Straight answers to the questions people actually ask us.
No forms, no email wall, no downloading a whitepaper. Everything we know, written the way we would explain it at the counter, because a client who understands their policy is a better client to have.
Ask us something else Browse by topicWhy do we publish this for free?
Because most insurance problems are caused by a gap nobody explained, and most of those gaps cost more to fix after a claim than they would have cost to cover. We would rather you found the gap here than found it at the worst moment. If you take this and fix your policy elsewhere, that is a fair outcome. Most people come back.
Commercial guides.
Why certificates of insurance get rejected
The four reasons a general contractor sends yours back, and how to get it right first time.
What builders risk actually covers
Who buys it, when it ends, and the handover gap that leaves finished buildings uninsured.
Three things to check in your E&O policy
Discipline exclusions, retroactive dates and whether defence costs eat your limit.
What cyber insurance actually pays for
Mostly people, not technology, and the email fraud that is the most common claim.
The three numbers behind a plant claim
Rebuild cost, stock value and indemnity period. Get one wrong and the claim disappoints.
What insurers ask about your kitchen
Hood cleaning, suppression servicing and open flame, the answers that set your price.
Read the insurance clause in your lease
The limit, who must be named, and what happens if cover lapses. It varies more than people think.
Is your cargo actually insured?
Carrier liability is capped per kilogram and only applies when they are at fault.
Personal guides.
What strata deductible coverage is
Why a loss starting in your condo can leave you with a bill in the tens of thousands.
Insure for rebuild cost, not what you paid
In the Lower Mainland the two numbers are very far apart, and one of them is useless.
What tenant insurance covers
Your things, your liability, and somewhere to live. The liability is the part people underestimate.
Renting out your home changes everything
A homeowner’s policy is written on the basis that you live there. Once you do not, it may not respond.
When acreage becomes a farm
Outbuildings, animals and anything you sell at the gate move you outside a home policy.
Are you in the right ICBC rate class?
Carrying tools or driving between job sites can change it, and affect a claim.
What to do in the first hour after a loss
What helps, what hurts, and why you call your broker before the insurer.
Why insurance gets declined
Almost always about the insurer’s appetite, not about you. And what to do next.
The five-minute policy check.
You do not need us to do this. Open your current policy tonight and look at four things.
The limit
Does it match what your lease, contract or lender actually requires?
The water
Overland water and sewer backup are separate. Are they there?
The value
Was the rebuild or stock figure set years ago and never revisited?
If any of those look wrong, send the policy to us and we will read it properly, whether or not you move your business over.
Want us to read your own policy? Send it over with any contract or lease that demands cover, and we will tell you what is missing.
What people ask about these guides.
Do I have to give my email to read these?
No. Everything here is open. We do not gate guides behind a form, and we do not ask who you are before answering a question.
Are these guides specific to British Columbia?
Yes. They reflect BC rules, ICBC, BC strata law and the markets available here, which is why they differ from general Canadian advice.
Can you review a policy I bought elsewhere?
Yes, and we will tell you honestly if it is well arranged. Send it with any contract or lease that demands cover.
How often are these updated?
When the market or the rules change. Insurance wording moves, and a guide that is three years old can be actively misleading.
Not covered here? Ask us.
If you have a question we have not written about, send it. If it comes up twice, it becomes a guide.
Try the free risk snapshot, four questions, no name, no email, and you get a plain list of what you are actually exposed to. Or see how we work.
Going away? Read why travel claims get refused before you book.
Business owner? Work out how long you could survive not trading.