In short
- Ontario has 23 compulsory trades, and plumber and electrician are among them: working in one takes a Certificate of Qualification, a provisional one, or a registered training agreement.
- If you hire someone for electrical work in your home, the Electrical Safety Authority says it must be a Licensed Electrical Contractor.
- Almost all electrical work must be reported to ESA through a notification of work, and wiring is inspected before it is concealed.
- Work on furnaces and fuel-fired appliances must be done by a TSSA-registered contractor that employs certified gas technicians.
- Hanging, patching, caulking, assembling and mounting sit on the handyman side of the line.
The jobs that sit on the handyman side
A handyman visit covers work that does not touch a regulated system: patching drywall, caulking a tub, hanging shelves and curtain rods, mounting a TV, assembling furniture, fixing a sticking door, replacing weatherstripping. These are the jobs the site was built around, and you can find each on its own page, for example drywall repair, shelves, curtain rods and art and door and trim repair.
Cost guides list a few more: HomeStars prints simple fixture, faucet and electrical swaps in its Ottawa handyman guide. The same guide says these suit handymen “provided they do not require permits”, which is the condition to hold on to for the rest of the page.
Compulsory trades
In Ontario, 23 trades are compulsory. Skilled Trades Ontario names plumber and electrician as examples. To work in one of them a person must hold a valid Certificate of Qualification, a Provisional Certificate of Qualification, or a Registered Training Agreement. Journeypersons renew their certificate each year, and anyone can search the public register to confirm it.
For the homeowner this means that pipe work, new circuits and gas connections belong to a trade, and a handyman company that quotes them either has the certificate or passes the job to a firm that does.
Electrical work
The Electrical Safety Authority, which administers the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, is direct: if you hire someone to do electrical work in your home, by law it must be a Licensed Electrical Contractor. That contractor files the notification of work, requests the inspection, and can give you the ESA Certificate of Acceptance.
The Code requires almost all electrical work to be reported. Wiring is inspected before it is concealed, which is why a job that opens a wall needs the inspector before the drywall goes back. The patch goes on after the inspection, which is the order to expect when drywall follows an electrician’s visit.
A building permit and an electrical notification are separate. A project may need both.
Gas appliances
Gas follows its own regulator. TSSA states that maintenance of furnaces and fuel-fired appliances must be done by TSSA-registered contractors, and that registered contractors must hire TSSA-certified gas technicians. TSSA publishes a lookup tool for checking a contractor, and it has prosecuted unlicensed installers.
A gas range, dryer or water heater on your list is a normal request. The company that calls will likely route that line to a registered firm.
Plumbing, structure and permits
Replacing a pipe or moving a fixture is trade work. Ottawa’s permit-free list takes in replacing an existing hot water tank, same-size doors and windows, kitchen cabinets with plumbing fixtures kept in place, new flooring and painting. Any project must still meet the Ontario Building Code and the Zoning By-law. For anything outside that list, ask the Building Code Client Service Centre or call 3-1-1.
What to check before you sign
Before you sign, Ontario’s consumer page has you confirm certification with Skilled Trades Ontario, ask about WSIB coverage and collect written estimates. For electrical contractors, the estimate should carry the ESA/ECRA licence number and the permit fees. A contract above $50 must be in writing. Cost implications are on handyman cost in Ottawa.
Sending a mixed list
The desk sends your request, regulated lines included, to one independent local company. On the call, that company sorts the list into the jobs it takes and the ones for a registered firm; ask for the licence number on the quote.
Questions to ask the company
- Which jobs on my list do you take yourself, and which go to a trade?
- For the ones that do, will you send a registered company, or should I book it separately?
- Will the quote show the ESA licence number if any electrical work is included?
- Who files the notification of work, and will I get the Certificate of Acceptance?
- Do you carry WSIB coverage, or an exemption, for this work?
Have this ready for the call
- The whole list, with the suspect jobs marked
- Photos of the fixture, panel label or appliance plate for any electrical or gas item
- The age of the house, and any earlier electrical or plumbing work you know of
- A note on whether the item works at the moment, and what it does when it fails
- Access: where the breaker panel and the shut-off valves are
Questions people ask
Can a handyman swap a light fixture or an outlet?
HomeStars lists simple electrical jobs such as switch, outlet and fixture swaps in its Ottawa handyman guide, with the condition that they do not require permits. ESA adds that almost every electrical job needs a notification, filed by the Licensed Electrical Contractor you hire. Ask the company which side your job falls on.
What happens if unlicensed work is found when I sell?
ESA calls the Certificate of Acceptance important for insurance and resale. Keep the certificate for every electrical job, and ask for it on the written quote.
Who can move a gas line for a range or dryer?
A TSSA-registered contractor employing certified gas technicians. TSSA states that contractors without certification or registration operate illegally, and it publishes a lookup tool for the public. Put the appliance on the list, but expect the company to pass the gas part to a registered firm.
How do I look up a tradesperson's credentials?
For electrical work, note the ESA/ECRA licence number, look for it on the work vehicle, and search ESA’s database. For gas, use TSSA’s Authorized Heating Fuel Contractors lookup. For compulsory trades, use the Skilled Trades Ontario public register. The Ontario consumer guide recommends all three checks before signing.
Does a building permit cover the electrical part?
ESA treats a building permit and an electrical notification as two separate filings, and a project may need both. A City of Ottawa permit covers the Building Code side, the notification covers the Electrical Safety Code. Ask the company who files each.
