How do I check if a contractor is licensed in BC?

For gas, electrical, and other regulated trades, search Technical Safety BC's free Find a Licensed Contractor registry — it shows every active licence, the scope of work the contractor is authorized to perform, and any enforcement actions since 2022. If a company doesn't appear, it does not hold an active licence for regulated work.

What is a WorkSafeBC clearance letter and why do I need one?

It confirms the contractor is registered with WorkSafeBC and in good standing on premiums. If you hire a contractor who isn't, you can be held jointly liable for their unpaid premiums for the period they worked for you. Ask for a clearance letter addressed to you covering the contract period — contractors in good standing produce one routinely.

Does my plumber or HVAC company need a BC Housing licence?

Usually not — BC Housing's Licensed Residential Builder requirement applies to building new homes for sale, not to service and replacement work. For a furnace, water heater, panel, or roof job, the checks that matter are the Technical Safety BC licence, the WorkSafeBC clearance, liability insurance, and your municipality's business licence.

Cost data · Consumer guide · Official registries linked below · July 2026

How to verify a contractor in BC before you hire

Three free, official lookups verify almost any Metro Vancouver contractor: Technical Safety BC's licence registry (is the company allowed to do this regulated work, and any enforcement history), a WorkSafeBC clearance letter (are you protected from their unpaid premiums), and for new-home construction, BC Housing's builder registry. All three take about 15 minutes total.

Check 1 — Technical Safety BC licence (gas, electrical, regulated trades)

The Find a Licensed Contractor registry is searchable by company name, licence number, city, or technology. It shows only active licences, the scope of work the contractor is authorized to perform, and enforcement actions since 2022. Per Technical Safety BC: if you cannot find the contractor in the registry, they do not hold an active licence and are not authorized to perform regulated work — which for a homeowner also means permit and insurance problems downstream (see our permits guide).

Check 2 — WorkSafeBC clearance letter (the one people skip)

This is the check with your money on the line: if a contractor's WorkSafeBC premiums are unpaid, you can be held jointly liable for them for the period they worked on your property. A clearance letter addressed to you, confirming the contractor is registered and in good standing for the contract period, removes that liability. Reputable contractors produce one routinely — hesitation is information.

Check 3 — BC Housing registry (new-home construction only)

Building a new home for sale requires a licence from BC Housing under the Homeowner Protection Act, plus third-party home warranty insurance. The public registry is free and shows licence type, status, and the designated nominee. For service and replacement work — furnace, water heater, panel, roof — this one usually doesn't apply; checks 1 and 2 are the ones that matter.

Two more minutes of diligence

Municipal business licence — most Metro Vancouver cities let you confirm one by phone or online; unlicensed operators tend to fail the other checks too.
Liability insurance — ask for the certificate; $2M is the common floor for trades working in occupied homes.
Permit inclusion — the quote should name the permit and its cost. Our cost guides note where published prices include permits, and why quotes that skip them bite later.

How this relates to our guides

Our provider guides rank companies purely by how often AI assistants recommend them — that is a visibility measurement, not a licence check. The verified context we show (Google listing data, retrieved date) is labelled and is not a ranking factor. Whoever you pick, from our guides or anywhere else, run the three checks above before work starts. Sources are linked in place; registries change, and the official pages are authoritative. See our methodology.