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Will home insurance clients pay for climate upgrades?
Canadian homeowners are no strangers to bad weather and a recent survey finds 86% of them believe their homes face extreme weather risks.

But 59% of those respondents have not installed, and don’t intend to install, upgrades that could protect their homes from climate-driven impacts, according to a survey conducted by Leger for rate aggregator Rates.ca. The survey was conducted Mar. 6–9, 2026, and polled 1,073 homeowners across Canada.

Upgrades detailed in the survey include stronger shingles, sump pumps, and drainage improvements.

“A lot of homeowners understand that severe weather is becoming more common, but they don’t always connect that risk to specific upgrades that can help protect their home,” says Daniel Ivans, a broker who provides commentary for Rates.ca. “That can leave people more exposed to preventable damage, especially when flooding, hail, or wind events hit with little warning.”

Related: The connection between flood risk and housing affordability in Ontario

A recent Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) study notes upgrade items like backwater valves, sump pumps and hail-resistant shingling aren’t prohibitively expensive – costing between $3,000 and $10,000 – and often come with municipal or other rebates that help lower costs for homeowners.

Features improving a home’s climate-resilience can also increase its value, as ICLR’s research notes. Homes that highlight climate upgrades in real estate listings typically score higher prices when they sell in Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton. (Sales premiums can range from around 2.8% to 5.6%). Depending on the housing market and features offered by the home, that can translate to between $20,000 to $51,500 in added value.

“Protective upgrades are easy to overlook when nothing has gone wrong yet,” says Ivans. “Features like backwater valves, sump pumps or stronger roofing materials can make a real difference when severe weather hits.”

Related: 62% of Canadians aren’t worried about flood risk: Intact

Meanwhile, in addition to high levels of concern among Canadian homeowners (and their general reluctance to take action), the Rates.ca survey finds:

56% of respondents say they’d pay extra for a home that includes upgrades like sump pumps with a battery backup, stronger roof shingles, or improved drainage

An additional 20% of surveyed homeowners say they’re not sure if they would pay more when buying a climate-upgraded home

4% of respondents say they’d be willing to spend an additional $20,000 or more to secure climate-friendly upgrades at time of purchase.

Among those saying they would pay more, the thresholds for additional spending are significant. Twenty six percent say they’d pay as much as $5,000 more, a further 20% would pay between $5,000 and $10,000 more, and 6% would pay $10,000 extra, or more.
April 30, 2026
How Iran conflict will impact personal lines clients

Uncertainty about shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere in the Middle East region continues to roil global energy markets.

Sporadic peace negotiations, and perception of the ceasefire between Iran, the U.S., Israel and now Lebanon remains fragile, with prices for both West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude oil hovering around US$100 a barrel.

That uncertainty is trickling down to consumers in the form of rising gasoline prices, which Statistics Canada data notes jumped more than 21% month over month in March.

Since most consumers don’t live in close proximity to where the goods they rely on are manufactured, farmed or sold, rising fuel costs contribute to inflation for products and services people depend on every day.

Plus, sharp increases in fuel costs can push up insurance premiums for auto and home coverage clients, notes a press release from rate aggregator Rates.ca.

“Auto and home insurance are influenced by broader economic trends, as these often determine the price of replacing or repairing vehicles and homes,” says Daniel Ivans, an insurance broker who provides commentary for Rates.ca.

“While other sectors may feel the effects of increased fuel prices immediately, the insurance industry processes price increases through recorded claims costs, which creates a lag between a cost increase and a rise in premiums.”

Related: How the Iran war affects insurance coverage for terrorism

It’s been a much different experience for commercial clients. They saw insurance-related pricing impacts shortly after the Middle East conflict began.

Canadian-based companies with operations in the region had to quickly respond to war exclusions, and many immediately contacted brokers to add additional coverages for political violence and active assailant scenarios.

Clients that already carried terrorism insurance coverages upgraded them to include war, and some clients sought coverages that would apply to scenarios that required them to extract employees from countries in the Middle East, according to various CU sources.

While the war has trimmed some insurer and reinsurer appetite to write coverage, it isn’t completely diminished.

