The short list
Before a general contractor lets a new trade onto a commercial job in Calgary, these are the things worth checking. Some are the law, some are the GC protecting itself, and a sub who has them ready gets on site faster.
| Check | What it tells the GC | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| WCB clearance letter | Your WCB account is in good standing | WCB Alberta, free |
| Personal coverage | A small operator's owners are covered | Your WCB account |
| Certificate of insurance | You carry liability insurance | Your broker |
| City business licence | You are licensed to contract in Calgary | City of Calgary |
| Trade certification | Your people may legally do the work | Alberta Board of Skilled Trades |
| Permits | Who pulls the electrical, plumbing, gas or HVAC permit | City of Calgary |
| Safety program | How you run safety, sometimes proven by a COR | Your company, audited for a COR |
WCB: the one with money attached
If a subcontractor does not pay its WCB premiums, the company that hired it can be held responsible for them. A clearance letter is what protects the GC, and WCB tells hiring companies to get one before work starts and again before releasing payment. It is valid for work done up to the date on the letter.
For a small crew there is a second question. WCB's rules say a hiring company must cover a proprietor without personal coverage as its own worker, and the partners of a partnership with no workers unless one of them has personal coverage. A one-person operation without it hands its premiums to the GC.
- Subs: how to get a clearance letter and what personal coverage costs.
- GCs: you can request a clearance on any contractor yourself, free and without a login, through WCB's clearance request form, choosing the option for a company hiring others.
Insurance
The GC wants a certificate of insurance showing commercial general liability at the limit its subcontract asks for, usually with the GC, and often the owner, named as additional insured. A certificate is information only: the policy is what pays. The CGL guide explains limits, additional insured endorsements, and what CGL does not cover.
A City of Calgary business licence
The City requires a business licence for general contractors and for specialty trade contractors. Its own examples include carpenters, electricians, gasfitters, plumbers, framers and welders, along with excavation and heavy-equipment operators. A business based outside the city that works inside it is "non-resident" and pays a surcharge on top of the standard fee.
Any business operating from a location in Calgary also needs location approval for that space, even where no licence is required.
Trade certification: compulsory, or not
Alberta divides trades in two. In the compulsory trades, only a certified journeyperson, a registered apprentice, or the holder of a recognized trade certificate may do the restricted work. On a commercial job these include:
- Electrician
- Plumber
- Gasfitter, Class A and Class B
- Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic
- Sheet Metal Worker
- Steamfitter-Pipefitter
- Welder
- Ironworker, in every branch
- Boilermaker
- Elevator Constructor
- Crane and hoisting equipment operators
Many common commercial trades are not compulsory: carpenter, drywall and interior systems, painter, roofer, floorcovering installer, insulator, sprinkler fitter among them. In those, a journeyperson ticket shows training but is not a legal requirement to do the work.
GCs can check a certificate with the province's Tradesperson Lookup Tool on Tradesecrets. The full compulsory list is published there too.
Permits: who pulls them
In Calgary, electrical, plumbing, gas and HVAC permits are pulled by the trade contractor, not the GC. To apply, the City requires that the contractor:
- holds a valid trade certification and is registered with the City as a City Qualified Tradesperson,
- has a City of Calgary contractor's business licence, or has been added to another business's licence as a City Qualified Tradesperson, and
- has a VISTA account, the City's online permit system.
Electrical contractors must also hold an Alberta Master Electrician Certificate. Trade permit applications must include the property owner's contact information, so subs should get it from the GC up front.
Safety
On a construction site with two or more employers, Alberta's occupational health and safety rules require a prime contractor to coordinate safety for everyone on site. That is usually the GC. As a sub you will be expected to work within its system, including taking part in hazard assessments.
Some owners and GCs also ask for a Certificate of Recognition (COR). A COR is awarded to employers whose health and safety program passes an audit against the provincial standard: at least 80% overall and at least 50% in every element. It is signed by the Government of Alberta and a Certifying Partner, is valid for 3 years, and needs a maintenance audit in each of the 2 calendar years after certification. Businesses with up to 10 employees can get a SECOR, the small employer version. Not every owner accepts a SECOR in place of a COR, so check before you rely on it.
For subs: put it in one folder
Have these ready to send the day a GC asks:
- A current WCB clearance letter.
- Proof of personal coverage, if you are a proprietor or partnership.
- A certificate of insurance, and your broker's number for endorsements.
- Your City of Calgary business licence number.
- Trade certificates for anyone doing work in a compulsory trade.
- Your City Qualified Tradesperson registration, if you pull permits.
- Your COR or SECOR, if you hold one, and your safety program.
- Two or three recent commercial jobs, with a contact at each.
For GCs: a ten-minute check
- Request the WCB clearance yourself rather than accepting an old PDF.
- Look up compulsory-trade certificates on Tradesecrets.
- Ask the broker, not the sub, to confirm an additional insured endorsement.
- For electrical, plumbing, gas or HVAC, confirm who holds the permit.
How Syndex fits in
Syndex is a network of commercial subcontractors around Calgary. When a GC posts a request, the members in that trade are asked directly. Each member is reviewed by a person before they are let in. If a member has uploaded a WCB clearance letter, we read the date printed on it, and that date appears beside their reply. Insurance, licences and certificates are still yours to check.