Edmonton · Roofing Contractors

Roofing Insurance in Edmonton.

Coverage built for Edmonton roofers, from the risks of the work to the exposures Edmonton businesses face.

Licensed Alberta brokerage · IBAA member · most roofers bound in a few business days

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Roofing insurance is harder to arrange than any other trade in this province, and it is worth knowing why before you shop it. You work at height, you use open flame on the one surface protecting the building, and for part of every job that surface is not there at all. Insurers price all three at once, and fewer of them will write the class. That makes the market you are placed in matter as much as the premium. General liability covers the damage and injury the work causes, completed-operations coverage picks up the leak that appears three seasons later, and contractors equipment looks after the kettles, compressors and safety gear that go up with the crew.

The August 2019 Edmonton-area hailstorm caused about $90 million in insured damage, with grapefruit-sized stones and winds near 91 km/h, and central Alberta sits in one of Canada's most active hail corridors, so a season like that is a question of when rather than whether. A roofing company here carries the surge exposure that comes with it, crews taken on quickly to meet the volume, and the ordinary Edmonton risk underneath it: a deck stripped in the afternoon and a prairie storm arriving before it is closed in.

Most roofing programs are built around general liability for water damage, fire and injury, with completed-operations coverage for leaks that appear long after the job. Contractors equipment looks after the gear that goes up on the roof, and commercial auto looks after the trucks and trailers.

Risks Edmonton roofers face.

These exposures come with the work, and in Edmonton the local risks sit on top. A generic small-business policy rarely covers all of them.

An open roof and the weather that finds it

This is the signature roofing claim. A deck stripped in the afternoon, a storm overnight, and water runs through insulation, ceilings, drywall, flooring and the contents of every room below. The roof itself is the small part of that invoice, and how well the opening was protected becomes the whole argument.

Torches, kettles, and hot work

Membrane and built-up work puts open flame and hot bitumen directly on the building envelope, often over an occupied space. Fires can smoulder inside a deck assembly for hours after the crew has gone home, and hot-work permits and a fire watch after the flame is out are standard requirements on commercial sites for that reason.

Falls, and what comes off the edge

Height is the constant. Beyond injury to your own crew, a bundle, a tool or a sheet of tear-off coming off the edge onto a person, a car or a neighbouring property is a third-party claim your general liability has to cover.

Damage caused by the tear-off itself

A dropped bundle through a skylight, a fastener into a rooftop unit or a solar array, a chute that takes out landscaping, siding or a fence. Tear-off is destructive by design, and the collateral damage around the building is routinely more expensive than the roof.

The hail surge and the crews you take on to meet it

Alberta hail seasons create more work than any established crew can absorb, and the pressure to staff up fast is real. A subcontracted crew’s mistake becomes your claim. Proof of their own insurance, collected before they set foot on a roof, keeps their problem from becoming yours.

A leak that appears three seasons later

Roofs are tested by every freeze-thaw cycle and every wind event after you leave. Claims arriving years after the work is finished are normal in this trade, and coverage for claims that surface after the job is done is what picks them up.

Severe summer storms and hail

Central Alberta sits in one of Canada’s most active hail corridors, and Edmonton sees damaging summer thunderstorms, wind, and hail most years. The August 2019 Edmonton-area hailstorm caused about $90 million in insured damage, with grapefruit-sized stones and winds near 91 km/h. Roofs, signage, fleet vehicles, and stock are the common losses, which is why property and equipment coverage matter here.

Winter freeze and water damage

Long, cold winters make frozen and burst pipes, ice damming, and roof-load a real exposure for Edmonton commercial buildings. The January 2024 cold snap held Edmonton at -40 to -45°C for four straight days, and burst pipes are among the most frequent commercial property claims that follow. Sewer-backup and overland-water endorsements are worth confirming.

The Protection

Coverages we recommend.

Commercial General Liability

The water damage, fire and bodily injury your work causes a third party, together with the legal defence, and it keeps responding to claims that appear after the job is complete. It is the coverage every general contractor and property manager asks to see before you go up.

Contractors Equipment

Theft, damage and loss cover for kettles, compressors, nailers, hoists, ladders and fall-protection gear, on the job site, in transit and in overnight storage, where a standard property policy often will not reach.

Commercial Auto

Your trucks, dump trailers and equipment trailers, covered for both liability and damage to the vehicle. Add the gear inside so one accident does not take the truck and the kit together.

Commercial Property

Your yard, shop and material stock, protected against fire, theft and water damage, whether you own the space or lease it.

