The short version
Alberta has no general contractor licence for commercial construction. The two provincial contractor licences that do exist are aimed at homes: the prepaid contracting licence (residential work paid for before it is done) and the builder licence (new homes). A commercial subcontractor's real "licences" are trade certification if you work in a compulsory trade, a City of Calgary business licence, City trade registration if you pull permits, a WCB account if you hire, and a registered business name.
- The prepaid contracting licence does not cover contracts for buildings used mainly for business purposes, or contracts between a general contractor, a subcontractor and a subtrade.
- Where it does apply, it costs $78, runs 12 months, and needs a security in an amount the Director approves.
- Alberta's compulsory certification list has 34 trades and branches, including electrician, plumber, gasfitter (Class A and B), sheet metal worker, steamfitter-pipefitter, welder, ironworker and refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic.
- A Calgary contractor business licence costs $330 new and $248 to renew in 2026, for a business at a commercial location.
- If you hire in a mandatory industry, open a WCB account within 15 days of hiring your first worker.
Is there a general contractor licence in Alberta?
Not for commercial work. Alberta has two provincial licences that touch construction, and both are about homes:
- Prepaid contracting. For residential work where money is taken before the work is finished. Covered below.
- Builder licence. Alberta says "all residential builders in Alberta must have a licence to obtain permits for constructing new homes." Its "general contractor" class is for homes where the Building Code does not require a coordinating registered professional, typically up to 4 dwelling units. A new builder licence is $600 and a renewal is $500. It is about new homes, not commercial buildings.
Service Alberta's own licence search page notes that other business types may be licensed by other agencies, or may not need a licence at all. For a commercial sub, the other agencies are the trade certification system, the City and WCB.
Who needs a prepaid contractor licence?
The licence comes from the Consumer Protection Act and the Prepaid Contracting Business Licensing Regulation. The scope is set in section 5 of the Designation of Trades and Businesses Regulation, and it is narrow.
A prepaid contract is a construction or maintenance contract where all or part of the price is paid before all the goods or services are provided. The "prepaid contracting business" is soliciting, negotiating or concluding that kind of contract in person, somewhere other than your own place of business.
It only counts if the work is on:
- a building the owner or occupier uses as their own private dwelling, or
- a structure or land used with that dwelling, on the same parcel (a garage, a deck, landscaping).
Section 5(3) then takes out, among others:
- contracts where the building is used primarily for business purposes of the owner or occupier, and
- contracts between any 2 of a general contractor, a subcontractor and a subtrade.
So a commercial sub working under a GC on an office, a warehouse or a restaurant is outside the licence twice over. A trade that also does homeowner work, and takes a deposit or progress payment from the homeowner, is inside it.
What it costs and how long it lasts
| Item | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Licence fee | $78 | Reg. s. 7(1) |
| Replacement licence (adding a class of goods or services) | $30 | Reg. s. 7(2) |
| Term | Expires on the last day of the 12th month after issue or renewal | Reg. s. 6(1) |
| Security | Required before issue or renewal, in a form and amount the Director approves | Reg. s. 5(1) |
| Written contracts | Required rules apply to prepaid contracts over $200 | Reg. s. 10(1) |
Alberta's page also asks for a criminal record or police information check and copies of your standard contracts. Changes to your address, partners or directors must be reported in writing within 15 days.
The regulation adds one link to trade rules: if the Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Education Act applies to your business, the Director may ask for proof that you comply with it (s. 4).
How do I search an Alberta contractor licence?
There is no single "contractor licence" search, because there is no single licence. Use the lookup that matches what you are checking:
- Prepaid contractor licence: Service Alberta's Find a Licensed Business search. Choose "Prepaid Contractor" as the licence type. It shows active licences only, and the name must match the legal entity exactly.
- A tradesperson's certificate: Tradesecrets' Tradesperson Lookup. You need the person's first and last name and their certificate or AIT ID number. It shows Alberta journeyperson certificates, Red Seal endorsements and registered apprentices, not credentials issued outside Alberta.
A commercial GC checking a sub will usually ask for the trade certificate, the City business licence and a WCB clearance letter, not a prepaid licence. The full list is in what GCs check before hiring a subcontractor.
