Markham, Ontario
How to check a contractor in Markham
Want Jay to do these checks for you? A person reviews every check.
No tax added. Report by 8 p.m. Pacific the next day.
For most home jobs, no city licence applies in Markham. The city licenses driveway paving and landscape contractors, but not renovators, plumbers or HVAC contractors. So the Ontario records do most of the work. Here is the order. Below: what is different in Markham, then the Ontario steps, each with the official source.
What is different in Markham
1. Start with the exact name on the quote
Write down the business name exactly as the quote prints it, including Ltd., Inc. or a number. A trade name, a numbered company and a sole proprietorship can all be registered under other words, so if a search shows nothing, ask the contractor which name and number appear on their registration or licence before you read anything into it.
2. Read Markham's licence list for your job
The City of Markham's business licence page lists the kinds of business it licenses. Driveway paving and landscape contractors are on it. Renovators, plumbers and HVAC contractors are not. If your kind of work is not there, email LicensingFC@Markham.ca to ask.
Official source: Business licence (City of Markham; checked 2026-11-08).
3. Driveway job? Ask to see the licence
Markham says a licensed driveway or landscape contractor must keep the licence at every job site, ready to show. The city also keeps a list of licensed driveway contractors. Licences must be renewed each year by March 31.
4. Search the Ontario Business Registry
Search the exact name on the quote. The record shows the type of business, the number and the status.
Official source: Ontario Business Registry (Government of Ontario; checked 2026-10-20).
5. Electrical work: search the ESA
Electrical contractors in Ontario are licensed by the Electrical Safety Authority. Search the business doing the electrical work.
Official source: Find a Licensed Electrical Contractor (Electrical Safety Authority; checked 2026-07-15).
6. Search the Consumer Beware List
Ontario keeps a public list of businesses that consumers have complained about or that have been charged under consumer law. Read any entry in full before you decide anything.
Official source: Search the Consumer Beware List (Government of Ontario; checked 2026-07-15).
Then the Ontario steps
7. Compulsory trades: check Skilled Trades Ontario's public register
Official source: Public Register (Skilled Trades Ontario; checked 2026-07-15).
8. New homes: check the Ontario Builder Directory
Official source: Ontario Builder Directory (Home Construction Regulatory Authority; checked 2026-07-15).
9. Ask for the certificate of insurance from the broker
10. Read the quote for what it leaves out
11. Look at the deposit before you pay it
Official source: Your rights when starting home renovations or repairs (Government of Ontario; checked 2026-07-15).
Guides for Markham
Questions people ask
Does a contractor need a Markham licence?
The City of Markham's business licence page does not list renovators, plumbers or HVAC contractors. It does license driveway paving and landscape contractors, and it keeps a list of licensed driveway contractors. For most home projects, the Ontario records carry the check.
My Markham renovator has no city licence. Is that wrong?
Markham's licence page does not list general renovators, so there may be no city licence to have. Check the Ontario records instead.
What does a Jay check add?
Jay searches the public records for the exact name on your quote, with the source and the time checked for each one. Her report says plainly when a record is not found. The $25 Company Check looks at the company before you get a quote. The $39 Full Check also reads your quote and insurance papers, and $59 buys both on one contractor. A person reviews every Full Check before it goes out.
Or ask Jay
Jay does these steps for you and writes down what the records show, with the source and date for each one. No quote yet? We check the contractor's public records before you contact them. Have a quote? We check your quote, the contractor's insurance and public records. A person reviews every check.
Check first. Then pay the deposit.
Information, not a verdict. A record that is not found is not evidence of wrongdoing, and nothing here is legal, insurance or safety advice.