Business Interruption

If a covered loss to your yard, stock or equipment stops you taking on work, this replaces the income and covers the fixed costs. In a trade where the revenue is compressed into part of the year, losing a season is the loss that ends businesses.

Coverages shown are general examples, not a description of any specific policy. Policy coverages widely vary and should be confirmed with your broker.

How Pricing Works

What drives your premium

Steep-slope versus flat and membrane workShingle work and torch-applied membrane are rated as different exposures, because one is dominated by height and the other adds open flame on the building envelope.
Hot workHow much of your work involves torches, kettles and hot bitumen is the question that most affects whether a market will write you and at what price.
Residential versus commercial and institutionalThe value of what sits under the roof sets the size of a water-damage claim, and a commercial building with tenants and stock is a very different loss from a bungalow.
Height and building storeysWork above a set number of storeys is a common underwriting line, and crossing it changes both the market available to you and the price.
Subcontracted crewsHow much work you pass to subcontracted crews, and whether you collect proof of their insurance before they start, directly affects how your policy is structured and rated.
Revenue, seasonality, and equipment valuesRoofing revenue is compressed into part of the year, and the replacement cost of your kettles, compressors, trailers and fall-protection gear sets the equipment and auto side of the premium.
Claims history and coverage limitsIn a class this tightly underwritten, claims history carries more weight than in almost any other trade. Higher limits raise the premium, while a higher deductible lowers it and increases what comes out of your own pocket on a claim.
Your Edmonton locationYour neighbourhood, the building you occupy, and the local exposures Edmonton sees factor into the property side of your premium.

Common Questions

Questions ownersreally ask.

Why is roofing insurance so hard to get in Alberta?

Three high-severity exposures sit in one trade, namely work at height, open flame, and a building left temporarily without its roof. Fewer insurers are willing to write the class as a result, and the ones that do underwrite it closely, asking about hot work, storeys, subcontracted crews and claims history. That is why the market you are placed in matters as much as the number on the quote, and it is the part a broker is for.

It rained while the roof was open. Is the damage inside covered?

It can be, and it is also the claim most likely to be argued, so it deserves a straight answer. Coverage turns on the wording and on what you did to protect the opening. Whether the deck was tarped, how the forecast was handled, and what the contract said about protecting the building all come into it. This is worth reviewing against your specific policy before the season starts rather than after a storm.

Do I need to do anything special because we torch?

Yes, and it is not only an insurance requirement. Commercial sites commonly require a hot-work permit and a fire watch maintained for a set period after the flame goes out. Meeting those conditions keeps a fire claim from turning into a dispute about whether you complied with terms you had already agreed to, and your own policy may carry conditions about hot work as well.

I bring on extra crews during hail season. How does that affect my coverage?

It has to be disclosed, because subcontracted labour changes how the policy is rated. Collect proof of insurance from every crew before they start and before you pay them. An uninsured crew’s mistake becomes your liability claim, and in a surge year that is the exposure most likely to catch an otherwise well-run roofing company out.

Are my kettle, compressor, and fall-protection gear covered off site?

Only with contractors equipment coverage in place. It follows your tools and portable equipment on the job site, in transit and in overnight storage, which is where a standard business property policy stops. Roofing gear is heavy, visible and often left staged overnight, so the limit is worth setting against what you would have to replace mid-season.

How much does roofing insurance cost in Edmonton?

There is no flat rate. Your premium depends on the work you do, your revenue, your Edmonton location, and your claims history, and higher-risk work costs more to insure. We price it around how you operate rather than a one-size quote, and most roofers go from first conversation to bound coverage within a few business days.

What insurance do most Edmonton businesses need?

Most start with commercial property for the building, stock, and equipment, and commercial general liability for third-party injury and property damage. From there it depends on the trade: vehicles add commercial auto, contractors add tool and equipment coverage, retailers and offices add crime and cyber, and landlords add loss of rental income. We build the mix around your operation.

Are you a local Edmonton insurance broker?

Yes. Velocity is an Edmonton-based brokerage serving businesses across the region and the wider province. You work directly with a broker who knows the local market rather than a call centre.

Can you review my current policy before I switch?

Yes, and there is no obligation. Send us your current policy and a broker will review your coverage for gaps and overlaps and let you know whether we can improve the protection, the price, or both.

Protect your Edmonton roofing contractor.

Tell us how your roofing contractor operates and we'll build coverage around the work you do and the risks Edmonton sees. Most roofers are bound within a few business days.

Protect my Roofing Business Call (587) 842-1369

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