The 5 Questions Every Ontario Homeowner Should Ask Before Hiring

Every year, thousands of Ontario homeowners hire a contractor and regret it. Not because good contractors are hard to find, but because most homeowners skip the questions that would have revealed the problems before the contract was signed.

These five questions take less than ten minutes to ask. They cover the gaps that star ratings miss, that sales pitches gloss over, and that you will wish you had checked when things go wrong. Ask all five, every time, no exceptions.

1. Are You Registered with WSIB?

This is the most important question on this list, and the one homeowners skip most often. The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board provides workers' compensation coverage in Ontario. If a contractor's worker is injured on your property and the contractor does not carry WSIB coverage, you could be classified as the employer and held personally liable for medical costs, lost wages, and penalties.

What to ask: "Can you provide a current WSIB clearance certificate?"

What to look for: A clearance certificate is valid for 90 days. It confirms the contractor's account is in good standing. Do not accept a verbal confirmation — ask for the document.

Why it matters: Across 18,069 Ontario providers in the ProScore database, only 22% have WSIB verification displayed on any review platform. That means nearly 4 out of 5 contractors leave homeowners guessing about this critical protection.

ProScore checks this automatically. Every contractor profile on ProScore displays WSIB verification status, so you can confirm coverage before you even make the call.

2. Do You Carry General Liability Insurance?

General liability insurance protects your property if the contractor damages your home during the work. A plumber who accidentally floods your basement. An electrician whose work causes a fire. A roofer who damages your siding during installation. Without liability insurance, you are on the hook for the repair costs.

What to ask: "Can I see your certificate of insurance, including the coverage amount and expiry date?"

What to look for: A minimum of $2 million in general liability coverage is standard for residential work in Ontario. The certificate should list your address as the job site. Confirm it has not expired.

Why it matters: Liability claims can easily reach six figures. A contractor without insurance shifts that risk entirely to you. No amount of good reviews offsets the absence of insurance.

ProScore tracks this. Contractors who upload their certificate of insurance to ProScore get a visible verification badge on their profile.

3. What Is Your Standing with the Better Business Bureau?

The BBB is not a review site. It is a complaint resolution system, and its value lies in what it reveals about how a contractor handles problems. Every contractor will have occasional issues. What matters is whether they resolve them.

What to ask: "Are you BBB accredited, and what is your current rating?"

What to look for: BBB ratings range from A+ to F. The rating is based primarily on complaint history, response to complaints, and business practices — not customer reviews. A contractor with an A+ and a history of resolved complaints is a stronger bet than one with no BBB profile at all.

Why it matters: A contractor who refuses to engage with the BBB complaint process is signalling that they do not prioritize dispute resolution. That is a red flag.

ProScore includes BBB data in every contractor's trust score, so you can see their standing without visiting a separate site.

4. Can I See Your Google Reviews — All of Them?

Google reviews are the most widely used source of contractor feedback in Ontario. But most homeowners only look at the star rating and skim the first few reviews. That is not enough.

What to ask: This is not a question you ask the contractor — it is research you do yourself. Search the contractor's business name on Google and read beyond the first page of reviews.

What to look for:

ProScore analyzes review text using AI to detect patterns that human scanning misses — including sentiment trends, review authenticity signals, and consistency across platforms.

5. Do You Have the Required Government Licenses?

Ontario requires specific licenses for specific trades. This is not optional — it is the law. Working without the required license puts your safety and your home's insurance coverage at risk.

What to ask: "What government licenses or certifications do you hold?"

What to look for by trade:

Why it matters: Unlicensed work can void your home insurance. If an unlicensed electrician does work that causes a fire, your insurer may deny the claim. The financial consequences extend far beyond the cost of the renovation.

ProScore verifies licenses directly against government databases. ESA, TSSA, and HCRA verification badges appear on contractor profiles automatically when credentials are confirmed.

The Pattern: What These Five Questions Reveal

Notice what these five questions have in common: none of them are answered by star ratings. You can have a 5.0-star contractor with no WSIB, no insurance, no BBB profile, purchased reviews, and no government license. The star rating tells you nothing about any of these critical factors.

These questions protect you at the level that matters — legal liability, financial risk, and regulatory compliance. They are the foundation of an informed hiring decision.

Let ProScore Ask for You

Every one of these five questions is checked automatically on every contractor profile at proscore.ca. WSIB verification, insurance status, BBB standing, cross-platform review analysis, and government licensing — all aggregated into a single trust score.

You can still ask these questions yourself. You should. But ProScore gives you the answers before you even pick up the phone, so you know which contractors are worth calling in the first place.