Hire a General Contractor in Ontario: Licences, Insurance and Questions to Ask
Updated · 9 min read · By Gilbert Brothers
In this guide
The short answer
Ontario doesn't license renovators the way it licenses new home builders. You can check credentials for specific work: an ESA licence number for electrical, a Certificate of Qualification or registered apprenticeship for trades such as plumber, and TSSA registration for gas and other fuels. Under conditions explained below, a contractor can be exempt from WSIB workplace safety insurance for themselves, so ask who else will be on your job and how they are covered. Get three written estimates, check references, and ask for proof of liability insurance.
Before you hire a general contractor in Ontario, check three things: who does each trade, how the people on your job are covered, and what the contractor will put in writing. Each answer names its source so you can check it yourself. The facts are as of October 27, 2026.
Do you need a general contractor?
Some homeowners hire one general contractor to run the whole job. Others hire each trade separately. The federal Office of Consumer Affairs describes the range as "from a general contractor who will take charge of the project from beginning to end, to a one-person, local construction company," and says to start from your own abilities and the time you can give the project (Office of Consumer Affairs).
Electrical work is a good example of why you ask who does what. The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) notes that "General Contractors are not licensed to do electrical work" and says to make sure yours hires a Licensed Electrical Contractor (ESA).
What Ontario licenses and what it does not
The Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) licenses builders and sellers of new homes. Its page for homeowners says renovators "aren't licensed or regulated like new home builders and sellers are" (HCRA). The credentials you can check belong to specific kinds of work:
| Work | What Ontario says | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical work | Only a business with an ECRA/ESA licence, a Licensed Electrical Contractor, can legally be hired to do electrical work in your home. It has a 7-digit licence number, shown on its vehicles, business cards and estimates. ESA says qualified electricians and master electricians "are not permitted to perform work for hire." | ESA contractor locator |
| Plumbing and other compulsory trades | Plumber and electrician are among Ontario's 23 compulsory trades. A person working in one must hold a Certificate of Qualification or a Provisional Certificate of Qualification, or be an apprentice under a Registered Training Agreement, unless they are authorized or exempt. | Skilled Trades Ontario Public Register. Not everyone allowed to work in a compulsory trade appears there, for example exempted individuals. In the City of Peterborough, the City's basement guide says a hired plumber must be licensed with the City, and Building Services can verify it if you ask. |
| Gas, propane and other fuels | Most fuels regulations call for contractors to be registered by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA), with a separate registration for each technical field. | TSSA contractor registration, which lists a "Find a Registered Fuels Contractor" tool |
| General carpentry and cabinetry | Ontario.ca names general carpenter and cabinet maker as non-compulsory trades, so no authorization is required under the skilled trades law. Ontario.ca adds that other requirements may apply to non-compulsory trades. | No authorization to look up under the skilled trades law. Ask for references from jobs like yours. |
| Drawings for a building permit | Ontario.ca says to make sure a designer is registered with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing before you hire or pay them. | QuARTS public search |
Ontario.ca says "you cannot employ or otherwise engage someone to do compulsory trade work" unless they are authorized or exempt, and that homeowners can use the Public Register to check (Ontario.ca).
ESA adds one more check. Its web pages say whoever does the electrical work files a notification of work with ESA before it starts, and ESA calls it a red flag if a contractor asks you to file it in your name. ESA also says "Homeowners have the option to DIY electrical work in their home" and "Only you can do electrical work in your home, but you must file a notification with ESA" (ESA).
Insurance: two different questions
Workplace safety insurance (WSIB)
Ontario.ca says workers and independent operators in construction "must possess workplace safety and insurance coverage," with some exceptions, and to contact the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) to check coverage (Ontario.ca). The exception that matters to homeowners is in WSIB's own rules (WSIB questions and answers).
- A contractor who does only home renovation work, and is hired and paid directly by the person who lives, or will live, in the home or by a member of that person's family, is exempt from coverage for themselves. A contractor with employees must still register to cover those employees.
- The exemption does not cover subcontractors the contractor brings in. WSIB's policy says they "require WSIB coverage" (WSIB policy).
- WSIB's clearance-certificate policy "does not apply to householders who occupy or will occupy a private residence" when they, or members of their family, directly retain a contractor for exempt home renovation work only (WSIB policy). If those conditions are met, you are not the one who has to collect a clearance certificate. Whether a job meets them is a question for WSIB.
So "Do you have WSIB?" is not the most useful question. Ask: who will work on my job, employees or subcontractors, and how is each of them covered? If the answer is unclear, contact WSIB before you sign. WSIB can review contracts and invoices to confirm whether a job counts as exempt.
