Insurer requirements for older Canadian homes are set company by company and vary by province. The reliable approach is to ask the specific insurer, in writing, about the specific property.
Is it harder to insure an older home in Canada?
It can be, but there is no single national rule. Individual insurers set their own requirements, often around wiring type, plumbing materials, heating fuel and roof age, and those requirements differ by company and province. Confirm eligibility and any conditions in writing with a specific insurer before removing a financing or insurance condition.
Before you make an offer
Ask a prospective insurer whether they will quote on a home of this age in this area, before you rely on any budget figure.
Ask which details they need: year built, service size, wiring type, plumbing materials, heating fuel, roof age.
Ask whether any of those items is a decline, a surcharge, or a condition for them.
Ask what documentation they accept as proof of an upgrade.
Wiring and electrical
Does the insurer have requirements tied to knob-and-tube or aluminum branch wiring?
Do they require a licensed electrician's written assessment, and in what form?
Does a panel brand or service size affect the quote?
If a rewire was partial, what documentation shows which circuits were included?
Plumbing
Are there requirements tied to specific supply materials such as galvanized steel or polybutylene?
Is a backwater valve or sump pump required or discounted for water-backup coverage?
Is water-damage or sewer-backup coverage offered, and with what limits and deductible?
Heating and fuel
What are the requirements for this fuel type and appliance age?
For oil systems: tank age, construction, location, and required documentation or replacement.
For solid-fuel appliances: is a WETT-style inspection or equivalent documentation required?
Is a supplementary heat source acceptable, and under what conditions?
Roof and envelope
Does roof age or covering type affect eligibility, replacement-cost settlement, or deductible?
Is documentation of the last roof replacement required?
Are there requirements about foundation drainage or past water-damage history?
Financing and closing
Does the lender require proof of insurance before funding, and by what date?
Will the lender require an appraisal, and could property condition affect it?
If an upgrade is required to bind coverage, must it be completed before closing?
Get every requirement and every answer in writing and keep them with the file.