Ottawa, Ontario
How do I check a contractor's licence in Ottawa?
Ottawa is different from Toronto: the City of Ottawa's list of licensed businesses does not include general renovation, so for most home projects there is no city licence to look up. The provincial records carry the check, and each takes a few minutes.
The free steps
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 what the City of Ottawa licenses
The city's business-licences page lists every kind of business it licenses. Read it for your kind of work. General renovation is not on it; snow plow contractors are, and the city publishes their list. If your work is not on the list, there is no city licence to ask about.
Official source: Business licences (City of Ottawa; checked 2026-10-22).
3. Search the Ontario Business Registry
Search the exact name on the quote. The record shows whether it is a corporation, a registered business name or a partnership, the number and the status.
Official source: Ontario Business Registry (Government of Ontario; checked 2026-10-20).
4. Electrical work: search the ESA
Electrical contractors in Ontario are licensed by the Electrical Safety Authority. Search the business that will do the electrical work and read the licence number and status.
Official source: Find a Licensed Electrical Contractor (Electrical Safety Authority; checked 2026-07-15).
5. Plumbing and other compulsory trades: check Skilled Trades Ontario
Skilled Trades Ontario's public register shows a tradesperson's certificate by name. Ask who will do the work and search that person.
Official source: Public Register (Skilled Trades Ontario; checked 2026-07-15).
6. If a business says it holds an Ottawa licence
Ask which licence and its number, and check it against the city's list or with the city's business licensing office.
7. Know what the free search cannot show
A licence or a registration says the business holds permission under that name today. It does not show whether past work was good, whether the insurance is in force, or whether the quote covers what you think it does. Those are the insurance and quote steps, and they take a few minutes more.
Questions people ask
Does a contractor need a City of Ottawa business licence?
For general renovation, the city's own list does not include it. Some related businesses, such as snow plow contractors, are licensed. Read the city's list for your kind of work; the page, not this guide, says what applies.
Do I still need a building permit in Ottawa?
Permits are separate from licences. Ask the contractor who is pulling the permit and whether the inspections are included in the quote.
What does a Jay check add?
Jay runs the Ontario Business Registry, ESA, HCRA and Consumer Beware List searches for you, with the source and the time checked for each. Ottawa has no city licence for general renovation, so her report says so rather than leaving a gap. The Full Check also reads your quote and insurance certificate against the records, and a person reviews every Full Check before it goes out.
Or ask Jay
Jay does these steps for you and writes up what the records show, with the source and date for each finding. The $39 Full Check (no tax added) also reads your quote and insurance papers, and a person reviews every Full Check before it goes out. The $19 Quick Check is opening soon.
Order a Full CheckSee a sample Full Check
Three quotes. One Jay check. Then 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.
Published 2026-10-22; sources last checked on the dates shown beside each step.