How to check a contractor before you hire

The licensing situation, honestly

British Columbia does not have a mandatory general contractor licence for renovation work on existing homes. That surprises a lot of homeowners. What does exist:

• Licensed residential builder through BC Housing, required for new home construction and for building envelope renovation work under the Homeowner Protection Act
• Electrical work requiring a permit must be done by a licensed electrical contractor
• Plumbing and gas work must be done by trades holding the appropriate certification, and gas fitters must be licensed
• WorkSafeBC registration, required for construction businesses with workers
• Municipal business licence, which most cities in Metro Vancouver require

So a renovation contractor working on an existing home may legitimately not hold a BC Housing licence, while still being required to carry WorkSafeBC coverage and a business licence.

What you can actually verify

1. WorkSafeBC clearance letter. This can be requested through WorkSafeBC and confirms the contractor's account is in good standing. It matters because if an uninsured worker is injured on your property, that exposure can land on you.
2. Certificate of insurance. Ask for general liability coverage, and ask to be named on the certificate for your project.
3. Trade certification for regulated work. Ask for the licence number of the electrician or gas fitter and verify it with Technical Safety BC.
4. Business licence in the municipality where the work is happening.
5. Reviews and past work. Google reviews, and ideally an address of a finished project you can look at.

Better questions than "are you licensed?"

• Who will actually be on site every day, and will I have their phone number?
• Is this quote fixed price, and what specifically is excluded from it?
• Who pulls the permits, and are permit fees inside the quoted price or billed after?
• What happens if we open a wall and find something unexpected?
• Who schedules the inspections?

Where quotes go wrong

The cheapest quote is often the least specific one. A quote that lists allowances without saying what they cover is not really a fixed price, it's a starting point. Ask for the scope written out: materials specified, what's included, and a payment schedule tied to milestones rather than dates.

Three quotes are worth getting, but compare them on scope rather than on the bottom number. Two quotes that differ by thousands are usually describing two different projects.

Where BHK stands on this list

It would be strange to publish this checklist without answering it ourselves. BHK Construction Service is registered with WorkSafeBC, and a clearance letter is available on request so you can verify coverage directly rather than taking our word for it.

As a contractor working on existing homes, BHK does not hold a BC Housing residential builder licence. That licence covers new home construction and building envelope renovation, not general renovation work. Regulated scopes such as electrical and gas are carried out by the appropriately licensed trades, and their licence numbers can be provided for verification on your project.

Common questions

This guide is general information for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, not legal advice or a substitute for your municipality's building department. Requirements vary by city and by project.