“There’s still appetite. The political violence market’s quite robust in terms of its ability to underwrite during live conflicts,” says James Lloyd, a senior vice president specializing in political violence and terrorism at Marsh Risk.

“So, while appetite is cautious…it’s certainly not closed to accepting new business and renewal business within those territories for war risks.”

Related: How Iran war may change client conversations

On the personal lines front, clients in Canada may ultimately find cost increases reaching them in unexpected ways, like higher prices for construction materials sparked by supply chain disruptions and higher transport costs. Or they may see surcharges for deliveries and other services due to higher gasoline prices, notes Rates.ca.

Such rising costs will gradually drive up claims costs that can eventually extend to insurance premium pricing.

“Additionally, [since] consumers may renew their policies up to a year after a rate increase has been instituted,” says Ivans. “This means consumers are often surprised by increases in premiums that originated from something that happened more than a year previously.”

April 29, 2026
The connection between flood risk and housing affordability in Ontario

Flood risk is making housing less affordable in Ontario by driving up home insurance premiums, according to a new joint study by insurtech MyChoice and digital real estate platform Wahi.

The study analyzed how flood risk is influencing the true cost of homeownership across 39 Ontario cities.

“What we found is a growing disconnect between purchase affordability and ownership costs,” MyChoice tells Canadian Underwriter.

Each city was assigned a flood risk score on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest). Comparing 2024 and 2026 data using a standardized homeowner profile, the information was combined with RPS-Wahi Home Price Index data and MyChoice insurance datasets to examine how premiums are evolving in higher-risk areas, and what that means for housing affordability.

According to the study, Ajax (4.6/5) is the province’s highest flood-risk city. It saw premiums rise 26%, from $1,022 to $1,290 between 2024 and 2026. “While insurance still represents a smaller share of mortgage payments at 3%, the rate of increase highlights how quickly affordability dynamics can shift in high-risk urban markets,” the report says.

Ottawa (4.5), Mississauga (4.4) and Toronto (4.3) also recorded steady premium increases, ranging from 12% to 18%. But higher home values in these markets continue to keep insurance-to-mortgage ratios relatively low (between 3% and 4%).

Sarnia (4.1) presents a similar pattern, with insurance costs making up 6% of mortgage payments, despite more moderate premium growth (up 9%). Brantford (4.2) and Brockville (3.8) also fall into this category, with insurance accounting for 5% to 6% of monthly costs.

The situation is different in Northern Ontario. “While flood risk scores are lower on average, cities such as Thunder Bay, North Bay, and Sault Ste. Marie are seeing some of the fastest premium increases and highest insurance-to-mortgage ratios in the province,” MyChoice says.

Study methodology

For consistency, the study focused on quotes reflecting a standardized homeowner profile: a 35-year-old male or female with a clean claims history, currently insured, non-smoker, living in a semi-detached or detached three-to-four bedroom home (2,000–2,500 sq. ft.). Each property was assumed to have monitored fire and burglar alarms, at least one fire extinguisher, a $1,000 deductible, $1 million liability coverage, and an Enhanced Water Protection package.

To illustrate how flood risk translates into changes in insurance costs and overall housing affordability pressures across Ontario markets, the report calculates the monthly insurance-to-mortgage ratio for each city. It factored in local home values, standard mortgage assumptions (five-year fixed term, 20% downpayment, and prevailing interest rates in 2024 and 2026), and average home insurance premiums — “providing a clear picture of how rising insurance costs affect homeowners’ monthly budgets.”

Based on the survey results, a clear divide is emerging across Ontario, MyChoice says. In higher-priced markets, rising insurance costs remain diluted by home values. In more affordable markets, particularly those with elevated flood risk, insurance is already taking a significantly larger share of monthly housing costs.

“Affordability isn’t just about what you pay for a home anymore, it’s increasingly about what it costs to protect it. Rising home insurance rates in flood-prone areas might be pushing potential home buyers out of those markets,” MyChoice CEO Aren Mirzaian tells CU.

Climate implications

This shift is being driven by climate exposure and unlike in the U.S., Canada still lacks a national flood insurance backstop, leaving more risk priced directly into premiums, MyChoice says.

