How do I check a plumber's credentials?

Use the relevant authority for the location and work. In Ontario, search the individual's record through Skilled Trades Ontario. In Québec, check the contracting business's licence and authorized scope using the official licence resources. The process differs across Canada.

How many quotes should I get?

For planned renovation work, the federal Office of Consumer Affairs recommends meeting at least three potential contractors and comparing their quotes. For urgent assistance, prioritize the situation's immediate needs and establish the visit charge and authorization process before work proceeds.

Is a good online review enough?

No. Reviews can help you identify questions about service and communication, but you still need to check relevant credentials, the actual scope, the price and the agreement.

Should I book the lowest hourly rate?

Compare the expected total and included work. Minimum time, visit charges and exclusions can change the result. Ask what you will owe if the visit ends after diagnosis without a repair.

How to Hire a Plumber in Canada: Practical

Hiring a plumber starts with three checks: can they handle your job, can you verify the relevant credentials, and do you understand what you are agreeing to pay? A recommendation or a good review is a useful starting point, but it does not answer all three questions.

Use this checklist for planned repairs and installations. For an urgent situation, explain what is happening immediately and ask the responding professional about the next safe step. Do not postpone urgent assistance to complete a lengthy quote comparison.

Describe the job before asking for a price

Prepare a short brief with your location, the affected fixture, when you noticed the problem and any previous work. Share photographs only when you can take them safely. For a replacement, include the model you want installed and whether you already own it.

Separate observations from assumptions. “The kitchen sink drains slowly” gives the company useful information without claiming you know where the blockage is. Ask whether it can quote the work from your description or needs a paid diagnostic visit first.

For condo or rental properties, establish who can authorize work and any building access arrangements before booking. Tell the plumber about scheduling restrictions so they can account for them in the proposal.

Check credentials for the location and the work

Use the relevant official registry rather than relying only on a badge in an advertisement. The checks below are Ontario and Québec examples; they are not a complete account of every province's requirements.

Ontario: check the person doing the trade work

Skilled Trades Ontario identifies plumbing as a compulsory trade. Its guidance recognizes a Registered Training Agreement, Provisional Certificate of Qualification or Certificate of Qualification as routes to practising the trade, with the person's information on the Public Register.

Ask who will attend, then use the Skilled Trades Ontario Public Register to search their name or account number. An apprentice's status should not be confused with a journeyperson's qualification. If you cannot reconcile the record with what the company told you, clarify it with the company or regulator before relying on the claim.

Québec: check the contracting business

The RBQ's licence guidance explains how to confirm a contractor's standing using its licence number and the official repertory. Match the company you are hiring to the record and check that its authorization covers the proposed work.

The CMMTQ member directory is another useful lookup for plumbing and heating businesses. If the permitted scope is unclear, ask the relevant regulator. A directory listing or customer review is not a substitute for checking authorization for your job.

Elsewhere in Canada

Ask the provincial or territorial trade authority and your municipality which credentials and permits apply. Do not carry Ontario's credential terminology or Québec's contractor-licence process over to another jurisdiction. For work involving other trades, ask who will carry it out and how their authorization can be checked.

Ask for evidence that fits your project

Ask about recent work similar to yours: repairing a fixture is a different assignment from coordinating plumbing during a major renovation. Request relevant references and check them. Ask for evidence of current liability coverage and clarify who will be working at your property, including any subcontractors.

For renovation work, the federal Office of Consumer Affairs recommends checking references, insurance and permit arrangements. Confirm permit requirements with your municipality and put responsibility for obtaining them in the agreement.

Get answers to these booking questions

What will I owe for the visit if I decide against the repair?
Is the price fixed for a defined job, hourly, or an estimate after diagnosis?
Does the visit charge include labour, and is there a minimum billable time?
Which parts or fixtures are included, and who supplies them?
Is removal of the old fixture included? What about repairing any opened finishes?
What taxes and other charges will be added to the stated amount?
What will make you stop and request my approval for additional work?
Who will attend, and how can I check the relevant credentials?
What warranty applies to the work, and who handles a problem after the visit?

Record the answers in the estimate or booking confirmation. If an answer changes after inspection, ask for the revised scope and price before authorizing that additional work. Our Canadian plumber cost guide explains how visit charges and billing increments affect the total.

Compare equivalent offers

For a planned job, send each company the same brief. Compare the work included, assumptions, exclusions, schedule, total payment and warranty. A cheaper offer that leaves out the fixture or disposal is not the same purchase.

Here is an original comparison exercise: one offer includes a supplied faucet and removal of the old fixture; another covers installation labour only. Before choosing, ask for both offers to cover the same fixture and disposal arrangements. This example has no assumed market price—the point is to make the scope comparable.

If the contractor needs to investigate before quoting the repair, agree on the diagnostic scope and charge first. Keep that authorization separate from any later decision about a larger repair.

Keep a record of the agreement

Save the accepted estimate, changes, invoices, product details and warranty information together. Confirm the business name on the paperwork matches the business you checked. For larger projects, make the schedule and payment stages explicit.

In Ontario, consult the province's home-renovation and repair guidance for the rules applicable to your agreement. Elsewhere, use your own provincial or territorial consumer-protection office rather than assuming the same contract rules apply nationwide.

Ready to make a shortlist? Browse plumbers on Experts.ca, then use these questions to check the provider and its proposed work directly.

How to Hire a Plumber in Canada: A Practical Checklist