Commercial General Liability Insurance in Ontario

Keep your business protected from a wide range of risks.

Running a business comes with certain risks. That’s why we suggest that all business owners purchase commercial general liability insurance. Accidents happen — and it’s important to be protected when they do.

At Jeffery & Spence, our commercial general liability (CGL) insurance offers protection from a wide range of risks, with custom policies tailored to fit your specific requirements. This standard type of commercial insurance provides reliable coverage against injuries caused by your products or operations, as well as injuries that occur on your property.

When you choose CGL insurance, we will start by meeting with you to discuss the specific details of your business — this will assist our team in selecting the appropriate type of coverage options to fit your business. We’ll work to find you a cost-effective insurance plan so you can receive the most value at the lowest cost.

Our Years of Expertise

Since 1927, the team at Jeffery & Spence Insurance Brokers have provided quality services to a variety of businesses in Guelph and across Ontario. Our professional brokers will provide you with expert advice and guidance, and will locate the right business insurance coverage for you.

Why Do I Need Commercial General Liability?

Every business has a duty of care towards its customers and to the general public. While accidents and injuries do happen, you need CGL insurance to protect yourself in situations where a duty of care was owed and resulted in an injury.

A common example of the benefit of CGL insurance is a slip and fall. In the event that a slip and fall occurs on your property, as a result of an improperly shovelled sidewalk or a buildup of ice during the winter, you will be protected. Another example is spoilage in a food product that results in a customer getting sick after purchasing it from you. CGL will protect you.

In the event of negligence or a defect in one of your products, your duty of care to your customers or the general public will have been breached. While you may have done your best to prevent an accident from occurring, you will still be held responsible — and you need the proper insurance to protect you from legal action.

Who Needs Commercial General Liability Insurance?

Every business has a duty of care towards its customers and to the general public. While accidents and injuries do happen, you need CGL insurance to protect yourself in situations where a duty of care was owed and resulted in an injury.

A common example of the benefit of CGL insurance is a slip and fall. In the event that a slip and fall occurs on your property, as a result of an improperly shovelled sidewalk or a buildup of ice during the winter, you will be protected. Another example is spoilage in a food product that results in a customer getting sick after purchasing it from you. CGL will protect you.

In the event of negligence or a defect in one of your products, your duty of care to your customers or the general public will have been breached. While you may have done your best to prevent an accident from occurring, you will still be held responsible — and you need the proper insurance to protect you from legal action.

Contractor Insurance in Ontario

Contractors & Trades

Contractor insurance is an important type of insurance coverage that is required by any business doing contract-based work, particularly contractors working in trades. Learn more about the additional coverages required for tools, equipment, and more.

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Small Businesses

From bars and restaurants to small retail stores, any business that has a storefront or home office that customers visit will require additional types of coverage. Learn more about what’s required for your small business.

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Consultants & Other Professionals

If your business provides any kind of advice that could have financial ramifications, then it is important to protect your business from legal action. Find out more about the type of coverage required to protect consultants and other professionals from being held liable for errors and omissions.

What Is Covered By Commercial General Liability Insurance?

