Civil liability insurance creation websites Quebec 2026

WEBSITE CREATION

Civil liability insurance for web agencies, designers and developers

Design, development, integration, hosting, SEO: a web agency is exposed to customer recourse for bugs, plagiarism, delays and security. Protect yourself with the right E&O.

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From $750

Annual premium

$1M to $5M

E&O Limits

AMF

Certified brokers

48 h

Rapid Attestation

Web agencies and independent developers in Quebec experience specific risks : a site delivered with bugs that cause lost sales, a design that accidentally infringes a copyright, hosting that falls during a campaign, a security flaw exploited on a client site. Most B2B contracts today require $1 million to $2 million in E&O. The right policy covers professional errors, accidental intellectual property infringement, customer lawsuits, defense costs, and cyber claims if your sites are compromised.

Website creation studio — Assur360 professional liability

IN BRIEF

Professional RC for website builders

Web design agencies and freelancers face claims for bugs, exposed vulnerabilities, delivery delays, plagiarized content or design deemed not to be delivered in accordance with the specifications.

Recommended coverage: E&O $1 million, general liability $2 million and media liability coverage for content (text, images, videos). Average premium: $700 to $2,000/year for a studio for 1 to 5 people.

The 6 essential protections for a web agency

Web E&O and design

Bugs, missing features, off-spec deliverables, contract delays.

Cyber and site security

Security flaw (SQL injection, XSS) exploited on a delivered site. Customer data leak.

Intellectual property

Accidental copyright infringement (image, font, code). RC including intellectual property.

Contractual liability

Contractual breaches: deadlines, hosting SLAs, SEO commitments, performance guarantees.

Defence costs

Lawyers’ fees included in the limit — essential for small agencies.

Pre-delivered protection

Retroactive for projects completed before the policy (if non-claim at the time of underwriting).

💡 Broker’s advice

The first cause of disputes in web agencies is not a bug — it’s the vagueness of the scope. A client thinks he has ordered 5 pages, the agency has delivered 5 pages, but the client was expecting features that were not explained. Document each deliverable with: signed mock-ups, functional spec validated in writing, separately encrypted change requests. A clear contract reduces the risk of a claim by 80% — your E&O takes care of the rest.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an E&O cost for a web agency or independent developer?

Between $750 and $3,500 per year for a freelancer or small agency (1 to 10 people). The price depends on the turnover, the type of mandates (riskier e-commerce) and the limit chosen ($1 million to $5 million). Agencies with government mandates pay more.

A site delivered has a critical bug that causes the customer to lose sales — covered?

Yes, through your E&O. Covers demonstrable financial damage (loss of revenue during the incident, correction costs, end-customer compensation). A limitation of liability clause in your contract also limits the maximum amount.

I used an image without a license — the owner is suing me, covered?

Yes, via the intellectual property liability (included in most E&O web agencies). Covers accidental infringements: Getty image used without license, Adobe font not purchased, GPL code embedded without respecting license. Document your sources to speed up processing.

An e-commerce site I delivered is hacked — am I responsible?

Potentially, if the exploited flaw was detectable (SQL injection, classic XSS). Your cyber third party covers the lawsuits of the customer and its own end customers whose data has been exposed. Highly recommended for e-commerce and SaaS.

My B2B contracts require $2M in E&O — possible for a small agency?

Yes, very common. Limit $2 million for an agency of 2 to 5 people: $900 to $2,200/year. The nominative certificate in the name of the customer is issued within 48 hours. Major contractors are increasingly demanding this limit.

I outsource to independent developers — covered?

The subcontractors you hire are usually covered if you declare them and require their own E&O. Get a certificate from their insurer and specify in your contract that they are responsible for their deliverable. Your policy covers subsidiary liability.

Are SEO mandates with guaranteed results covered?

Caution. Result guarantees (“top 3 Google in 6 months”) are often seen as contractual commitments rather than professional advice. Your E&O may deny the claim. Formulate rather in “effort and methodology” rather than in a guarantee of ranking.

Are my international customers (US, Europe) covered?

Generally yes for Canada/U.S. mandates. European mandates may require a “worldwide” extension ($100 to $500/year). Watch out for GDPR for sites serving European users — your cyber must explicitly mention this.

After my branch closes, do I have to maintain my E&O?

Ideally 5 to 10 years via an extended reporting period. Claims can arise long after a project has been made. A freelancer who ceases his activity without an ERP is personally exposed to late prosecution.

Web agencies and developers throughout Quebec

Assur360 supports businesses throughout Quebec: Montreal, Quebec City, Laval, Gatineau, Longueuil, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières and Saguenay. Web agency boutiques in Montreal, creative studios in Quebec City, freelancers in the regions, specialized e-commerce agencies in Sherbrooke, Laval, Gatineau: our brokers support all profiles of web creators.

100% online quote, free of charge, with comparison of several Canadian insurers.