CGL limit ladder by buyer group (monthly)

As of December 2025

Notes: Indicative national bands for basic operations with clean loss history; before provincial taxes/fees. $5M often placed via umbrella/excess and varies by class and contracts. For Ontario‑specific $2M views, see the table below.

Ontario RST example (illustrative)

Introduction

This page summarizes current Canadian price bands for Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance at a $2,000,000 limit, framed as estimated monthly premiums. It focuses on four buyer groups that most often ask for “what will $2M cost per month?”: contractors (national and Ontario), retail and professional services, sole proprietors, and tech/SaaS (with notes on E&O and cyber).

Quick $2M CGL cost bands (monthly)

Assumes $2,000,000 per‑occurrence limit (or $1M/$2M with $2M aggregate, normalized to $2M) and basic operations with clean loss history; premiums shown before provincial taxes/fees. See methodology.

Methodology and assumptions

• Synthesized publicly available Canadian broker and comparison‑site figures for $2M CGL, plus Canadian E&O and cyber benchmarks. Where sources publish annual amounts, converted to monthly by dividing by 12. Where sources give ranges (or start-at pricing), we present conservative bands to reflect market variability.

• Excluded Quebec-specific commentary per Summit guidance. Provincial detail is included for Ontario only.

• These are indicative only; underwriting factors (industry, revenues, payroll, contracts, construction class, claims, location) materially affect price. For definitive pricing, get a curated quote from Summit.

What drives CGL pricing

Core rating drivers include class of business, premises/operations exposure, subcontracted work, prior losses, and required limits. For coverage scope and exclusions, see Summit’s Commercial General Liability page. For adjacent coverages commonly packaged with CGL, see Commercial Property and Business Interruption.

Contractor CGL cost (national and Ontario)

• Canada-wide: Small to mid-size contractors commonly see $2M CGL between about $450 and $1,000 per year ($38–$83/mo), per Canadian broker guidance and trade media roundups that benchmark contractors’ CGL at roughly $450–$500/yr for small operators, higher for more hazardous trades.

• Ontario specifics: Published Ontario examples show entry pricing around $425/yr for $2M CGL (≈$35/mo), with many quotes clustering near $55–$70/mo and upper bands near $85/mo when risk and limits increase.

• Why $2M? Canadian construction contracts, GCs, and municipalities frequently stipulate $2M as a baseline limit for site access and compliance.

Key sources: Insurance Business Canada’s contractor cost guide (CGL ~$450–$500/yr); Ontario broker examples indicating $425/yr starts and typical $55–$67/mo ranges; broker advisories noting $450–$1,000/yr bands for $2M limits.

Retail and professional services CGL cost

• Retail (brick‑and‑mortar and e‑commerce with modest product risk): $30–$65 per month for $2M CGL is a common Canadian range, with “floor” premiums often cited around $450/yr ($37.50/mo) for low‑risk operations.

• Professional services (office‑based) CGL: Similar $30–$65/mo bands for premises liability. Note: CGL does not cover errors in advice or services—see E&O below.

Key sources: Canadian comparison sites summarizing general liability at $30–$65/mo nationally; Canadian retail broker pages citing ~$450/yr minimums for $2M limits.

Sole proprietor monthly CGL cost (low‑risk)

• For consultants, freelancers, and home‑ or office‑based sole proprietors without customer foot traffic, indicative $2M CGL costs commonly land between $30 and $50 per month in Canada, scaling with revenue, certificates of insurance required by clients, and any added endorsements (e.g., non‑owned auto).

Key sources: Canadian small‑business cost roundups placing CGL at $30–$65/mo, with low‑risk businesses at the lower end; broker examples with ~$450/yr floors for $2M.

Tech/SaaS: CGL with notes on E&O and Cyber

• CGL (slip‑and‑fall/premises exposure): Tech and SaaS firms without public‑facing premises usually sit at the low end ($30–$50/mo for $2M CGL) assuming clean loss history.

• Technology Errors & Omissions (Tech E&O): For Canadian small businesses, published E&O ranges typically span ~$500–$2,500 per year, depending on revenue, data handling, contracts, and retroactive dates. Canadian trade media also cite a median near ~$59/mo across professional liability classes.

• Cyber: Canadian small‑business cyber options commonly start near $31 per month for basic limits, with significant variation by controls (MFA, backups, EDR) and incident response provisions.

• Contract reality: Many enterprise/partnership agreements require CGL plus Tech E&O and Cyber together; bundling or “Tech E&O with third‑party cyber” is often more economical than buying separately.

Learn more on Summit’s Professional Liability (E&O) and Cyber Insurance pages.

How Summit helps you optimize total cost of risk

• Independent market access: As an independent Canadian brokerage, Summit shops multiple carriers for coverage and price fit across construction, retail, professional services, and tech.

• Purpose‑built curation: We tailor limits, deductibles, and endorsements to your contracts, not the other way around, helping avoid over‑ or under‑insurance.

• Transparent compensation: See Summit’s How We Get Paid for full disclosure on commissions, fees (when applicable), and contingents.

• Claims advocacy: If something goes wrong, our Claim Services team coordinates adjusters and restoration and pushes for fair, prompt outcomes.

What to prepare for a fast, accurate quote

• Legal name, operations description, years in business, and locations

• Gross revenue, payroll, and subcontracted work (if any)

• Current policy declarations and loss runs (3–5 years)

• Contractual insurance requirements (e.g., $2M CGL, additional insured, waivers)

Contact Summit: Business Insurance or Contact Us.

References (selected)

• Insurance Business Canada, “Insurance for contractors: price guide” (contractors’ CGL ~$450–$500/yr; other lines for context).

• Ontario broker examples: “How Much Does Contractors Insurance Cost in Ontario?” (entries at ~$425/yr for $2M limits); “Contractor Insurance Cost in Ontario” (typical $55–$67/mo for $1–$2M limits).

• Canadian brokerage advisories listing $450–$1,000/yr for $2M contractor liability depending on trade and limits.

• Canadian comparison sites: general liability commonly $30–$65/mo nationally; retail pages note ~$450/yr floors for $2M.

• Professional liability benchmarks: Insurance Business Canada reporting median professional liability around ~$59/mo; Canadian E&O ranges of ~$500–$2,500/yr for small businesses (Ontario broker and national broker FAQs).

• Cyber benchmarks (Canada): small‑business cyber starting near $31/mo; industry articles summarizing Canadian SME incident costs (phishing, funds transfer fraud, ransomware) far exceeding premium outlay.

Notes: Figures are indicative, change with market conditions, and exclude taxes/fees. Always confirm limits and wording; CGL does not replace E&O or Cyber.