Which trades need certification in Alberta?
Under the Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Education Act, no one may perform a restricted activity unless they are in a class of people authorized to do it (s. 23(4)). An employer may not direct or allow an employee to do it either (s. 23(5)). For a compulsory trade, Tradesecrets says that means you must be a registered apprentice working under a certified journeyperson, a certified journeyperson, or hold a recognized trade certificate.
The compulsory trades that show up on construction sites:
| Trade | Branches listed as compulsory |
|---|---|
| Electrician | |
| Plumber | |
| Gasfitter | Class A, Class B |
| Steamfitter-Pipefitter | |
| Sheet Metal Worker | |
| Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic | |
| Welder | Wire Process Operator |
| Ironworker | Metal Building Systems Erector, Reinforcing, Structural/Ornamental |
| Boilermaker | |
| Elevator Constructor | |
| Crane and Hoisting Equipment Operator | Boom Truck, Mobile Crane, Tower Crane, Wellhead Boom Truck |
Trades not on the list, such as carpenter or drywall, are optional: the certificate is a credential a GC may value, not a legal requirement to do the work.
Who pulls the permit?
In Calgary, the City says commercial trade permit applications "must be done by the appropriate licensed Trade Contractor." That is you, not the GC, if you are the electrical, plumbing, gas or HVAC trade. The City also requires a business licence first, then registration as a City Qualified Trade, with a named qualification for each permit type (Master Electrician for electrical, Journeyman Plumber for plumbing). The steps are in trade permits in Calgary.
The other registrations
| What you need | Who needs it | Where to get it | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade certificate | Anyone doing restricted work in a compulsory trade | Alberta apprenticeship system (Tradesecrets) | Not covered here |
| City of Calgary business licence | General and specialty trade contractors working in Calgary | apply.calgary.ca | $330 new, $248 renewal (2026, commercial location) |
| City Qualified Trade registration | Trades pulling electrical, plumbing, gas or HVAC permits | City of Calgary | See trade permits guide |
| WCB Alberta account | Employers in a mandatory industry, within 15 days of the first hire | WCB Alberta | Premiums apply; see WCB |
| Trade name or partnership registration | Anyone doing business under a name other than their own legal name | A Corporate Registry service provider (registry agent) | Government fee plus agent's service fee |
| Prepaid contractor licence | Residential work with money taken before completion, sold away from your premises | Service Alberta | $78, plus security |
| Builder licence | Builders of new homes | Alberta's New Home Buyer Protection System | $600 new, $500 renewal |
On the City licence, the renewal rule matters more than the fee: details in the Calgary business licence guide. On WCB, note that a subcontractor without their own WCB account counts as a worker of whoever hires them. How to open one is in open a WCB Alberta account.
What to do this week
- Check whether any of your work is residential with a deposit or progress payment from the homeowner. If yes, look at the prepaid contractor licence. If it is all GC-to-sub commercial work, you do not need it.
- Confirm your trade is or is not on the compulsory list, and that every worker doing restricted work holds a certificate or is a registered apprentice.
- Look yourself up on the Tradesperson Lookup so you know what a GC will see.
- Put your City licence number, certificate number and WCB account number in one place you can send in a minute.
Working commercial jobs around Calgary? Syndex is a free network where GCs send requests to the subcontractors in the trade they need. Join as a subcontractor.
Sources
- Prepaid contracting licence, Alberta.ca
- Prepaid Contracting Business Licensing Regulation, AR 185/1999 (current as of June 15, 2026)
- Designation of Trades and Businesses Regulation, AR 178/1999, s. 5
- Find a Licensed Business, Service Alberta
- Builder licensing, Alberta.ca
- Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Education Act, SA 2021 c S-7.88
- Compulsory Certification Trades, Tradesecrets
- Tradesperson Lookup, Tradesecrets
- Open a contractor business, City of Calgary
- Business Licence Fee Schedule 2026, City of Calgary
- Worker coverage, WCB Alberta
- Register a business name, Alberta.ca
Last checked October 13, 2026.