Quebec has been gradually rolling out provincial flood maps since March. Nationally, Canada’s emergency management minister, Eleanor Olszewski, told Canadian Press last week she can’t guarantee the government will launch the promised National Flood Insurance Program “in the near future.”

Insurance Bureau of Canada’s vice president of federal affairs, Liam McGuinty, told CU the federal government continues to engage the P&C industry, provinces and territories on the design of the national program. The work includes exploring how a backstop would function alongside expanded flood coverage by Canada’s private home insurance market.

April 28, 2026
How Quebec flood maps could affect rates, coverage

New Quebec flood zone maps could lead to higher home insurance premiums, coverage limitations and more complex underwriting for flood protection, CAA-Québec warns.

Since March 2026, Quebec’s provincial government has gradually rolled out the new flood maps. These updated maps will have tangible insurance implications for homeowners, condo owners and tenants, CAA-Québec says.

There’s not only a risk of higher insurance premiums, there’s also a possibility that insurance coverage for water damage may no longer be available to people who are now considered to live in flood zones, Suzanne Michaud, CAA Québec’s vice president of insurance, tells Canadian Underwriter.

The new maps could also lead to coverage restrictions.

“We could see restrictions of coverage for specific protections and endorsements, [such] as the ones for backflow of sewage, water damage above ground, flooding, water infiltration through the ground, [and] replacement value,” Michaud says.

Some insurers may also require a check valve, submersible pump, the elevation of equipment such as furnaces and electrical panels, or land development requirements, she adds.

Keep clients informed

How do clients get information on the new flood maps?

Michaud says information is first provided by the Government of Quebec. For now, municipalities and “municipalités regionals de comtés” (MRC – regional county municipalities, or county-like units of government) will receive the first-issued maps. Municipalities and MRCs will then study the maps to be able to answer questions from consumers when the maps are widely released.

“Because it is clear that there will be questions from people who find themselves in the new flood-prone areas,” Michaud says, adding she knows there are “some negotiations with the MRCs and the government about who will be in charge to produce the final version of those maps, because of potential legal effects.”

The Government of Quebec is updating its flood zone mapping to strengthen flood prevention and help communities better manage flood risks. It introduces new regulations and amends existing ones.

The new flood maps differ from the old ones in many ways, Michaud tells CU.

For example, the old maps had two zones based on flood recurrence frequency: 0-20 years (high risk) and 20-100 years (moderate risk). The new mapping is more realistic and easier to understand, considering type of flooding, frequency, water depth and the impact of climate change. It’s broken up into four zones, defined by descriptions and colours, for very high risk, high risk, moderate risk and low risk.

The old maps only considered the probability of flooding, while the new ones consider those likelihoods, as well as depth of water, 25-year frequency and other conditions such as the presence of ice or dams. In addition, the new maps consider historical data, while also taking climate changes into account, and are reviewed every 10 years at a minimum.

National implications

Nationally, Canada’s emergency management minister, Eleanor Olszewski, says she can’t guarantee the government will launch the promised National Flood Insurance Program “in the near future.” Canadian Press reported last week Olszewski told reporters the program is still “top of mind” but it’s complicated to set up.

Liam McGuinty, Insurance Bureau of Canada’s vice president of federal affairs, told CU the federal government continues to engage the P&C industry, provinces and territories on the design of the national program. The work includes exploring how a backstop would function alongside expanded flood coverage by Canada’s private home insurance market, he says.

April 27, 2026
62% of Canadians aren’t worried about flood risk: Intact

A majority of Canadians underestimate their exposure to flood risk, even though flooding remains Canada’s most common and costly natural hazard.

Sixty-two percent of Canadians aren’t concerned about flooding in their home or community, according to new survey data released by Intact Financial Corporation on Apr. 1.

Despite this, federal data shows 80% of major Canadian cities are wholly or partially built on or near floodplains.

Intact’s survey was conducted by Léger among 1,639 Canadians between March 13-16.

The finding highlights Canada’s persistent “national flood risk blind spot,” as Intact calls it, which continues to influence preparedness and insurance uptake.

Many Canadians have yet to take action

With spring thaws accelerating flood risks, Intact is urging Canadians to prepare and reduce their exposure to costly damage from rapid snowmelt and rain, which can overwhelm blocked drains and gutters, leading to pooled water near foundations and seepage into homes.

