Snow removal insurance in Alberta

Starting prices

Zensurance’s 2026 cost guide doesn’t have an Alberta column. It has one price for outside Ontario:

• Residential shovelling: from $1,800 a year.
• One truck and plow, residential and light commercial: from $2,500 a year.

Both are for $1 million in general liability. Commercial auto for the truck is separate.

What happened in 2021

Global News reported in October 2021 that about 100 Alberta snow contractors were facing premium increases of up to nine times.

One was Chris Jorgenson of Canada Yard Pro. He paid $7,800 the year before and got renewal quotes as high as $65,000. He negotiated it down to a 30% increase. The catch: his insurer wouldn’t let him clear medical facilities, seniors’ centres, schools, big-box stores with more than 50 stalls, or strip malls with a bar, restaurant or lounge. He closed his Edmonton operation after 15 years and was passing a 10% increase on to customers.

Rob de Pruis of the Insurance Bureau of Canada told Global that commercial liability claims paid out went from $2.4 billion in 2013 to more than $5 billion in 2020. He said lawsuits from falls on snow and ice were rising.

On r/PersonalFinanceCanada, an Alberta commenter said a friend’s landscaping and snow premium went from about $8,000 to about $42,000, with a much bigger deductible, while clients were asking for $5 million in liability. That’s a forum post, not data.

This was a hard market a few years ago. Prices may have moved since. It’s still why our estimator shows a wide high end for Alberta.

Read your contracts

• Limit. $2M is common on commercial work. Some clients ask for $5M.
• Additional insured. Most property managers want to be named on your policy.
• Ice. Is salting or sanding in scope? That’s where most of the fall risk sits.
• The truck. Commercial auto and the plow attachment are separate from liability.

If a client wants $5M, ask your broker whether a $2M policy plus an umbrella will satisfy the contract. Some will, some won’t.

Landscapers who plow in winter

A lot of Alberta snow contractors are landscapers in summer. Zensurance says landscaping insurance doesn’t automatically cover snow work. Tell your insurer about the snow side. Don’t tuck it inside a landscaping-only application. That’s how a claim gets denied.

Keep records

IBC’s advice in the Global story was simple: take photos and videos, and keep detailed logs. Claims can show up a couple of years after the fall. Write down what you did, when, and whether you salted. If your contract says “ice-free walks” and your invoice says “plow only,” fix the paperwork now.

If your renewal jumps

You have options, and they’re all business calls. Drop sidewalks. Sub out the ice work. Take a bigger deductible. Drop high-traffic sites. Or raise your prices like Jorgenson did. Talk them through with a broker before you cut anything, so you don’t open a gap in your coverage by accident.

Bottom line

Use $2,500 a year as the floor for one truck. Expect more for commercial lots and ice work. Let your contracts set the limit you buy. Keep good logs. Get a real quote with everything disclosed.

We may earn a flat fee if you request a quote. We’re not a broker. Disclosure

More: Commercial limits and certificates · Do I need insurance? · Starting out