Permits and licensing
Renovation permits and contractor licences in Canada
Before you renovate, two questions matter: does the work need a permit, and does the person doing it need a licence? The answers depend on where you live. Pick your province or territory to see the official bodies involved.
Choose your province or territory
Each guide lists official regulators, the trades that need a licence, where permits come from and what to check before you hire.
- Alberta5 official bodies listed
- British Columbia4 official bodies listed
- Manitoba4 official bodies listed
- New Brunswick3 official bodies listed
- Newfoundland and Labrador2 official bodies listed
- Northwest Territories2 official bodies listed
- Nova Scotia2 official bodies listed
- Nunavut3 official bodies listed
- Ontario5 official bodies listed
- Prince Edward Island1 official body listed
- Quebec5 official bodies listed
- Saskatchewan3 official bodies listed
- Yukon2 official bodies listed
How permits and licences work in Canada
Building permits are local
Building permits are generally issued by your municipality, which applies the building code in force in your province or territory. In areas without a local building authority, a provincial or territorial office may handle permits instead. Whether your project needs a permit depends on the work and on local bylaws, so ask before you start.
Trade licensing is provincial or territorial
Each province and territory decides which contractors and trades need a licence, a registration or a certificate. Electrical and gas work are usually overseen by a safety authority, and many regions also certify individual tradespeople such as electricians and plumbers.
Building codes start from a national model
The National Building Code of Canada is a model code. It applies only once a province or territory adopts it, sometimes with changes, and some provinces publish their own code based on it.
New homes have their own rules
Some provinces license new-home builders or require new-home warranty coverage. Those rules are separate from renovation permits, and each guide says when they apply.
Sources for our permit and licensing guides
Planning a renovation?
Describe your project once and hear from local pros. Ask each one for their licence and permit details before you hire.