The math of a missed visit.
The insurance stack that protects you.
Slip-and-fall claims are the dominant liability driver in commercial snow operations. The average claim value in Ontario is $340,000 per incident; the largest reported claim against a Canadian snow contractor was $4.8M (2019). The primary defence is documented evidence the property was cleared and salted per spec at the time of the alleged incident.
What every snow.ca commercial contract includes
- $5M general liability minimum on every commercial account regardless of property size
- $2M errors-and-omissions on management layer for documentation and dispatch failures
- Additional-insured endorsement naming the property owner standard, no extra premium
- Standard indemnification language — snow.ca defends the property owner against slip-and-fall claims arising from snow operations
- Per-visit photo + GPS reporting as the indemnifying evidence package
Commercial GL minimums by property type
| Property type | Minimum GL | Recommended umbrella |
|---|---|---|
| Residential only | $2M | n/a |
| Standard commercial | $5M | +$5M |
| Hospital, retail (high pedestrian) | $5–10M | +$10M |
| Big-box retail | $10M | +$15M |
| Condo association (50+ units) | $5–10M | +$10M |
| Major national retail networks | $25M | +$50M |
How documented operations reduce your insurance premium
Underwriters discount commercial GL premium 15–30 % from baseline when the property’s snow contractor provides documented per-visit reporting (GPS, photo, salt rate, timing, crew).
Track record
- 0 lost defended claims on snow.ca-documented operations in 5+ seasons
- 91 % contract renewal rate across the commercial portfolio
- Property GL renewal trend: typical –5 % to –12 % annually for properties on snow.ca documented service vs. industry average of +6 % to +18 %
Questions, answered.
Why is $5M general liability the standard for commercial snow contracts?
Slip-and-fall claims against commercial property routinely settle in the $200,000–$450,000 range, with trial verdicts that have reached $4.8M in Canada. The $5M GL threshold provides comfortable headroom above typical settlement values plus defence costs (which the carrier pays in addition to the policy limit). Below $5M, commercial property managers typically reject the contract bid because the contractor cannot fully indemnify against a foreseeable claim. Above $5M, the additional premium for $10M or $25M coverage is justified only for high-traffic retail, hospital, and major national networks where verdict risk exceeds the $5M policy limit.
What does additional-insured endorsement do?
Additional-insured names the property owner as a covered party on the contractor's GL policy for claims arising from the contractor's snow operations. Without it, a slip-and-fall claim against the property triggers the property's own GL policy first — spiking the property's renewal premium and often creating a chargeback against the contractor. With additional-insured, the contractor's GL responds first, protecting the property's loss history. snow.ca includes additional-insured endorsement on every commercial contract, no extra premium.
How does snow.ca documentation actually defend a claim?
When a slip-and-fall claim is filed against the property, insurance counsel needs evidence that the property was cleared and salted per contract specification at the time of the alleged incident. snow.ca delivers within 48 hours: GPS-stamped photos of pre-incident clearing, documented salt application rate (specific to the surface where the incident occurred), documented timing of most recent application, documented pavement condition at application, and the responsible crew member's identity and certification. This package is the standard accepted by Canadian commercial GL carriers as indemnifying evidence.
Will snow.ca name my property as an additional insured?
Yes — by default on every commercial contract, no extra premium. The endorsement is filed with the GL carrier and a certificate of insurance is delivered to the property at contract signing. The certificate is renewed annually. For multi-property property managers, certificates can be issued in bulk for the entire portfolio under a master service agreement.
What happens to my insurance if there's a slip-and-fall claim on my property?
The claim triggers both the property's GL (typically first response) and the snow contractor's GL (under additional-insured + indemnification, also first response). Carriers appoint defence counsel, investigate the claim, evaluate settlement vs. trial, and pay up to policy limits. At renewal the carrier evaluates the claim — small settled claims under $50,000 typically do not materially impact renewal; large settled claims $200,000+ often spike property GL premium 30–80 % for the next 3–5 underwriting cycles. snow.ca documentation reduces both the likelihood of settlement (defended claims rarely settle) and the severity of renewal impact (carriers price the documented-operations risk lower).