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Straight answers
The questions people ask most about starting and running a industrial construction business in Ontario. Answered straight, with links to the official sources.
First, register and pass in the owner's contractor-management platform (ISNetworld, Avetta, or ContractorCheck) — they screen your safety statistics, insurance, and compliance before you can bid. Then you need certified/qualified trades, high insurance limits, and usually COR® safety certification. Most break in as a subcontractor to an established industrial contractor before going direct to owners.
ISNetworld (ISN) is a contractor-management platform many large industrial owners use to pre-screen contractors on safety, insurance, and compliance. A registration and a passing grade are often a hard precondition to bidding industrial work — so for the industrial market, getting your safety record and documentation ISN-ready is step one, not an afterthought.
Compulsory trade certificates (steamfitter 307A, electrician 309A, etc.), CWB and ASME Section IX welding qualifications, TSSA registrations for pressure equipment, and millwright (426A) or boilermaker (428A) tickets for mechanical work. Industrial is heavily certified and largely unionized — the tickets and welding qualifications are what get you and your crew on site.
A turnaround is a planned plant shutdown where a huge volume of maintenance is done in a compressed window — so it's a burst of intense, well-paid work: long shifts, seven-day weeks, per-diem and travel, for weeks to a couple of months, then it ends. Industrial contractors and tradespeople chase turnarounds for the money; the rhythm is feast-and-famine.
The pay says yes for many — top union rates plus shutdown overtime and per-diem add up fast — but go in clear-eyed about the lifestyle: travel to remote plants, camp or hotel living, and intense schedules during turnarounds. It rewards people who want to earn hard in bursts; it wears on people who want to be home every night, which is why many move toward local maintenance or supervision over time.
Get safety-qualified (COR® and registration in ISN/Avetta), carry the high insurance and pollution coverage owners require, and bring certified trades and welding capability. Start as a sub to established industrial contractors to build a safety record and owner relationships, then grow into direct work. The barrier is compliance and safety pedigree, not a trade licence.
Most industrial owners require registration in a contractor-management system (ISNetworld, Avetta, or ContractorCheck), a strong safety program (often COR®), high insurance limits, and certified/qualified trades. You typically cannot quote until your safety statistics and documents pass their review.
Compulsory trade certificates (steamfitter 307A, electrician 309A, etc.), CWB/ASME welding qualifications, TSSA registrations for pressure equipment, and millwright (426A) or boilermaker (428A) tickets for mechanical work. Industrial work is heavily certified and largely unionized.
ISNetworld (ISN) is a contractor-management platform many large industrial owners use to screen contractors on safety, insurance, and compliance before allowing them on site. Registration and a passing grade are often a precondition to bidding industrial work.
A sole proprietorship is cheaper and simpler to start, but you are personally liable for the business's debts and claims. Incorporating creates a separate legal entity that limits personal liability, can reduce tax once you are profitable, and reads as more credible to larger clients. Most contractors incorporate once they have employees, real revenue, or work on others' property.
Yes — construction is a mandatory WSIB sector in Ontario. Even independent operators and partners with no employees generally must register, and clients and general contractors will require a valid WSIB clearance certificate before you can work on their site.
You must register for and charge HST once your revenue exceeds $30,000 over four consecutive quarters. Many contractors register before that threshold so they can claim input tax credits on tools, materials, and vehicles from day one.
Ontario's Construction Act sets the rules: a 10% holdback on most contracts, prompt-payment timelines (you must be paid within set periods after a proper invoice), and an adjudication process for disputes. Understanding holdback, lien rights, and prompt payment is essential to protecting your cash flow.