Liability insurance
Ask whether the contractor carries liability insurance, and ask to see proof. The Office of Consumer Affairs lists any liability insurance or worker's compensation that may be required among the things to ask potential contractors about. It also suggests calling your own insurance company to discuss any extra coverage the renovation may need.
Questions to ask before you hire
Ontario.ca and the Office of Consumer Affairs list most of these questions. The one about trades follows from the ESA, Skilled Trades Ontario and TSSA material above. Ask each contractor the same questions, and write down the answers.
- Can I get references from people who had similar work done in their homes?
- How long have you been in business, and what similar projects have you handled?
- Who will be on my job, which parts go to subcontractors, and who pays them?
- What are the stages of the job, and how long will it take?
- Who does the electrical, plumbing and gas work, and what are their ESA licence number, Certificate of Qualification or TSSA registration?
- Will my estimate be part of my contract?
- Will you get any building permits for me, and can the contract say so?
- How should disagreements be handled, and can that go in the contract?
- If I cancel after the work starts, do I pay for any work or materials?
Check them before you sign
Ontario.ca says to get at least 3 written estimates, and never to accept one over the phone or without the contractor inspecting the area. It also says to get at least 3 references and check them, even if a friend recommended the contractor. Ask for work like yours, and for jobs from the recent past and from further back: "Sometimes, problems do not show up for a while."
Then search the business name and the operator's name. Ontario.ca notes that "a single business operator may run several businesses or change a business' name." Search the Consumer Beware List, recent charges and convictions under the Consumer Protection Act, the Better Business Bureau, your Chamber of Commerce and your city.
The permit, and what you are responsible for
Ontario.ca says: "It's your responsibility to get building permits and meet any legal requirements you'll need to renovate." If you want the contractor to get them, put it in the contract, and do not let construction begin until you have seen them. Which office issues a permit near Peterborough is in Renovation Permits Around Peterborough.
Other duties come with being the owner. Under the Construction Act, an owner is personally liable to valid lien claimants for the holdbacks the owner was required to retain (section 23(1)). A holdback is money an owner must keep back from payments. That is not a complete list of an owner's duties, and this page is general information, not legal advice. Ask a lawyer about your own situation.
Rules differ by property and change over time, so confirm with your building office before you start. When you want a price from someone who has looked at the space, ask for a free estimate. The renovation work Gilbert Brothers does is on the renovations page.
Frequently asked questions
Do general contractors need a licence in Ontario?
Not the way new home builders are. The Home Construction Regulatory Authority says renovators "aren't licensed or regulated like new home builders and sellers are." Specific work does carry requirements: an ESA licence for electrical contracting businesses, a Certificate of Qualification or apprenticeship for compulsory trades such as plumber, and TSSA registration for fuels contractors.
Does my contractor need WSIB coverage for work on my house?
Ontario.ca says construction workers and independent operators must have coverage, with exceptions. WSIB exempts a contractor who does only home renovation work, and is hired and paid directly by the person who lives, or will live, in the home or by a member of that person's family, but only for themselves. Employees must be covered, and subcontractors need their own coverage.
Do I need a WSIB clearance certificate before I hire a contractor?
WSIB's clearance-certificate policy does not apply to householders who occupy or will occupy a private residence when they, or members of their family, directly retain a contractor for exempt home renovation work only. Ask who will be on your job and how they are covered instead.
Can I hire an electrician directly?
ESA says Licensed Electrical Contractors are the only businesses legally authorized to do electrical work in your home, and that qualified electricians and master electricians are not permitted to perform work for hire. Ask for the contractor's 7-digit ECRA/ESA licence number.
What if I do not know anyone who can give me a referral?
Ontario.ca lists friends and neighbours as one source of recommendations, and says to consider a local company because that "may make it easier to check references" and to have follow-up work done. It still says to get at least 3 references and check them. The checks under "Check them before you sign" apply with or without a referral, and the Office of Consumer Affairs adds checking with your local Better Business Bureau for complaints.
How do I compare three quotes that do not match?
The Office of Consumer Affairs says to have each contractor price the same specifications, and to check that each estimate includes all costs, including labour and extra charges, applicable taxes, an outline of your project and at least a partial cost breakdown. Ontario.ca says an estimate should describe the work and give an itemised list of products and services with their prices. The Canadian Home Builders' Association's guide says specifications name the materials and products, such as brand name, dimensions, model and colour.
What should I settle before I call a contractor?
Ontario.ca says to make a list of exactly what you want done, set a clear budget, and remember that changing plans in the middle of a project will cost extra. The Office of Consumer Affairs adds checking with your municipal building department which permits and inspections you will need; who applies is covered under "The permit, and what you are responsible for" above. The insurance step is under "Insurance: two different questions" above.