Simple preventive actions, such as maintaining drainage systems or installing sump pumps, can significantly reduce damage, yet many homeowners have not taken these steps, Intact notes.

Even among those willing to act, “access to trusted professionals is emerging as a notable barrier to risk mitigation,” Intact says. According to the insurer, one in five Canadians cite difficulty securing reliable contractors as among their top three obstacles to taking additional steps to protect their home against extreme weather.

Misplaced focus

The persistent perception gap highlighted by Intact’s finding is reinforced by how Canadians think about water-related risks more broadly.

While 2024 saw several significant flooding events across Canada, 2025 was comparatively benign for major flood events.

In quieter years, attention often shifts to more visible or seasonal risks.

Separate industry data shows Canadians are increasingly concerned about winter-related risks such as burst pipes and power outages.

According to First Onsite Property Restoration’s annual property and weather survey, released in December, seven in 10 Canadians are worried about winter storms and power outages, while 68% are concerned about extreme cold and burst pipes.

Despite this, most actual winter damage stems from routine flooding scenarios that involve drain backups and sump pump failures, First Onsite says.

This can include spring snowmelt overwhelming municipal drainage systems, ice damming that forces water back into roofs and walls, and heavy rainfall that exceeds grading or foundation drainage capacity, allowing water to pool and seep into basements. In urban areas, aging infrastructure and limited stormwater capacity can compound the issue, turning moderate rainfall into localized flooding events.

Individually, these incidents may appear minor. But they generate a steady volume of insurance claims every year, with mostly preventable losses that can accumulate significantly across portfolios, even in a year of virtually no headline-grabbing disasters.

The situation sees more Canadians opting to prepare for the risks they notice, and not always for the ones most likely to cause loss.

Bridging the awareness gap

Historically, industry surveys consistently point to awareness gaps, with many Canadians either unaware of their flood risk or assuming they’re not exposed, even when living in flood-prone areas.

The challenge for the industry is managing escalating losses while closing the gap that continues to influence Canadians’ mitigation behaviour and coverage decisions.

In the decade before 2024’s record-breaking catastrophic events, floods have cost insurers on average $800 million a year, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

April 24, 2026
Jasper council approves $2M in repairs for wildfire-damaged utilities

The Municipality of Jasper will spend more than $2 million to replace wildfire-damaged curb stop valves in Cabin Creek Drive, Lodgepole Street and Miette Avenue neighbourhoods.

On Tuesday (April 21), council amended the capital budget to include this first phase of repairing utilities. The curb stop valves were damaged by firefighting, debris management and utility replacement activities during the wildfire.

The first phase will be funded through $1.5 million in provincial recovery funding and $510,000 from the utility capital reserve.

Council will decide on the $7-million second phase at a future meeting. This phase will focus on the remaining fire-affected blocks, including the 700 block of Connaught Drive; 700, 800 and 900 blocks of Patricia Street; and 800 block of Geikie Street.

CAO Bill Given said provincial recovery funding would likely cover repairs on wildfire-affected properties during the second phase.

“The bigger challenge is the other parts that are not exclusively fire-affected properties or that support main municipal infrastructure that’s also life-cycle replacement,” he said, referring to the aged sewer and water mains that need replacing.

Administration is now working on a report with more details and alternative funding strategies for phase-two work, which will be presented to council at a future meeting.

Housing loan guarantee

Council gave the first two readings to a loan guarantee bylaw that would allow the Jasper Municipal Housing Corporation to secure a $14.2-million federal loan for the Connaught affordable housing development.

The guarantee would specifically apply to a $5-million forgivable loan and a $9.2-million repayable one from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

Council still needs to give third reading to the bylaw at a future meeting.

The $21-million housing project would create 40 below-market units and is the first residential project undertaken by the Jasper Municipal Housing Corporation.

Land purchase

Council approved purchasing 1249 Cabin Creek Drive for $355,000 to potentially use for developing affordable housing.

Administration evaluated 1249 Cabin Creek Drive as a “high-priority acquisition” since it was properly zoned, serviced and cleared of wildfire debris.

