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Trade Playbook

Residential Renovation

No provincial trade licence required

Renovation is one of the most accessible construction businesses to start because most cosmetic and non-structural work needs no provincial licence — but structural, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC scopes still require permits and certified trades.

Residential Renovation at a glance

Licence to do the work
No provincial licence — municipal business licence; permits for structural/M&E work
Path in
Experience path — start in a trade or as a helper; no apprenticeship required
Regulated by
Your municipality (HCRA if a reno creates a new dwelling)
Insurance baseline
$2M CGL — water damage and client contents are the big exposures

Where are you right now?

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

Getting inBecome a renovation 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 home renovation 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

There is no provincial renovation licence. You need a municipal business licence in most cities and a building permit for any structural, electrical, plumbing, or HVAC work (cosmetic work like flooring, painting, and cabinetry generally does not). Major renovations that create a new dwelling unit can pull you under HCRA. Compulsory-trade scopes must be done by certified people.

Certifications in this trade

Insurance to expect

Working inside occupied homes raises your liability profile — water damage, the homeowner's contents, and "care, custody and control" claims are common. Carry at least $2M CGL and consider an installation/builders-risk float for client property.

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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