Going out on your own

How to start a heritage consulting practice in Ontario

Heritage consultants help projects navigate the past — Heritage Impact Assessments, Cultural Heritage Evaluation Reports, and conservation plans that development approvals increasingly require under the Ontario Heritage Act. It is a specialized advisory business at the intersection of planning, architecture, and history.

Heritage Consultant at a glance

Credential: Not licensed — CAHP Professional membership is the recognized mark
Path in: Heritage / planning / architecture / archaeology background → experience → CAHP
Regulated by: Ontario Heritage Act; municipalities; CAHP sets professional standards
Insurance baseline: Professional liability (E&O) for assessment and advisory work
Professional body: Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals (CAHP)

The steps to start your practice

1
Stand up your heritage consulting practice
There is no firm licence — but clients and municipalities expect CAHP-credentialed authors and professional liability (E&O) insurance. Incorporate, carry E&O, and build relationships with developers, planners, and municipalities navigating heritage approvals.
Full guide: Insurance
2
Incorporate (or form a professional corporation)
Most professionals incorporate to limit liability and for tax efficiency. Several regulated professions (architects, engineers) can form a professional corporation with a Certificate of Authorization — confirm the right entity type with your regulator before filing.
Full guide: Incorporation
3
Set up your CRA accounts
Register for a Business Number, HST/GST (mandatory above $30,000 in revenue), payroll if you will hire, and corporate income tax. Professional service fees are HST-taxable.
Full guide: CRA Registration
4
Carry professional liability (E&O) insurance
Errors & omissions insurance is the core coverage for a professional practice — and a firm-authorization condition for regulated professions. It protects against claims arising from your professional advice, designs, or certifications.
Full guide: Insurance
5
Stand up your practice operations
Business banking, professional accounting, engagement letters and contracts, and the project and document workflows a practice runs on. This is the back office that keeps you paid and protected.
Full guide: Operational Setup

Your launch checklist

The whole page in one list.

Stand up your heritage consulting practice
Incorporate (or form a professional corporation)
Set up your CRA accounts
Carry professional liability (E&O) insurance
Stand up your practice operations

Turn authorization into a working practice

Once the firm can practise, the next work is commercial: define the fee, prepare a credible proposal, and put a repeatable operating rhythm behind the professional work.