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Completed Operations

Completed operations refers to work that is finished. IRMI defines it as "work of the insured that has been completed as called for in a contract ... or work that has been put to its intended use." Completed operations coverage responds to injury or damage that happens after that work is done.

Why It Matters for Snow Contractors

Slip and fall claims can arise after the plow has left. A lot is cleared and salted at 5 AM, and someone falls at 9 AM. Whether that is treated as ongoing or completed work can depend on the facts and the policy, so it matters that your general liability policy includes completed operations coverage that fits snow and ice work.

Contracts ask for it too. One Ontario township's winter maintenance request for proposals required products and completed operations coverage of $5,000,000, and a school board template listed products and completed operations among its requirements.

Example

Your crew finishes a condo walkway at midnight. Freezing drizzle starts at 3 AM, and a resident falls at 7 AM before your next scheduled visit. The resident's claim may point to the work you completed hours earlier, and your completed operations coverage is part of how your policy may respond.

General information only, not insurance or legal advice. Policy wordings differ; a licensed broker can explain how your own policy and contracts treat this.

Further reading: Insurance Bureau of Canada: Types of business insurance coverage; Insurance Bureau of Canada: Insurance glossary

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is completed operations part of general liability?

It is commonly included in commercial general liability policies, sometimes with its own aggregate limit. A broker can confirm how yours works.

Why do logs matter for completed operations claims?

Logs show when you finished, what you applied and what conditions were like, which can help explain what happened afterward.