St. Albert, Alberta

How to check a contractor in St. Albert

Want Jay to do these checks for you? A person reviews every check.

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St. Albert needs a business licence from anyone who does business there, even a contractor based in Edmonton. The city does not publish a licence search that we could find, so you confirm a licence by asking the city. The Alberta checks follow. Below: what is different in St. Albert, then the Alberta steps, each with the official source.

What is different in St. Albert

  1. 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. 2. Read who needs a St. Albert licence

    The City of St. Albert says any person who operates a business must hold a valid business licence. A business based outside St. Albert that serves people there needs an out-of-town licence. Licences expire on December 31 each year.

    Official source: Apply for a business licence (City of St. Albert; checked 2026-11-08).

  3. 3. Ask the city to confirm it

    Call St. Albert business licensing at 780-459-1618 or email licensing@stalbert.ca. Give the exact name on the quote and ask whether it holds a current licence. Write down the date and what you were told.

  4. 4. Working in January? Check the year

    A licence from last year ends on December 31. If you sign early in the year, ask whether the licence has been renewed.

  5. 5. Taking a deposit? Check the prepaid contracting licence

    In Alberta, a business that takes money before the work is done may need a prepaid contracting licence from the province. The Government of Alberta's page says who needs one.

    Official source: Prepaid contracting licence (Government of Alberta; checked 2026-07-15).

Then the Alberta steps

  1. 6. Check the business is registered in Alberta

    Official source: Find a business registry (authorized registry agents) (Government of Alberta; checked 2026-10-20).

  2. 7. Money before the work is done: check the prepaid contracting licence

    Official source: Find out if a business is licensed (Government of Alberta (Service Alberta); checked 2026-10-20).

  3. 8. Compulsory trades: check the tradesperson's credentials

    Official source: Tradesperson Lookup Tool (Government of Alberta, Apprenticeship and Industry Training; checked 2026-07-15).

  4. 9. New homes: check the Builder Registry

    Official source: Builder Registry (public search) (Alberta Municipal Affairs, Residential Protection Program; checked 2026-07-15).

  5. 10. Search public tribunal and court decisions for the business name

    Official source: Canadian court and tribunal decisions (CanLII; checked 2026-10-20).

  6. 11. Ask for the certificate of insurance from the broker

  7. 12. Read the quote for what it leaves out

Read each Alberta step in full

Guides for St. Albert

All the Alberta steps

Questions people ask

Does a contractor need a St. Albert licence?

The City of St. Albert says any person who operates a business must hold a valid business licence, including a business based outside St. Albert that serves people there. All St. Albert licences expire on December 31.

My contractor is from Edmonton. Do they need a St. Albert licence?

The City of St. Albert says a business based outside the city that serves people there needs an out-of-town licence. Ask the contractor, then ask the city.

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.

See a sample Full 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.