You have told the designer, contractor and the neighbour who will hear the demolition. Add the insurer to that list before the first wall comes down. A major renovation can change the risk at the property even if you intend to move back into exactly the same address.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada: coverage during building and renovation advises homeowners to discuss construction and renovation with their insurer because coverage terms can change and additional coverage may be needed. The useful conversation is specific: what work is happening, who is doing it, who will live there and when those conditions change.
Send a clear project description
Prepare a short summary with the address, intended start and finish, scope, project value and contractor details. Explain whether the work opens the roof, changes structure, leaves the building exposed or affects heat, plumbing, electrical service or security. Include planned gaps when work may be paused.
| Tell the provider | Ask for confirmation |
|---|---|
| Work scope and exposure | Whether the current policy accommodates the project |
| Actual living arrangements | Which occupancy conditions apply |
| Materials and existing house | What property is included and excluded |
| Contractor and construction cover | Who insures each interest |
| Delays and completion | What changes must be reported and when temporary cover ends |
Describe where you will actually live. "We are renovating" does not tell the insurer whether someone sleeps there every night, the house is empty between visits or only part remains habitable. Ask which policy definitions apply to your particular arrangement rather than choosing the label that sounds most favourable.
Intact: vacant home insurance distinguishes vacant-home considerations from ordinary occupancy and emphasizes notifying the insurer about occupancy changes. Do not rely on a universal number of days copied from another policy. Your insurer needs to explain the conditions and coverage that apply to this project.
Ask for the response in writing
Request confirmation of what remains covered, what changes, any exclusions or limits relevant to the work, and whether an endorsement or construction-specific policy is required. Ask when the arrangement takes effect and what must happen if the schedule runs longer than expected.
Include practical questions about materials stored on site or elsewhere, theft during construction, weather exposure and damage to existing portions of the house. These are questions for the provider, not promises that every policy includes those losses. If something important is excluded, understand it before deciding how to proceed.
Keep the written response with the policy documents. A reassuring phone call is easier to misunderstand later, especially if the project expands from a kitchen renovation into structural work after demolition.
Separate your property cover from the contractor's insurance
The contractor's liability insurance and insurance for the work or your property are not interchangeable. IBC explains that contractor liability coverage is not a substitute for construction-property coverage. Ask the broker to identify who is insuring which interests and where any gap remains.
Our contractor verification guide helps with the contractor documents, while the final renovation-contract signing check keeps responsibilities visible in the agreement. Neither replaces the insurer's explanation of your actual policy.
If separate construction coverage is proposed, ask who is named, what property is included, how existing structures are treated and how claims are handled. Have the broker explain unfamiliar terms in plain language. You should not need to guess whether "the project" includes the occupied part of the home.
Keep the insurer informed as the job changes
Make insurance review a step in significant change orders. A longer vacancy, larger addition, extended roof opening or change of contractor may alter the facts originally provided. Send the revised information promptly and obtain any necessary updated confirmation.
For example, if you initially planned to stay upstairs but later move out because services are disconnected, do not assume the original arrangement still describes the risk. Likewise, a project paused over winter needs a fresh conversation about heat, inspections, security and the policy's conditions.
Assign practical conditions to someone on the project team. If the insurer requires particular checks or protective measures, record who performs them and how evidence is kept. A requirement nobody owns tends to become a sentence everyone remembers after the fact.
When work finishes, report completion and the updated property details. Ask whether the policy value, use or coverage needs adjustment and when temporary construction arrangements end. Save the final response with the renovation handover. You want the insurance file to describe the house you now have, not the one pictured in the original application.