Fort McMurray · General Contractors & Project Owners

Builders Insurance in Fort McMurray.

Coverage built for Fort McMurray general contractors, from the risks of the work to the exposures Fort McMurray businesses face.

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

Get your Fort McMurray project insurance quote

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Course-of-construction insurance, also called builder's risk, protects a construction project while it is being built: the structure, the materials on site and in transit, and the temporary works, against fire, water, theft, vandalism, and weather. It usually sits alongside project (wrap-up) liability, soft-costs coverage, and equipment coverage. Whether you are the general contractor running the job or the owner financing the build, the project needs its own policy from the first load of fill to the day the keys change hands. Velocity arranges these on residential infill, multi-unit, and commercial builds, structured to satisfy your lender and your contract.

General contractors in Fort McMurray build for oil sands operators and often base laydown yards and shops out of the Taiga Nova Eco-Industrial Park, where master service agreements set liability limits, additional-insured wording, and often auto limits before work begins. With the Horse River wildfire the benchmark catastrophe, wrap-up and course-of-construction liability plus builder's risk sized to a real Wood Buffalo evacuation keep a project compliant and covered.

A builder's risk program is built around course-of-construction coverage on the project itself, wrap-up liability for everyone on site, soft-costs coverage for delay-related losses, and equipment coverage for what you bring to the job.

Risks Fort McMurray general contractors face.

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

01

Fire and water damage to the structure

Hot work, temporary heating, exposed framing, and unfinished roofs make construction sites uniquely vulnerable to fire and water loss. A single incident can wipe out months of progress and trigger schedule penalties.

02

Theft of materials and fixtures

Lumber, copper, appliances, HVAC units, and millwork are all targets. Material delivered just before it is installed is often stolen the night it arrives, and course-of-construction coverage follows it on site and on the way there.

03

Vandalism and trespassing

Open sites attract more than thieves. Graffiti, broken windows, and intentional damage from unauthorised entry can mean costly repairs and delays.

04

Severe weather and natural events

Wind, hail, flooding, and freeze damage hit unfinished structures harder than completed ones, and Alberta sees all four. Without course-of-construction coverage, the project absorbs the loss.

05

Soft costs and delay-related losses

A covered loss does more than damage the building. It pushes back occupancy, extends financing interest, racks up additional permit and design fees, and can push a project past its delivery date.

06

Gaps between the trades on site

Every sub on site brings their own coverage, their own exclusions, and their own limits. A single uninsured sub can leave the owner or general contractor holding a claim that should never have been theirs.

07

Wildfire, the costliest disaster in Canadian history

The 2016 Horse River wildfire that forced the evacuation of Fort McMurray caused close to $4 billion in insured losses (about $3.6 billion per the Insurance Bureau of Canada) and remains the costliest single insured disaster in Canadian history. Wildfire, evacuation, and business-interruption exposure are central to any coverage conversation here.

08

Deep-freeze winters and severe weather

Beyond wildfire, Wood Buffalo’s long, deep-freeze winters make frozen and burst pipes a leading property claim, and summer storms add hail and wind exposure. Replacement-cost property and water-damage endorsements answer the everyday weather losses between catastrophes.

How Pricing Works

What drives your premium

  • Total project valueCourse-of-construction limits are set to the completed value of the build, so a larger hard-cost budget means more value at risk and a higher premium.
  • Construction type & materialsA wood-frame build carries more fire and water exposure than a non-combustible steel or concrete structure, so how the project is built moves the price.
  • Project durationA longer build spends more time exposed to fire, theft, and Alberta weather, so a schedule measured in years costs more to cover than a short one.
  • Site security & risk controlsFencing, hoarding, lighting, alarms, and after-hours monitoring reduce theft and vandalism losses, and a well-secured site earns a better rate.
  • Soft costs & delay coverageAdding coverage for extra loan interest, design and permit fees, and lost rent after a delay broadens the policy and raises the premium.
  • Coverage limits & deductiblesHigher limits cost more; a higher deductible lowers the premium but raises your share of a claim.
  • Your Fort McMurray locationYour neighbourhood, the building you occupy, and the local exposures Fort McMurray sees factor into the property side of your premium.

Common Questions

Questions ownersactually ask.

If my sub-trades all carry their own insurance, do I still need builder's risk?

Yes. A sub-trade's liability policy covers claims arising from their work, not physical damage to the building under construction. Course-of-construction (builder's risk) is the only policy that pays to repair or rebuild the project itself if fire, water, theft, or weather damages it before handover. The two do different jobs, and a project needs both.

Does a new build in Alberta need a home warranty?

For new homes, yes. Under Alberta's New Home Buyer Protection Act, new home warranty coverage is required on any home whose building permit was applied for on or after February 1, 2014, and the builder must enrol the home and hold a valid residential builder licence. A warranty is not insurance on the build: it protects the future buyer, while course-of-construction insurance protects the structure and materials during construction.

What's the difference between course-of-construction and wrap-up liability?

Course-of-construction is property coverage: it pays for physical damage to the project. Wrap-up liability is liability coverage: it responds when someone is injured or a third party's property is damaged because of the project, under a single policy that covers the owner, the general contractor, and the sub-trades together. Most active builds carry both.

Should the owner or the general contractor buy the course-of-construction policy?

Either can, and the contract or lender usually decides. What matters is that the policy names the right parties, the owner, the general contractor, and often the lender, so everyone with a financial stake in the build is protected and no one is left arguing over who should have insured it.

What are soft costs, and are they covered?

Soft costs are the indirect losses a delay creates after a covered event: extra loan interest, additional design and permit fees, lost rent, and marketing. They are not covered by the base builder's risk policy but can be added through a soft-costs extension, sized to your project budget and schedule.

Should I check my subcontractors' insurance before I hire them?

Yes. Before you sign and before you release payment, get proof that each sub-trade carries their own coverage. An uninsured sub can leave you holding a claim that should have been theirs, so a quick paperwork check up front protects the whole project.

How long does course-of-construction coverage last?

It runs from the start of construction until the project reaches substantial completion, occupancy, or handover, whichever your policy specifies. Because the value at risk grows every week as the build takes shape, the limit needs to reflect the completed value, not the value on day one.

How much does project insurance cost in Fort McMurray?

There is no flat rate. Your premium depends on the work you do, your revenue, your Fort McMurray 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 general contractors go from first conversation to bound coverage within a few business days.

How does wildfire risk affect insurance for a Fort McMurray business?

Fire, including wildfire, is generally a covered peril under commercial property insurance, and business-interruption coverage can replace income lost during an evacuation. After the 2016 wildfire, insurers pay close attention to wildfire exposure in the region, so confirming your property limits, deductibles, and how evacuation losses are handled is especially important here.

Do you handle oil sands contractor insurance requirements?

Yes. We build coverage to match operator master service agreements (liability limits, additional-insured and waiver-of-subrogation wording, and auto limits where required) and issue the certificates your clients ask for before you mobilise.

How much does business insurance cost in Fort McMurray?

There is no flat rate. Premium depends on your industry, revenue, payroll, claims history, and the limits your operator contracts require, with the region’s wildfire exposure factored into property pricing. We price it to your operation and explain the drivers.

Protect your Fort McMurray project.

Tell us how your project operates and we'll build coverage around the work you do and the risks Fort McMurray sees. Most general contractors are bound within a few business days.

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