils covered | Named perils | Named perils covers only what's listed. All-risk covers everything except what's excluded, which is a much shorter list to read and a much better position to argue from. |
| Business interruption | Not included, or a short indemnity period | Rebuilding and re-permitting routinely runs six to eighteen months. An indemnity period that ends at ninety days stops paying long before the revenue comes back. |
| Water damage | Sewer backup and overland water excluded | Two of the most common commercial property losses in Canada, and both are frequently endorsements rather than default coverage. |
| Subcontractors | Excluded unless named and insured | If you use subs, an exclusion here can void the part of the claim that matters. Insurers also want evidence the subs carry their own limits. |
| Contract requirements | No additional insured or waiver of subrogation | Leases and client contracts commonly require both. A quote that omits them is cheaper because it doesn't do what your contract obliges you to do. |
| Deductible | $5,000 or more | The fastest way to make a premium look competitive. Compare quotes at the same deductible or you're not comparing them at all. |
$1M per occurrence, $1M aggregate
The aggregate is the ceiling for the whole policy year, not per claim. Two bad months can exhaust a $1M aggregate and leave you uninsured until renewal.
Included within the limit
Legal defence is often the larger bill. If it comes out of the limit rather than sitting on top of it, the money meant to pay a settlement is spent on lawyers first.
Claims-made
A claims-made policy only responds while it's in force. Cancel or switch without prior-acts cover or an extended reporting period and years of past work stop being insured.
Actual cash value
Actual cash value pays the depreciated worth of what you lost. Replacement cost pays what it costs to replace it today — on a ten-year-old fit-out, that gap is most of the claim.
Named perils
Named perils covers only what's listed. All-risk covers everything except what's excluded, which is a much shorter list to read and a much better position to argue from.
Not included, or a short indemnity period
Rebuilding and re-permitting routinely runs six to eighteen months. An indemnity period that ends at ninety days stops paying long before the revenue comes back.
Sewer backup and overland water excluded
Two of the most common commercial property losses in Canada, and both are frequently endorsements rather than default coverage.
Excluded unless named and insured
If you use subs, an exclusion here can void the part of the claim that matters. Insurers also want evidence the subs carry their own limits.
No additional insured or waiver of subrogation
Leases and client contracts commonly require both. A quote that omits them is cheaper because it doesn't do what your contract obliges you to do.
$5,000 or more
The fastest way to make a premium look competitive. Compare quotes at the same deductible or you're not comparing them at all.
Where quotes come from
We're one of them, so read this with that in mind — including the part where we tell you what we're slower at.
You get that insurer's product at that insurer's price. There's no comparison happening, and the person advising you is paid to place business with their employer.
Fine if you already know exactly what you want and who you want it from.
Most Canadian commercial 'comparison' sites are lead generators. You fill in one form, your details are sold to several brokerages, and you get called by all of them — often about the same insurers.
Fast, but you trade your phone number for it, and nobody owns the outcome.
One conversation puts your business in front of our whole panel. We're paid by whichever insurer you choose, so we have no reason to steer you — and we'll tell you when your existing policy is already the better deal.
Slower than an instant price, and worth it on anything with real exposure.
Our commission comes from whichever insurer you choose, which is why we have no reason to prefer one over another — set out in full in how we get paid.
Sized to the business
Same market, different mechanics. Most businesses that end up underinsured got there by outgrowing a package nobody revisited.
1–10 people · under ~$2M revenue
Usually a packaged policy — liability, contents, and business interruption written together. Priced largely off what you do and what you turn over, and often bound within a day. Comparison here is mostly about what the package quietly leaves out.
Watch for
10+ people · premises, fleet, or contracts
Individually underwritten and often layered across several policies. Underwriters ask real questions and may want a site visit. Comparison here is about structure — how the programme is built — far more than the headline premium.
Watch for
What moves the number
Commercial premiums aren't published rates. These are the inputs underwriters actually price on — worth knowing before you decide a quote is too high.
The single biggest factor. Insurers price by class of business, and two companies with identical revenue can sit at very different rates because one installs roofs and the other writes software.
Liability is commonly rated on one or both. They're also the numbers most often estimated badly at renewal, which is where mid-term adjustments come from.
Usually five years. Frequency hurts more than severity — several small claims read worse to an underwriter than one large, explicable loss.
The two levers you control directly. Raising a deductible lowers the premium; raising a limit costs far less than most owners expect.
Construction, age, sprinklers, alarm, and proximity to a fire hall all move property rates — as does exposure to flood, wildfire, or hail where you operate.
Subcontractors, staff, tenants, and the contracts you've signed all change the exposure being insured, and all get asked about.
Apples to apples
Quotes built on different assumptions can't be compared, and inconsistent information causes problems at claim time. Give us these once and every insurer sees the same picture.
Missing something? Leave it — an advisor will pick it up.
What we compare
Most comparisons start with these six. We write 29 lines in total — an advisor will tell you which ones your operation needs quoting for, and which are being sold to you unnecessarily.
Business liability insurance — the foundational policy nearly every company carries.
Protect your building, equipment, inventory, and income.
Errors & omissions protection for advice-and-service businesses.
Protection against data breaches, ransomware, and digital liability.
Coverage for company vehicles, fleets, and the drivers behind them.
Replaces lost income while a covered loss keeps you closed.
Who we compare
Including the specialist markets that write programmes for particular trades — usually the ones that beat a general quote for Canadian businesses.
What clients say
“Honestly the easiest part of opening the shop. I called on a Tuesday not really knowing what I needed, and they walked me through it without making me feel silly for asking.”
“Our biggest client asked for proof of insurance on a Friday afternoon and I panicked a bit. Had it sorted before the end of the day. That alone made switching worth it.”
“What I appreciated most was that they actually asked how the business runs before quoting anything. Ended up paying less than last year and I understand what I'm covered for now.”
“We had a break-in over a long weekend. I expected a fight and instead got a call back the same morning telling me exactly what to do. Genuinely reassuring.”
“I'd been with the same broker for eleven years and never once heard from them between renewals. The difference here is that someone actually picks up.”
“No jargon, no runaround. They explained the cyber cover in plain English, told me which bits my business didn't need, and left it at that.”
Sample reviews shown for design — to be replaced with verified client reviews.
Common questions
Something specific to your business is quicker on the phone — 613-355-3130, Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM. More in the help centre.
Free · No obligation
One form, 17 insurers, and an advisor who shows you what differs between the options — including when your current policy is the one to keep. Insurabiz is paid by the insurer you choose, not by you.