Roughley Insurance Expands Commercial Insurance Portfolio for Ontario Businesses
After nearly 80 years of protecting families and businesses across Durham Region and Ontario, Roughley Insurance Brokers is expanding its commercial insurance capabilities in ways that matter to business owners: faster turnaround, specialized coverage programs, and the kind of market access that only comes from decades of carrier relationships.
This is not a pivot. Commercial insurance has been part of the Roughley offering since Harold Roughley founded the brokerage on September 8, 1945. What has changed is the depth and breadth of what we can do for Ontario businesses — and the speed at which we can do it.
Why the Expansion Matters Now
Ontario's commercial insurance landscape has shifted significantly in recent years. After a prolonged hard market that drove up premiums and tightened underwriting standards across the province, conditions are beginning to stabilize. But stability does not mean simplicity. Businesses today face a more complex risk environment than ever before — from cyber threats to evolving liability exposures to construction project risks that demand specialized coverage.
Durham Region itself is growing rapidly. Non-residential building permits hit an all-time high of $1.23 billion in 2023, and the region's population is forecast to reach 1.3 million by 2051. More businesses, more construction, more employees — all of which means more insurance needs that require a broker who understands the local market.
That is where our expanded portfolio comes in.
What Delegated Authority Means for Your Business
One of the most significant advantages Roughley brings to commercial clients is our delegated authority arrangements with major insurers. In plain terms, delegated authority means the insurer has authorized our brokerage to underwrite, quote, and bind certain types of coverage on their behalf — without sending every submission back to the carrier for approval.
For a business owner, the practical benefit is speed. A standard commercial insurance submission can take days or weeks as it moves between broker, underwriter, and back again. With delegated authority, our team can often quote and bind eligible risks in a single interaction.
This is not a common arrangement. Carriers grant delegated authority only to brokerages with proven underwriting expertise, strong loss ratios, and deep experience in the specific lines of business covered by the agreement. It represents a significant vote of confidence from our insurer partners.
In-House Builders Risk and Rental Property Programs
Construction and real estate are two sectors where we have invested heavily in building specialized, in-house programs.
Builders risk insurance — also known as course of construction coverage — protects buildings, materials, and equipment during construction or major renovation projects. While builders risk is available through many brokerages, our in-house program allows us to handle the underwriting directly. This means faster quotes for contractors and developers, competitive pricing, and the flexibility to structure coverage around the specific timeline and scope of each project.
For landlords and rental property investors, we offer an in-house program designed for the Ontario market. Whether you own a single rental unit or a portfolio of multi-unit residential buildings, having a broker who can underwrite these risks internally eliminates the back-and-forth delays that frustrate property investors during purchase closings and lease transitions.
Engineering E&O: A True Specialty
Professional liability insurance for engineers — commonly called engineering errors and omissions (E&O) — is one of the most technically demanding lines in commercial insurance. Claims in this space can be catastrophic. Over 60 percent of claim costs are attributed to defence expenses alone, and a single design error on a major project can generate millions in liability exposure.
Our engineering insurance practice is not a sideline. It is a dedicated specialty with brokers who understand the difference between structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, and environmental engineering risks. We work with engineers across Ontario, from sole practitioners to mid-size consulting firms, and we have the professional liability market relationships to place even the most complex E&O risks.
This expertise extends to related construction professionals. Contractors, construction developers, and design-build firms all benefit from working with a brokerage that understands how engineering liability intersects with general contractor and project-owner exposures.
The Independent Broker Advantage
As an independent brokerage licensed by the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario (RIBO), Roughley is not tied to any single insurance company. We represent our clients, not the carriers. This distinction matters enormously in commercial insurance, where coverage needs are complex and the difference between policies from different insurers can be significant.
Our carrier partnerships span the Canadian commercial market — including Aviva, Intact, Wawanesa, Gore Mutual, Definity, Echelon, and specialty markets through Lloyd's of London. When you bring us a risk, we shop it across our full carrier panel to find the right combination of coverage, pricing, and insurer financial strength.
This is the opposite of the direct-writer model, where a single company sells only its own products. A direct writer cannot tell you whether a competitor offers better coverage for your specific situation. An independent broker can — and will.
Coverage Across Every Industry
Our expanded commercial portfolio serves businesses across a wide range of sectors. A few highlights:
- Construction and trades: General liability, commercial property, builders risk, contractors equipment, and wrap-up liability for project owners
- Professional services: Professional liability (E&O), directors and officers, and cyber insurance
- Hospitality and food service: Restaurant and hospitality packages with liquor liability
- Manufacturing and industrial: Manufacturing, equipment breakdown, and pollution liability
- Transportation: Commercial auto, fleet insurance, and garage operations
- Real estate: Landlord insurance, rental property programs, and commercial property coverage
- Surety: Bid bonds, performance bonds, and labour and material bonds for contractors bidding on public and private projects
Every policy is tailored. We do not sell off-the-shelf packages and hope they fit. Our commercial team reviews your operations, assesses your exposures, and builds a program that matches the way your business actually works.
Three Offices Serving Ontario
Roughley Insurance operates from three offices across Durham Region:
- Oshawa (head office): 1000 Simcoe Street North
- Bowmanville: 31 King Street West
- Port Perry: 269 Queen Street
While our roots are in Durham Region, our commercial team serves businesses across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond. Construction clients, engineering firms, and commercial property owners across Ontario rely on our specialized programs regardless of where their projects are located.
What This Means for Business Owners
The expansion of our commercial portfolio is not about adding pages to a website. It is about deepening the expertise and market access that allow us to serve Ontario businesses more effectively.
If you are a business owner who has been working with a generalist broker or a direct writer, it may be worth a conversation about what a specialized independent brokerage can do differently. Faster quotes through delegated authority. In-house programs that eliminate underwriting delays. Specialty expertise in complex lines like engineering E&O and construction risk. And a team that has been doing this since 1945.
Request a commercial insurance quote or call us at (905) 576-7770 to speak with a member of our commercial team.