The Municipality already owns 1251 Cabin Creek Drive, an adjacent property that had its house destroyed in the wildfire. Last week, Given said the purchase will create an opportunity to redevelop using these two parcels together.

The purchase will be funded through the community housing reserve.

April 23, 2026
Adjusters preparing for flood Cat after Ontario’s spring thaw
With more rain — and snow — forecast for Ontario this weekend, adjusters are closely monitoring the potential for catastrophic flooding in the province.

“Right now, it’s more of a monitor-and-prepare situation, not a full Cat event just yet. That could change though,” Christine Segaric, director of Cat response at ClaimsPro, tells Canadian Underwriter Friday.

“At this point, we’re watching the northern and northeastern Ontario communities, places like Sudbury and Timmins. We are also paying attention to some of the more remote and lower lying communities like Kapuskasing.

“It still feels a bit early though. We’re not seeing a big spike in claims yet. But based on what’s happening on the ground, I wouldn’t be surprised to see things ramp up quickly over the next week or two as temperatures keep rising and the snowpack starts to melt.”

Parts of northern Ontario received more than 500 cm of snow this winter, The Weather Network reports. And the warm, spring-like temperatures over the past week have led to a rapid thaw, causing several waterways to flood. The Weather Network forecasts more rain in southern Ontario Saturday, and a mix of rain and snow in northern Ontario.

“The freeze-thaw cycle is a big part of it,” Segaric says of reports of serious flooding in several areas of the province. “We came out of a pretty deep freeze earlier this year, and now we’re shifting into warmer weather. That swing tends to create ice buildup, and with frozen grounds it makes it hard for water to drain properly once everything starts melting.”

Also in the news: What the P&C industry can do to keep home insurance affordable

That concern is exactly what Jim Mandeville, senior vice president at First Onsite and disaster recovery specialist, sees play out every spring on the ground.

“If we talk about Southern Ontario, we don’t have consistent very cold temperatures like we do in the West,” Mandeville told CU in mid-February. “So, when we go from hovering around freezing to minus 30, and back and forth, we end up with ice damming like crazy. If you talk about the total volume of [winter-related] claims, especially from an underwriting perspective, it’s ice damming [among the most].”

This week, Segaric says, “losses are a mix of flooding and snow-load related collapses.”

Insurance Bureau of Canada reports “we’re already seeing significant flooding in a number of communities, with many more facing elevated risk,” according to Amanda Dean, vice president of Ontario and Atlantic.

Drone footage shows several roadways in North Bay are washed out. Minden Hills, Ont., a small town in Haliburton County, has closed down roads and declared a state of emergency in response to flood conditions in the community, The Weather Network reports. And Central Manitoulin Island declared a state of emergency earlier in the week following major floods in multiple communities that shut down the Manitoulin Hospital.

“For residents impacted by flooding, IBC’s Consumer Information Centre has activated its Virtual Community Assistance Mobile Pavilion (V-CAMP) program to support home, car and business owners across the region,” says Dean.

Adjusters note that when floodwaters start rising, there is only so much homeowners can do. However, suggestions include:

making sure sump pumps are working (and ideally have a backup)

re-grading driveways to prevent water from pooling near the house

clearing eavestroughs and downspouts

ensuring downspouts direct water away from the house

clearing snow around the home’s foundation.
April 17, 2026
What the P&C industry can do to keep home insurance affordable
Canada’s P&C industry needs to lobby more for public investments in resilience, provide more incentives for Canadians who invest in protection for their homes, and stop re-building damaged homes to their pre-loss condition, according to a new emerging issues paper published by the Insurance Institute of Canada.

Home insurance is currently affordable, adequate, and available for most Canadians, says the report, Home Insurance Affordability: Implications for the Insurance Industry in Canada. But higher residential claims for flooding, wildfire, hail, and severe wind has driven up the price of home insurance significantly over the past 30 years.

“Strain is evident in some Canadian insurance markets,” says the report’s author, Paul Kovacs, the founder and executive director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction. “Experience in the United States shows that home insurance affordability will inevitably become an issue if Canadians fail to break the trend of rising severe weather-related home damage and continue to experience rising residential claims.”

