Hiring & Trust
How to Vet a Renovation Contractor in Ontario: The Checklist We Use
Updated July 16, 2026
Vetting trades is literally our business — it's the core of how Renovohaus works. This is the checklist we run before a contractor touches a project, published in full, because homeowners hiring directly deserve the same standard.
1. Licensing — know what actually exists
Ontario has no universal 'general contractor licence,' which surprises most homeowners. What does exist: electricians must work under a Licensed Electrical Contractor (verifiable through the Electrical Safety Authority), plumbers and HVAC techs hold provincial trade certifications, and some municipalities license renovation contractors locally. So 'are you licensed?' is the wrong question — the right one is 'who exactly is doing the electrical and plumbing, and what are their licence numbers?'
2. Insurance and WSIB — the two documents that protect you
- Commercial general liability insurance — ask for the certificate, commonly $2 million in coverage, and confirm it's current. If an uninsured contractor floods your kitchen into the basement, that's your problem.
- WSIB clearance certificate — proof their workers are covered for workplace injury. Without it, a worker injured on your property can pursue you. Legitimate contractors produce both documents without friction; hesitation is your answer.
3. References and portfolio — verify, don't admire
Photos prove someone renovated something, not that they did it. Call two or three past clients and ask the questions that matter: did the price hold, did the schedule hold, how were problems handled, would you hire them again. For finish-heavy projects, ask to see one completed job in person — tile edges and trim joints tell you everything about a crew in thirty seconds.
4. The quote and contract — where disasters are prevented
- Line-item scope, not a single number — vague quotes become change orders
- Payment schedule tied to completed milestones, with a modest deposit (typically 10–25%); large upfront payments are the classic loss pattern
- Who pulls permits, stated explicitly (see our permits guide)
- Timeline with a start window, and how delays are communicated
- Everything in writing — a contractor who resists paper is telling you how disputes will go
Red flags that end the conversation
- A 'cash discount' to skip HST — the same job also skips permits, insurance, and any legal recourse
- Pressure to sign today for a special price
- No fixed business address, no reviews, no verifiable history
- Asking you to pull the permit for their work
- A price dramatically below everyone else's — you'll pay the difference later, with interest
Or let this be our job
Every trade on a Renovohaus project has already passed this checklist — licensing, insurance, WSIB, and verified past work — before they ever see your job. Get a free estimate and skip the vetting homework.
Frequently asked questions
- How much deposit is normal in Ontario?
- Ten to twenty-five percent is typical, sometimes more where custom materials must be ordered up front — but then the money should trace to those orders. The pattern to refuse: a large deposit before any work, from a contractor you found last week.
- What if something goes wrong mid-project?
- With a proper contract, you have milestones, documentation, and leverage — most problems resolve as scheduling or workmanship conversations. On managed projects, that entire conversation is our job: one call to us, not five calls to trades pointing at each other.
- Are online reviews enough to trust a contractor?
- They're a filter, not a verdict. Volume and recency matter more than a perfect score, and how a contractor responds to a bad review is more revealing than ten good ones. Pair reviews with the document checks above — plenty of five-star profiles can't produce a WSIB certificate.
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