BC, Alberta and Ontario

How do I verify a contractor's certificate of insurance?

Insurance is not in a public registry; it is on a certificate, and the certificate comes from the broker. Four checks take ten minutes and settle most of the questions.

The free steps

  1. 1. Ask for the certificate of insurance from the broker

    Ask the contractor to have their insurance broker send the certificate of insurance straight to you. Check that the named insured matches the business on the quote, that the policy is in force for the dates of your project, and that the coverage type is liability for the work being done. A photo of a certificate from the contractor's phone is weaker evidence than one sent by the broker.

  2. 2. Match the named insured to the quote

    The named insured on the certificate should be the business on your quote, or the registered business behind its trade name. A different name is the first question to ask: which business would you be paying? The provinces' own hiring-a-contractor pages list proof of insurance among the things to ask for before you sign.

    Official source: Hiring a contractor (Government of Alberta; checked 2026-07-15).

  3. 3. Check the dates

    The policy period should cover the whole project, including the end. If it expires mid-project, ask whether it will be renewed and for the new certificate when it is.

  4. 4. Check the coverage type and the limit

    Commercial general liability is the usual coverage for renovation work. Read the limit and the description of operations; a policy for a different kind of work is a question to ask.

  5. 5. Call the broker named on the certificate

    The broker can confirm the certificate is current. Use the broker's number from the brokerage's own website, not the number on the certificate, so you are checking the certificate rather than trusting it.

Questions people ask

Can I check a contractor's insurance in a public registry?

No. Liability insurance is a private contract; the certificate from the broker is the evidence. Jay's Full Check reads the certificate against the registry record and tells you what matches and what to ask.

What if the contractor says they are insured but will not send a certificate?

That is a question to ask again, in writing, before any deposit. A certificate takes a broker minutes to issue.

Or ask Jay

Jay does these steps for you and writes up what the records show, with the source and date for each finding. The $39 Full Check (no tax added) also reads your quote and insurance papers, and a person reviews every Full Check before it goes out. The $19 Quick Check is opening soon.

Order a Full CheckSee a sample Full Check

Three quotes. One Jay check. Then the deposit.

Information, not a verdict. A record that is not found is not evidence of wrongdoing, and nothing here is legal, insurance or safety advice.

Published 2026-10-20; sources last checked on the dates shown beside each step.