BC, Alberta and Ontario
How can I tell if a contractor is legit before I pay?
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.
No website can tell you a contractor is legit. What you can do is look at the public records under the company's name. Is the company registered? Does it hold the licences the job needs? Is there insurance? These steps take about an hour. Do them before you pay anything.
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. Search the business registry
Search the exact name in Canada's Business Registries. In BC, also search OrgBook BC. In Ontario, use the Ontario Business Registry. Read the status. Active is what you want to see. Write down the number.
Official source: Canada's Business Registries search (Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada; checked 2026-10-20).
3. Check the city business licence
Many cities license contractors. Some publish a list you can search. Others ask you to call 311. The city pages on this site say which is which.
4. Electrical or gas work: check the trade licence
In BC, Technical Safety BC licenses electrical and gas contractors. In Ontario, the ESA licenses electrical contractors. In Alberta, the Tradesperson Lookup Tool shows a person's trade certificate.
Official source: Find a licensed contractor (Technical Safety BC; checked 2026-10-20).
5. Search public decisions under the name
Search CanLII for the exact company name. A decision is a public record. Read the whole thing before you draw anything from it. One old case may have nothing to do with you.
Official source: Canadian court and tribunal decisions (CanLII; checked 2026-10-20).
6. Ask for the certificate of insurance from the broker
Ask the contractor to have their insurance broker send the certificate of insurance straight to you. Check that the named insured matches the business on the quote, that the policy is in force for the dates of your project, and that the coverage type is liability for the work being done. A photo of a certificate from the contractor's phone is weaker evidence than one sent by the broker.
7. Get a written quote
Ask for the price, the work, the start date and the payment plan in writing. A quote with the company's full name and address on it is one you can check against the records.
8. 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
Can a website tell me a contractor is legit?
No. Records show what a government body has on file under a name today. They do not show how good the work is. Use the records to ask better questions before you pay.
What if I cannot find the company?
A missing record is not proof of anything wrong. A sole owner may trade under their own name, or the quote may use a trade name. Ask the contractor which name and number are on their registration, then search again.
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.
Published 2026-11-08; sources last checked on the dates shown beside each step.