Trail Builder Insurance in Canada
Trail builder coverage available in BC, Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba and Nova Scotia
Liability, equipment and completed-operations coverage for the people who design, build and maintain Canada’s trails — from solo hand-builders to multi-crew contractors running machines.
This Coverage is Designed For
(OVERVIEW)
This coverage is designed for anyone paid to shape dirt — whether you are a one-person hand-build operation or a contractor with machines, crews and multi-season contracts.
Contractors and machine crews
Professional trail building contractors, machine operators running mini-excavators, skid steers and motorized wheelbarrows, bike park and indoor venue build crews, and contract holders working on municipal, Crown and private land.
Solo builders, hand crews and designers
Solo builders and small hand-build crews, trail design consultants and planners, adaptive MTB design and build specialists, seasonal maintenance and repair crews, and builders delivering Level I and II courses and workshops.
Associations, societies and clubs
Trail associations and societies that employ paid crews, and clubs running volunteer dig days — where the crew, the volunteers and the organisation each carry a different exposure.
What’s Covered
Commercial general liability
Third-party bodily injury and property damage arising from your work on site.
Completed operations
The coverage that matters most in this trade. Responds to claims that arise after your project wraps up and riders are using what you built.
Contractors equipment and tools
Excavators, diggers, power barrows and hand tools, on site, in storage and in transit.
Professional liability (E&O)
For the design, assessment, classification and risk-management advice you provide, not just the digging.
Environmental and pollution liability
Fuel spills, sediment release, wildfires and riparian damage during construction.
Optional add-ons
- Commercial auto and trailers for crew and machine transport
- Non-owned auto for crew vehicles used on the job
- Project-specific or wrap-up coverage for large contracts
- Volunteer coverage for club dig days and work parties
- Directors & officers for trail societies and associations
- Event coverage for courses, workshops and trail days you host
What’s not covered
- Workers’ compensation — statutory through WorkSafeBC, WCB Alberta, WSIB or WCB Nova Scotia, not something a broker places
- Unsanctioned building — work on trails without landowner or land manager approval is not insurable
- The cost of redoing your own faulty workmanship, as distinct from damage it causes
- Wear, tear and gradual deterioration of completed trail
How it works
Tell us about your projects, crew and machines
We review your contracts and certificate requirements with you
Get options from insurance carriers who understand trail work
(WHY BICYCLE BROKER)
Lowering Your Overall Risk
- Members of our broker team have taken Level I trail building training with Trail Holistics — we have swung the tools, not just read the file.
- We know the difference between a sanctioned build and a rogue one, and we can explain your risk management to an underwriter in their language.
- We already work with trail builders on projects across Canada.
- Certificates and additional insured wording handled without a two-week wait.
- Rooted in the trail community, from local societies to national associations.
Ways to save
(BUNDLE OPTIONS)
Bundle your policies
Commercial general liability, contractors equipment and directors & officers under one broker, with one point of contact and one renewal conversation.
01Monthly payment options
Spread the cost across the build season rather than paying it all before the first shovel goes in.
02Association membership rates
03Documented risk management
Site plans, hazard assessments and sign-off records can improve your terms. Bring them to the review.
04Ready to get covered before the season starts?
No-obligation review. We will tell you if your current policy already does the job.
Trail Builder Insurance FAQs
Still have a question?
Ask us about a contract, a certificate requirement or a machine list. No obligation.
A land manager is asking for $5 million and additional insured status. How fast can you turn that around?
Quickly — this is one of the most common requests we handle. Send us the contract or the wording they have asked for and we will tell you whether your current policy already satisfies it before you buy anything new.
Am I still covered after I finish the build and leave the site?
Only if your policy includes completed operations. This is the exposure that catches builders out: a claim can arrive months or years after handover, from a rider on a feature you built. We check this first.
Are my machines covered on site, in transit and when rented?
Contractors equipment coverage can extend to owned machines, tools in transit and equipment you rent or borrow. Rented machines often need to be declared, so tell us what you bring in for bigger jobs.
What about volunteers on a dig day?
Volunteers sit in a gap that catches a lot of organisations out — they are often outside your workers’ compensation registration and not treated as third parties under a standard liability policy. If you run work parties, tell us and we will address it directly.
I build unsanctioned trails. Can you cover me?
No. Work without landowner or land manager approval is not insurable, by us or anyone else. If you are moving toward sanctioned work, we are happy to talk about what that pathway looks like.
Do I need certificates from my subcontractors?
Yes, and it matters more than most builders expect. Uninsured subcontractors can end up treated as your own employees at claim time, which affects both your premium and your exposure. We will tell you what to collect.
Do I still need workers’ compensation?
Yes. Workers’ compensation is statutory through your provincial board and sits alongside your commercial policy rather than replacing it. Most land managers will ask for proof of both.
My crew stands down over winter. Do I pay full premium year-round?
Not necessarily. Seasonal operations can often be structured around your active months, particularly on the equipment side. Tell us your season and we will build around it.
Still have a question?
Ask us about a contract, a certificate requirement or a machine list. No obligation.
Ready to protect your crew and your builds? Let’s talk.
Call 1-877-621-6940 — 7AM–5PM PST, 9AM–5PM Canada-wide.