Does my New Brunswick contractor need WorkSafeNB coverage before starting?

Ask about it before work starts, because it can affect you as the homeowner.

WorkSafeNB says that "all employers with three or more workers at any time during the year must register for mandatory coverage with WorkSafeNB." On its page about residential construction and renovation projects, it adds that employers with fewer than three regularly employed workers normally have the option of enrolling in coverage.

Why it matters to you. The same WorkSafeNB page warns homeowners that if the contractor's account is not in good standing, "as a customer you could be held responsible for its premiums."

The check is a clearance certificate. WorkSafeNB describes it as "a statement that confirms if an employer is in good standing," and says homeowners can find and download a clearance on WorkSafeNB's website. Under WorkSafeNB policy, a certificate is valid only to the date it is issued, so get one close to the start date and again before you pay the contractor.

If the contractor has fewer than three workers, they may not be registered at all. Ask them directly whether they have coverage, and keep their answer in writing.

Trade licences are a separate check. New Brunswick's Technical Inspection Services licenses tradespeople and contractors for technical systems such as electrical, plumbing and gas work; for example, "an Electrical Contractor Licence is required to obtain electrical wiring permits." It does not license general contractors or renovators, so for most renovation work the checks are the WorkSafeNB clearance, proof of liability insurance, and the building permit for the job.

You can describe your project through the New Brunswick Construction Network to be matched with local contractors, then ask each one for a current clearance certificate.