Statistics Canada figures cited in the report show the median after-tax income in Canada was “stagnant” between 1996 and 2025, growing by an average of 0.8% per year after inflation. Over the same period, the cost of living in Canada increased by 2.3% a year, driven by increasing costs in housing, food, and energy.

Meanwhile, the price of home insurance in Canada increased by an average of 5.3% per year over this period. “This was more than twice the increase in the cost of living, sustained over three decades,” the report states. “Indeed, Statistics Canada found that home insurance prices increased by more than inflation in 28 of the last 29 years. In this same time period, natural catastrophe–related claims have increased 8.1%.”

Claims costs for insurers ballooned to a record $9.1 billion in 2024 and returned to the more familiar (but high) range of $2.4 billion in 2025. Escalating natural catastrophe claims expenses are the main culprit in the rise of home insurance costs.

Also in the news: Recovery | Why psychological recovery starts with adjusters

The report states every dollar invested in building resilience in homes reduces claims costs down the road by between $5 and $10.

To prevent a home insurance affordability crisis in 10 years’ time, four opportunities exist for building more damage-resistant homes, the report states:

Homes must be built in the right locations and in the right way during initial construction

Millions of existing homes lack essential protection that should be added through retrofits supported by government incentives

Governments and the insurance industry can partner to build back better after a loss, adding essential resilience measures that will reduce the future risk of damage

Communities must invest to protect homes and public infrastructure.

To this end, the “insurance industry must press with increased urgency for action by governments,” the report states. “Building codes need to include protection from flooding, wildfire, hail, and high wind. Governments should provide financial incentives to homeowners who invest in protection. Governments should invest in resilient community infrastructure.”

Second, the insurance industry “needs to become more effective in communicating present practices in a way that incentivizes homeowners to invest in seismic and climate resilience,” the report recommends. “The insurance industry must improve communications with homeowners about how resilience investments can have a favourable impact on home insurance pricing, terms, and availability.”

And finally, the industry and governments need to invest in “building back better,” meaning they rebuild in a way to prevent damage from happening in the future.

“Governments and the insurance industry need to stop restoring damaged homes to their pre-loss condition,” the report states. “This puts structures and their contents back at risk. Inevitably, homeowners will experience future loss and damage.

“Insurers and governments should commit to build back better by incorporating resilience protection into recovery efforts.”
April 16, 2026
Quebec brokerage acquires firm’s personal insurance portfolio

Quebec-based P&C brokerage and financial services firm Ellipse Insurance has acquired the personal insurance portfolio of Synex Auto Habitation.

“This acquisition of Synex Auto Habitation’s portfolio is strategic for Ellipse,” says the firm’s president Patrice Jean in a press release last week. “It enables us to significantly strengthen our presence in the Montréal market while reinforcing Ellipse’s position as a major player in property and casualty insurance in Québec.”

Ellipse was founded in 2024 after the merger of PMA Assurances and PMT ROY Assurances et services financiers. The firm has more than 30 offices in Quebec, and since its founding has experienced strong growth by focusing on both organic expansion and “targeted, well-considered acquisitions such as this one,” the release says.

Employees of Synex Auto Habitation will join Ellipse’s extensive network of experts. Synex Auto Habitation provides home, tenant and auto insurance.

The acquisition aligns with Synex Assurance’s strategic direction to strengthen its performance and market positioning in commercial insurance.

“Our strategic plan in Québec focuses on concentrating our efforts on the segments where we generate the greatest value and where growth prospects are the strongest,” says Synex Assurance president Yan Charbonneau. “That said, it was essential for us to partner with an organization capable of ensuring rigorous continuity for our clients while recognizing the value of our teams.

“Ellipse emerged as a natural partner.”

This last acquisition “represents a significant competitive advantage for Ellipse, supporting both future acquisitions and sustained business development,” the brokerage says in the release.

Last August, Ellipse acquired AccèsConseil Assurances et services financiers. At the time, Jean said the acquisition “opens the door to new regions of Québec.”

AccèsConseil served the Greater Québec City area and the Côte-Nord region, offering coverages such as home, auto, recreational vehicle, umbrella, travel and various commercial insurance products.

