--- title: "Licences, Permits and Warranties in Ontario" url: "https://www.jarviscontracting.ca/licensing-and-warranty" description: "Which licences, permits and warranties apply to additions, renovations and new homes in Ontario as of 2026, with the regulator's page for each one to check." publisher: "Jarvis Contracting" --- # Licences, permits and warranties: what applies to your job Which licences and protections apply depends on what you're building. This is what Ontario requires for each kind of work as of October 2026, with the regulator's page for each, so you can check any contractor, including us. ## Every job: the permit and the Building Code Any job that needs a building permit gets one before work starts, and we build to the 2024 Ontario Building Code, in force since 1 January 2025 ([O. Reg. 163/24](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r24163)). The town's inspector checks the work at each stage the permit sets. The approval is the town's to give, not ours. ## Additions and renovations: no HCRA licence, no Tarion The Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) licenses builders of new homes. It says renovating or upgrading an existing home generally doesn't make it a new home, so a renovator needs no HCRA licence ([HCRA](https://www.hcraontario.ca/do-i-need-a-licence/)), and renovators "aren't licensed or regulated like new home builders" ([HCRA](https://www.hcraontario.ca/resources/finding-a-renovator/)). Tarion's warranty is for new homes. For an addition, a basement or a renovation, your protection is the written contract and whatever warranty the contractor puts in it. ## New homes and detached units: HCRA licence and Tarion Building a new home for a client, even on the client's own land, needs an HCRA vendor and builder licence and Tarion enrolment, and HCRA says coach houses, laneway homes and tiny homes generally do too ([HCRA](https://www.hcraontario.ca/do-i-need-a-licence/)). Tarion's warranty on a contract home covers one, two and seven years up to $400,000, plus up to $40,000 if the builder defaults before completion ([Tarion](https://www.tarion.com/node/66068)). Look up any builder in the [Ontario Builder Directory](https://obd.hcraontario.ca/). ## Electrical and gas work Only a licensed electrical contractor may do electrical work in your home, and they file a notification with the Electrical Safety Authority before starting; a general contractor isn't licensed for it ([ESA](https://esasafe.com/compliance/finding-the-right-contractor/)). Gas lines and appliances need a TSSA-certified fitter ([O. Reg. 212/01](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/010212)). ## WSIB In construction, sole proprietors, partners and executive officers generally must carry WSIB coverage ([WSIB](https://www.wsib.ca/en/businesses/registration-and-coverage/expanded-compulsory-coverage-construction-industry)). An owner-operator doing only home renovation work directly for the person who lives there is exempt for themselves, but their workers and subcontractors must still be covered ([WSIB](https://www.wsib.ca/en/operational-policy-manual/expanded-compulsory-coverage-construction)). Anyone who hires a construction contractor directly must get a WSIB clearance certificate before work starts, except a homeowner hiring only for exempt home renovation work ([WSIB](https://www.wsib.ca/en/operational-policy-manual/clearance-certificate-construction)). ## Your contract Ontario requires a written contract for any renovation over $50, gives you 10 days to cancel an agreement signed at home, and caps the final price at 10% over the estimate unless you agree to changes ([ontario.ca](https://www.ontario.ca/page/your-rights-when-starting-home-renovations-or-repairs)). ## Credentials - Written warranty: 1 year workmanship and materials, 2 years plumbing, heating, electrical and building envelope, 7 years structural - BBB Accredited Business: Accredited by the Better Business Bureau since November 2025 (https://www.bbb.org/ca/on/ajax/profile/general-contractor/jarvis-contracting-inc-0107-1416595) - Durham Region Home Builders' Association: Member, Renovators (https://www.drhba.com/Sys/PublicProfile/99587295/5125036) - RenoMark: RenoMark renovator, through the DRHBA (https://renomark.ca/find-a-renovator/) ## Our written warranty We give our own written warranty on the work we do: - **One year** for defects in workmanship and materials. - **Two years** for the plumbing, heating and electrical systems, and for water getting in through the building envelope. - **Seven years** for structural defects. The warranty is subject to normal homeowner maintenance. It doesn't cover damage from misuse, neglect, normal wear and tear, or alterations made by others. Every warranty claim must reach us in writing before its warranty period ends. This is our warranty, given by Jarvis Contracting. It isn't Tarion's new-home warranty and isn't backed by Tarion; as the section above explains, Tarion doesn't cover additions or renovations. ## Where to check us The Better Business Bureau lists Jarvis Contracting as accredited, rated A+, since 28 November 2025 ([BBB](https://www.bbb.org/ca/on/ajax/profile/general-contractor/jarvis-contracting-inc-0107-1416595)). We're a member of the Durham Region Home Builders' Association ([DRHBA member directory](https://www.drhba.com/Sys/PublicProfile/99587295/5125036)) and a RenoMark renovator through it ([RenoMark](https://renomark.ca/find-a-renovator/)), both from October 2026. Our reviews are on [Google](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=12439853613263293818), [HomeStars](https://www.homestars.com/profile/2896839-jarvis-contracting-services/reviews) and [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/general-contractors/jarvis-contracting-services-pfvwus-pf~1477911883). ## Sources 1. [O. Reg. 163/24](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r24163) 2. [HCRA](https://www.hcraontario.ca/do-i-need-a-licence/) 3. [HCRA](https://www.hcraontario.ca/resources/finding-a-renovator/) 4. [Tarion](https://www.tarion.com/node/66068) 5. [Ontario Builder Directory](https://obd.hcraontario.ca/) 6. [ESA](https://esasafe.com/compliance/finding-the-right-contractor/) 7. [O. Reg. 212/01](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/010212) 8. [WSIB](https://www.wsib.ca/en/businesses/registration-and-coverage/expanded-compulsory-coverage-construction-industry) 9. [WSIB](https://www.wsib.ca/en/operational-policy-manual/expanded-compulsory-coverage-construction) 10. [WSIB](https://www.wsib.ca/en/operational-policy-manual/clearance-certificate-construction) 11. [ontario.ca](https://www.ontario.ca/page/your-rights-when-starting-home-renovations-or-repairs) 12. [BBB](https://www.bbb.org/ca/on/ajax/profile/general-contractor/jarvis-contracting-inc-0107-1416595) 13. [DRHBA member directory](https://www.drhba.com/Sys/PublicProfile/99587295/5125036) 14. [RenoMark](https://renomark.ca/find-a-renovator/) 15. [Google](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=12439853613263293818) 16. [HomeStars](https://www.homestars.com/profile/2896839-jarvis-contracting-services/reviews) 17. [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/general-contractors/jarvis-contracting-services-pfvwus-pf~1477911883)