Does a contractor need a licence in Hamilton?
Most trades working on a house do. The City of Hamilton: All contractors must have a valid Trade and Contractor Licence to operate in Hamilton.
(City of Hamilton, read November 2, 2026) The City's Licensing By-law No. 07-170 names the trades: plumbing, HVAC, drain laying, building repair, and sprinkler and fire protection (City of Hamilton, read November 2, 2026).
Which kinds of work count as building repair?
The City's examples cover most of a porch, deck or garage crew. It lists Building repair contractors such as roofers, carpenters, bricklayers, concrete workers, window and door installers, siding contractors and foundation waterproofing contractors
(City of Hamilton, read November 2, 2026). Building repair is one of the two trades with a mandatory exam before the City issues the licence.
What does a Hamilton trade licence prove?
That the business passed the City's checks, and that they are current. To get a licence, the City says, contractors go through a process to ensure they have a Police criminal check
and Third party liability insurance
. And All Trade Licences expire one year after they are issued
, so each renewal comes with proof of insurance again (City of Hamilton, read November 2, 2026). An old licence number is not enough: check that it is current.
How do I look a licence up?
In the City's open data. The City publishes the list of trade contractors and masters (Open Hamilton), with filter tools to search by name. For anything the list does not answer, the City's Licensing office is at 905-546-2782. The licence number also matters for your permit: Hamilton needs the licence number of the contractor who is doing the work
on the application (who applies for a building permit in Hamilton).
What else should I check before I sign?
References, complaints, the WSIB and the paperwork. The Government of Ontario's list, quoted:
| Check | What the government says | Who says it |
|---|---|---|
| Estimates | get written estimates from at least 3 contractors, and never accept an estimate over the phone or without the contractor inspecting the area | Government of Ontario |
| References | Always get at least 3 references and check them, from work similar to yours, recent and older | Government of Ontario |
| Complaints and charges | Search the business and its operator in the Consumer Beware List and in postings of charges under the Consumer Protection Act | Government of Ontario |
| Workplace insurance | Construction workers and independent operators must possess workplace safety and insurance coverage, with some exceptions: check with the WSIB | Government of Ontario |
| The deposit | Get other quotes if you are asked to give a down payment of more than 5% to 15% of the total contract price | City of Hamilton |
| The paperwork | Not having estimates, contracts, professional licences or building permits is a warning sign that a contractor is not reputable | Government of Ontario |
Sources: the Government of Ontario's home renovation page (Government of Ontario, read November 2, 2026) and the City's tips for selecting a contractor (City of Hamilton, read November 2, 2026).
Does the same check apply to JDT?
Yes, and it should. Ask JDT Construction Inc. for its licence number and look it up exactly as you would for anyone else, and ask for the references and the written estimate. What a JDT agreement contains, item by item against Ontario's list, is in what a renovation contract should say in Ontario. To ask for those, send a request or see who JDT is.