The Jeffery & Spence team are true professionals who are dedicated to making sure you have an awesome experience. Working with their team has been great and I would highly recommend them to anyone! 10/10 - keep up the great work Jeffery & Spence.read more
Ryan Vielma
Ryan Vielma
21:03 15 Feb 19
My family and I have been insured through Jeffery and Spence for 14 years, and we will all always be loyal clients to this wonderful brokerage.read more
Ashlean Richardson
Ashlean Richardson
17:50 27 Nov 18
Have been with them for ages and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone. I have also gladly referred friends to them and they have taken good care of them as well!read more
Jason Shaw
Jason Shaw
20:38 02 Jan 18
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Ali SIDO
Ali SIDO
03:57 11 Feb 19
unbelievable service, literally saved a client of mine from a major catastrophe, highly recommend. Kyla was amazing
Andra Arnold
Andra Arnold
17:19 18 Apr 19
Excellent Customer service and communications, staff here makes me feel like part of the J&F family, highly recommend!
Rain Zhang
Rain Zhang
14:21 29 May 19
Excellent Customer service and communications, staff here makes me feel like part of the Jeffery&Spence family, highly recommend!read more
Rain Zhang
Rain Zhang
14:39 29 May 19
Awesome service, friendly advice and get what you need fast. Been a customer for over 10 years now.
Brock Parker
Brock Parker
16:03 27 Jun 19
Awesome service, friendly advice and get what you need fast. Been a customer for over 10 years now.
Brock Parker
Brock Parker
16:03 27 Jun 19
Ashlean made shopping for insurance so easy and stress free! From start to finish she was courteous and professional, listened to our needs and communicated with us every step of the way, all while finding us the best ratesread more
Chloe McKnight
Chloe McKnight
22:42 22 Jul 19
The Jeffery & Spence team is wonderful. They have insured my assets for over 4 years. When I switched over from my old provider they made it easy. They were honest and reliable. I started simply with a call out for car insurance. They were able to take a look at 5+ companies and make sure I had the proper coverage and at a great price. (They beat my old provider by $300). Slowly and surely as other asset insurance policies were coming to an end (home, business, additional vehicles) it only made sense to call over and get a quote. Additionally there is customer service like no other. I call in frequently for updates and questions and whether it’s the front desk or managers I have never felt like I was asking a stupid question. Jeffery & Spence is awesome and you owe it to yourself to just give them a call....even if your not from Guelph!read more
Corey Pavao
Corey Pavao
13:59 23 Oct 19
So over the moon happy with these guys. Specifically Dave. I was a first timer today, extremely nervous about taking another step toward “audulting” by getting my own auto insurance. And when I say nervous, I mean NERVOUS. Dave was MORE than helpful. His personality put me at ease, and the way he explained things made me go from feeling anxious to comfortable. Dave did more than help me get my own insurance. Dave made me feel like it was just a normal conversation between people. Where as other conversations have gone with other companies, I felt like a stupid kid in their 20s that didn’t know what they were doing. It’s comforting to know that now, in the future, when I need home insurance, etc. I know who to call. Thanks a million Dave.read more
Jaymee Indoe
Jaymee Indoe
18:55 21 Nov 19
Ashlean is so great to work with and she makes insurance easily accessible. I love all of the work they do in the community too. Check them out!!!read more
Heather Smart
Heather Smart
16:41 01 Dec 19
Awesome service! Jeffrey helped me find a solution for my insurance ASAP after I had such a poor experience with my previous insurer.read more
Jennifer A-M
Jennifer A-M
04:25 04 Dec 19
Expedient, professional and tailored to my needs. Highly recommend.
Annie Wong
Annie Wong
15:38 10 Dec 19
Met with Dave Jutzi and he was an absolute pleasure to work with! He created a plan to MY needs and MY budget! No pressure on me whatsoever and he really looked out for my best interest. If you're looking for extremely affordable auto and home insurance, DEFINITELY go see Dave!read more
Simon McGhee
Simon McGhee
16:38 21 Jan 20
My only regret was not calling them sooner. Ashlean Richardson went above and beyond for my company. I felt like they took me and my time very seriously and I appreciated that. Would highly recommend to my friends and family.read more
Kevin Wilkins
Kevin Wilkins
13:40 14 Apr 20
Ashlean was great to work with she was very helpful and prompt with all her responses; she was able to make a stressful situation go by very smoothlyread more
Haily Rice
Haily Rice
16:09 29 May 20
Been with Jeffery & Spence nearly 50 years and they have looked after all my insurance needs in a very professional manner. Hope to be with them another 50 years but at 83 y.o. that's not likely to happen.read more
Mario Bonifacio
Mario Bonifacio
13:18 19 Jul 21
Excellent company to work with! Geoff is professional, patient, and responded immediately to my needs.
Debbie Bianchi
Debbie Bianchi
12:26 21 Aug 21
Great service, quick response and best rates. Excellent job Jason DiReto 👏.
Asaad Yousiph
Asaad Yousiph
13:23 06 Jul 21
I wish I had found this broker earlier than I did. They make dealing with insurance such an easy and seamless experience. We are fortunate to work with Geoff; after every interaction with him, we always talk about how lucky we are to have him take care of our insurance needs. 5 stars all the way!read more
Luis Ribeiro
Luis Ribeiro
20:43 08 Oct 20
Great company to work with! We had just moved to the country and had no insurance history in Canada. Jason helped us figure out the system and find the insurance we needed at a reasonable price. Everyone at the brokerage was kind, responsive, and great to talk to.read more
Alana Lund
Alana Lund
12:37 22 Aug 22
Steve has been absolutely awesome to deal with! His communication skills are top notch and made getting insurance super easy. So glad I went with J&S!read more
Noah Olfert
Noah Olfert
20:01 30 Aug 22
If you need an insurance company , I highly recommend Jeffrey and Spence! Great service and prices
Valerie Schuett
Valerie Schuett
20:14 11 Aug 22
Dawn is my hero, she has gone above and beyond any of my expectations, and made every insurance renewal a piece of cake! Highly recommend!!!read more
Ty S
Ty S
12:58 18 Aug 22
I had a very good experience taking out and cancelling policies with them. Jason came up with the best rates I could find in a no-nonsense manner, and Dina promptly helped me with the processing including the early cancellations & refund when I left the country earlier than expected.read more
K. Kevin Wang
K. Kevin Wang
11:17 10 Feb 22

Commercial general liability (CGL) offers a wide range of coverages for your business, including:

  • Advertising Injury Coverage — Protects you against cases of slander, libel, or the infringement of someone else’s copyrights or intellectual property.
  • Bodily Injury Coverage — Covers you against any injuries to third-parties, such as customers or visitors, which resulted from your products or operations.
  • Operations Liability — Protects you from any injuries or damages caused by work that you have completed as part of a contract, or work that has been put to its intended use.
  • Personal Injury Coverage — Covers you against any accidental injuries (e.g. slips and falls) to individuals on your property, including customers, employees, and other visitors.
  • Products Liability — Protects you from any injury or damages caused by defects in a product that you manufacture or sell to customers.
  • Property Damages Coverage — Covers you against any third-party damages to property incurred by one of your employees while on the job.
  • Tenant’s Liability — Ensures that the tenant accepts responsibility for any damages caused to the property that he or she is leasing from you.

Our team can provide more information on these various types of liability coverage and the situations where they may be required.

Contact the insurance experts at Jeffery & Spence today to discuss your options.