Document 1: the WSIB clearance certificate
Construction is a mandatory-coverage industry: WSIB coverage is compulsory for most people in construction, independent operators included. A clearance certificate confirms the contractor's account is registered and in good standing. Verify it, don't just view it: WSIB's online clearance service lets any hiring party confirm a certificate's validity directly. Check the legal name matches the name on your contract, and re-check before final payment, because clearances lapse.
The stake is personal: hire a contractor without valid clearance and you, as the principal, can be held liable for their unpaid premiums up to the labour portion of the contract.
Document 2: the certificate of insurance (COI)
Ask for a COI showing commercial general liability of at least $2 million, the residential standard. Read four fields: the named insured (must match your contractor's legal name), the policy period (in force through your project), the coverage type (CGL, not just auto or tools), and the insurer (a real company you can call). For larger projects, ask to be added as an additional insured; a broker does it in minutes and a legitimate contractor won't blink.
"A real COI comes from the broker, often emailed to you directly, on the insurer's form. The fakes I've seen were always the same: a photocopied certificate with last year's dates, handed over reluctantly. If verification requires persuasion, you already have your answer."
Mitch Fraser, owner, Ontario Contracting Co.
The ten-minute routine
- Ask for both documents at the quote stage, per the fifteen questions that filter contractors
- Validate the WSIB clearance through the WSIB online service
- Call the broker on the COI to confirm the policy is active
- Match all legal names to the contract
- Re-verify the WSIB clearance before the final payment
Trades matter too: electrical must run through an ESA-licensed contractor and gas through TSSA-registered techs, the layer explained in what "licensed" actually means in Ontario.