Individual Health & Dental for Self-Employed Contractors
Direct answer
AEC Benefits is an Ontario group benefits brokerage focused on construction employers and owners. Let me be straight with you, because you would want me to be. If you are a true one-person construction business with no employees, individual health and dental coverage does exist and we can point you in the right direction. But honestly, a one-person family health plan is rarely the smartest dollar an owner can spend. The coverage that actually changes your life if something goes wrong is income protection, a disability policy built around you as an owner. That is where we focus, because that is where we can genuinely help you.
Key Takeaways
- •Individual health and dental is available for self-employed contractors, and for routine drug and dental costs it can make sense.
- •For a solo owner, protecting your income with disability coverage usually matters far more than a single-family health plan.
- •Once you have employees, a proper group benefits plan becomes the stronger and more cost-effective route.
For one-person construction businesses: where individual health and dental fits, and why an owner is usually better served by income protection first.
Where individual health and dental fits
If you are on your own and want help with predictable costs, prescriptions, dental, paramedical, an individual health and dental plan can smooth those out. There is nothing wrong with it, and for some owners it is the right starting point.
I am just not going to pretend it is the thing that protects your livelihood, because it is not. It manages everyday expenses. It does not replace your income if you cannot work.
Why we would rather talk to you about disability first
As a construction owner your single biggest financial asset is your ability to earn, and it is tied directly to your body. A dental plan is nice. An income that keeps coming if you are hurt or sick is what keeps your family and your business standing.
So if you only have the bandwidth to set up one thing right now, we will almost always tell you to protect your income first. That is the honest advice, even though it is not the quickest sale.
When a group plan makes more sense instead
The moment you bring on employees the math changes. A real group benefits plan is usually more cost-effective and more useful than stacking individual policies, and it becomes a tool for hiring and keeping good people.
If you are close to that point it is worth building it properly from the start rather than retrofitting later.
Reviewed by Steffen deGraaf
Steffen brings 20+ years in insurance and group benefits, construction job-site roots, and architectural technology training at Mohawk College. FSRA-regulated insurance broker specializing in Ontario group benefits.
Ontario Insurance
Ontario construction benefits experience
Construction is in Steffen's blood: job sites as a teenager, architectural technology at Mohawk College, and 20+ years in insurance and group benefits for Ontario employers.
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Sources & References
Sources support the definitions, eligibility context, and regulatory references on this page. Carrier-specific pricing, eligibility, tax, and plan-design decisions still require current quote and advisor review.
Guideline G3 - Group Life and Group Health Insurance (2026)
Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association
View sourceFrequently Asked Questions
Can I get health and dental coverage if I am self-employed with no staff?
Yes, individual health and dental plans are available to self-employed contractors. They are most useful for predictable costs like prescriptions, dental, and paramedical care, but they do not replace your income if you cannot work.
Why do you steer owners toward disability insurance first?
Because your income is your most valuable and most exposed asset as a hands-on owner. A health plan manages everyday expenses, while disability coverage protects the paycheque your whole life is built on. First things first.
When should I set up a group benefits plan instead?
Once you have employees. At that point a group plan is usually more cost-effective than individual coverage and doubles as a hiring and retention tool. We can help you design it around a construction workforce.
Related Pages
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