| Check | Where to Verify |
| 1. Liability insurance | Call the broker or insurer on the certificate |
| 2. WSIB clearance | WSIB clearance verification at wsib.ca |
| 3. Electrical licence | ESA licensed contractor search at esasafe.com |
| 4. Plumber’s certificate | Skilled Trades Ontario Public Register |
| 5. Business and HST | Ontario Business Registry and CRA GST/HST Registry |
| 6. Complaints | Ontario Consumer Beware List, BBB, online reviews |
| 7. References | A phone call to a recent client |
| Before you start, get the legal business name. Many contractors run a trade name over a numbered corporation, which is normal, but every check depends on searching the right name. If the estimate says one name and the contract another, ask why. |
Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance covers damage the crew causes to your home or a neighbour’s property. Ask for a current Certificate of Insurance showing the insurer, policy number, coverage amount, named insured and expiry date. Then call the broker or insurer and confirm the policy is active and the contractor is the named insured. Certificates are easy to alter and easy to let lapse, so the phone call is the real verification. Look for at least $2 million in coverage; larger structural projects often warrant $5 million. Also ask:
A legitimate contractor produces this within a day. One who stalls or gets defensive has answered the question.
A Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) clearance certificate confirms the contractor’s account is registered and in good standing, which protects you from being drawn into unpaid premiums or an injury claim. Ask for it, then verify it yourself with the clearance tool at wsib.ca. It takes about a minute. The nuance most guides skip: an independent operator or sole proprietor who works only on home renovation, has no employees, and is hired and paid directly by the homeowner living in the home is exempt from mandatory WSIB coverage. That person will not have a clearance certificate, and its absence is not automatically a red flag. What matters is how the business is set up:
In Ontario, only a Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC) holding an ECRA/ESA licence, or a homeowner working on their own home with their own notification filed, can legally do electrical work. The person who does electrical on the side is not a legal option, however good the price, and the liability lands on you. Get the name and ECRA/ESA licence number of the electrical contractor who will do the work, and confirm it with the licensed contractor search at esasafe.com. Then make sure the contract says you will receive a copy of the ESA Certificate of Acceptance once the work passes inspection. It matters for insurance and resale. If a contractor cannot name a specific licensed electrical contractor, that is not a scheduling detail. That is the answer.
Plumbing is a compulsory trade in Ontario. To work legally, a plumber must hold a valid Certificate of Qualification, or be a registered apprentice working under supervision. Many online guides still point to the Ontario College of Trades, which closed on January 1, 2022. Its replacement is Skilled Trades Ontario. Search the plumber’s name on the Skilled Trades Ontario Public Register and confirm the certificate is current, since certificates must be renewed. Separately, some GTA municipalities, including Toronto, license plumbing and drain contractors as businesses. If your scope involves a plumbing permit, confirm who holds that licence.
Ask for two or three references from recent projects similar to yours, and call at least one. Recent matters more than glowing, since crews, cash flow and quality can change within a year. Ask:
Question four catches the contractor running too many jobs at once, the most common cause of a renovation that drags for months. Question five catches the one who is excellent until the final payment clears.
None of these replace the checks above, but they add context. RenoMark, offered through BILD and other local home builders’ associations, commits renovators to a code of conduct that includes written contracts and warranties. Manufacturer certifications matter for specific products where they affect the warranty.
A contractor who passes every step is worth taking seriously: insurer-confirmed CGL coverage, WSIB clearance or a clearly explained exemption, a named and verified electrician and plumber, a registered business with a valid HST number, no complaint pattern, and a reference who answers yes to all six questions. A contractor who fails any single step has just explained why their quote is lower than the others. The gap is the missing insurance premium, the unlicensed trade, the skipped permit or the business that exists only on a truck decal. That is not your saving. It is your risk, and unlike the contractor, you cannot dissolve and re-register under a new name next spring.
Maple Leaf Quality Renos carries current Commercial General Liability insurance and maintains full WSIB compliance on every project. Electrical work is done by Licensed Electrical Contractors with ESA notifications filed, and plumbing by certified plumbers with the required permits. We are a registered Ontario business with verifiable GTA references, and we welcome every question on this list.
Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation and a detailed written estimate.
📞 +1 (647) 496-3360
✉ contact@mapleleafqualityrenos.ca
Serving Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Oakville, Burlington, Oshawa, Hamilton, Barrie, Kitchener and surrounding communities.