Define the work before requesting credentials
List the assets, access conditions, operating hours and hazards involved. Identify which tasks require a regulated trade or a specialist. Ask who will actually attend and whether any work will be subcontracted; the contracting name alone may not identify the people carrying out the job.
Provide the same scope to bidders so price differences can be examined. A lower total may reflect different quantities, exclusions or methods rather than poor quality. Request an explanation before accepting or rejecting it.
Check insurance and applicable WSIB clearance separately
Obtain current insurance evidence in the correct business name and have the owner’s adviser assess the limits, activities and endorsements needed. A certificate is not the policy itself and cannot prove every proposed activity is covered.
For construction work subject to WSIB clearance requirements, obtain valid clearance before work starts and maintain it throughout the work. Check its status and dates rather than accepting an old account number as clearance. Ask WSIB about uncertain work classifications; do not extend a residential renovation exception to a commercial property.
Verify qualifications and the site safety approach
For electrical contracting, verify the appropriate ESA licence. Check other trade or device credentials against the actual task, not a generic licensed label. Ask how the contractor controls access, isolates equipment and coordinates with occupants.
For work involving heights, review the applicable training, equipment and protection plan with the responsible parties. A training card or insurance certificate alone does not make a proposed work method safe. Require a clear arrangement for supervision and reporting unsafe conditions.
Assess comparable work and references
Request examples with similar occupancy, equipment and access constraints. Evaluate documented scope and outcomes rather than a broad claim of commercial experience. With appropriate permission, use references to ask about schedule changes, unresolved defects and service records.
For an unfamiliar contractor, a suitably scoped initial assignment can reveal communication and documentation quality. Do not use a small test job to bypass required qualifications or award hazardous work before competence is established.
Read the commercial terms
Check quantities, materials, access provisions, disposal, exclusions and change approval. Separate response promises from completion promises and identify the basis for any provisional price. Agree what record or inspection establishes acceptance.
Confirm subcontractor responsibility, payment stages, deficiency correction and handover. Resolve inconsistent business names or unexplained gaps before issuing the order. Have the actual legal and insurance terms reviewed by the appropriate advisers.
Treat missing evidence as an issue to resolve
Pause authorization when required licences or clearances cannot be verified, the safe-work approach is absent, or the contractor refuses to identify scope and price in writing. Record the specific deficiency; a vague red-flag list is less useful than a documented unmet requirement.
Ask about unexplained cash-only pressure or exceptionally low pricing without assuming those facts alone prove misconduct. The decision should follow the evidence and the property’s procurement rules.
Apply the same checks to every proposed provider
This checklist applies to D&D Commercial Services as well as other bidders. Request current documents and a written scope for the actual assignment. Verify insurance, applicable WSIB clearance and relevant experience using current records.
After award, track expiries, approved subcontractors and scope changes. Vetting is an entry decision followed by continued oversight; it cannot transfer every owner duty or eliminate the possibility of a claim.
Technical references
- WSIB: Clearance questions and answers — Construction clearance requirements and scope distinctions.
- ESA: Electrical contractor licensing — ESA licensing for electrical contracting.
- CCOHS: Health and safety program elements — Competence, safe procedures and supervision matter beyond paperwork.
Sources & References
- Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) — Clearance & Coverage
Include a preferred date and time
Send a commercial maintenance request
Describe the work area, site access and any operating hours the work must accommodate.
Prefer to send the details first? Request a quote or call (519) 501-5003.