Working for yourself means choosing your jobs and your rate. It also means the paperwork an employer used to handle is now yours. Here is the checklist for Ontario.
Licences for regulated trades
- Electrical work for hire: an ECRA/ESA Licensed Electrical Contractor licence.
- Plumbing: a Certificate of Qualification (306A), plumbing being a compulsory trade in Ontario.
- Gas appliances such as furnaces: TSSA gas technician certification, working for a TSSA-registered contractor.
- Pest control: an Ontario Structural Exterminator licence.
- Cleaning, painting, handyman work, moving and yard work: no provincial licence, though some towns require a business licence.
Insurance
Commercial general liability insurance covers damage you cause in a customer’s home. It is not legally required for every trade, but without it you are personally on the hook — and many customers will ask for proof.
HST
Once your taxable revenue passes $30,000 over four consecutive calendar quarters, you must register for HST with the CRA and charge it. Below that you are a small supplier and registration is optional. Keep records of every job from day one.
WSIB
If you hire anyone, or your trade falls under mandatory WSIB coverage in construction, you need to register. Some job sites ask for a clearance certificate.
Finding steady work
The hard part of working independently is the gaps between jobs. Doyo sends verified pros jobs near them, with the pay shown before they accept. Pros set their own rate, decline freely, and keep their full rate — Doyo’s fee is added on the customer’s side.