For its part, Ellipse offers home, auto, recreational vehicle and commercial insurance. It also provides financial services, including financial planning, savings and investments, and group benefits/pension plans, among others.

April 13, 2026
Some familiar — and surprising — resilient home construction measures
The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR), in collaboration with the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA), has released the first version of tiered resilience guidelines designed to support implementation of climate adaptation measures in Canadian residential construction.

Many measures may be familiar to Canadian Underwriter readers, but others may come as a surprise, Dan Sandink, ICLR’s senior director of resilience programs, tells CU.

The guidelines cover four hazards: basement flooding, hail, high wind, and wildfire. Guidance is organized into a clear ‘Good, Better, Best’ tiered framework, providing graduated entry points for resilience investments.

Each hazard-specific guideline includes standalone checklists, detailed technical sheets with installation guidance, high-level cost and difficulty indicators, and information on potential insurance incentives, ICLR says in a press release.

For example, a ‘Best’ hail measure for new construction would be fibre-cement, brick, stone, brick or stone veneer, steel siding, or products warrantied for resistance to damaging hail size installed. A ‘Better’ measure for wildfire ensures there are no 3 mm (or larger) openings or gaps in walls.

Surprising measures

While Sandink says a lot of the ‘Good’ measures would be familiar to CU readers, some important measures may come as a surprise.

For example, hail impact-resistant solar panels are not on everyone’s radar.

“We are pushing for impact-resistant solar panels that at least match Class 4 impact resistance for roof cover,” Sandink tells CU. “These types of products are manufactured but are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to access in the Canadian market for residential applications.

“We are working with two major installers/suppliers in Ontario and Calgary, and neither has been able to source these products.”

For wildfire, it’s important to consider both landscaping and building materials/design when applying wildfire protection options. “If you have excellent landscaping/fuel management practices, and keep fuel well maintained, you can relax building-level interventions, and vice-versa,” Sandink says.

When it comes to sump pumps for basement flooding, introducing them unnecessarily may actually increase flood risk, Sandink notes.

“There are a large list of items in our guidance documents that are intended to protect homes from sump pump failure,” he says. “I think it’s not well understood in the industry that it’s better if your home is designed in a way that it does not require a sump pump,” such as having a storm sewer connection that allows for passive draining of weeping tile water to a municipal system.

“There is a conception that sump pumps are meant to pump floodwaters out of homes if they flood, but sump pits are actually supposed to be sealed/airtight, so they usually don’t work this way.”

As well, Sandink says ICLR has been told by builders that homeowners’ primary concern is month-to-month ownership costs of their homes.

“Builders often have no difficulty applying energy efficiency measures, because they can demonstrate that homeowners will see month-to-month savings in their electricity and gas bills,” he says. “They would like to show a similar type of benefit when a home buyer chooses to invest in resilience measures.”

Multi-year collaboration

The guidelines are the primary output of the ICLR/CHBA Resilient Homes Task Force (RHTF). This multi-year collaboration was launched in January 2024 to address the persistent gap between technical knowledge and on-the-ground implementation of resilience measures in new construction, renovation, and post-disaster rebuilding, ICLR reports.

Although Canada has strong technical standards addressing the four hazards, uptake of resilience measures has remained limited. Builders have cited cost, constructability and consumer demand as barriers, while insurers have noted challenges in tracking and recognizing resilience features within underwriting systems, ICLR says.

RHTF was established to overcome these barriers. The initiative involved numerous phases including:

Translating existing technical guidance into prioritized, buildable, and market-ready solutions that could be voluntarily adopted by industry.

Reviewing existing Canadian and international standards and guidance documents across the four focus hazards. Where gaps were identified — particularly in relation to hail resilience beyond roofing materials — new recommendations were developed in collaboration with research partners and insurance loss specialists.

Conducting national surveys of builders and insurers in 2024 and 2025 to identify measures that were both practical for builders and meaningful for loss reduction.

Launching field trails in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia to test the guidelines in live projects.

ICLR and CHBA have committed to continued collaboration to expand field trials, update guidance as new evidence emerges, enhance builder and insurer education, engage manufacturers, and support tools that allow insurers to recognize and price resilience features appropriately.
April 9, 2026