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Trade Playbook

General Contracting

No provincial trade licence required

General contracting is not a certified trade in Ontario — there is no provincial "general contractor licence." What gates the work instead is municipal business licensing, building permits, and (for new homes) provincial home-builder licensing.

General Contracting at a glance

Licence to do the work
No provincial GC licence — municipal business licence + building permits
Path in
No set path — most GCs come up through a trade or site supervision
Regulated by
Your municipality (HCRA if you build new homes)
Insurance baseline
$2M–$5M CGL; bonding for public work

Where are you right now?

Learn it. Earn it. Own it. Pick the door that matches where you are.

Getting inBecome a general contractorHow people actually enter this trade: sponsors, registration, hours, and school.Open Getting certifiedFinish your ticketAlready an apprentice? The Last Mile guide: closing out hours, booking the exam, exam day.Open Going out on your ownStart a general contracting businessThe step-by-step from qualified tradesperson to incorporated, insured, bid-ready owner.Open Just lookingCommon questionsLicences, costs, timelines: the questions everyone asks, answered straight.Open

The licensing layer, explained

Ontario does not issue a province-wide general contractor licence. Your obligations are mostly municipal: most municipalities require a business licence to operate, and every project needs a building permit pulled by an owner or authorized agent. If you build or substantially renovate new homes you also fall under HCRA licensing (see New Home Building). You self-perform or subcontract compulsory trades (electrical, plumbing, HVAC) only through certified people or licensed contractors.

Certifications in this trade

Insurance to expect

GCs carry the broadest exposure because you are responsible for the whole site. Most owners and GCs require $5M Commercial General Liability (CGL), and you should confirm every subcontractor carries their own CGL and WSIB clearance before they set foot on site.

Go to the source

The official pages that govern this trade. Bookmark these, they are the final word on requirements and fees.

Keep reading

IncorporationCRA RegistrationWSIB & ProvincialTrade LicensingInsuranceSafety ComplianceOperational SetupBid Readiness

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