The Sewer Contractor Vetting Checklist compares what you already hold against the checks your job type needs, then turns every gap into a question to ask, explains any red flags you ticked, and shows your province's trade-certification rule, workers' compensation step and locate rule, as checked on official sites in September 2026. It scores paperwork, not workmanship.
- Required checks depend on the job: three for drain clearing, three for a camera inspection, eight for a backwater valve and twelve for any dig, lining, bursting or replacement.
- Suggesting you skip the permit, or jumping from a clog to a replacement without a camera, returns "Stop" on its own; so do any two red flags together.
- Plumbing is a compulsory trade in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario, voluntary in British Columbia and Manitoba, and licensed through the RBQ in Quebec.
- Nothing is sent anywhere: the checklist runs in your browser.
Sewer Contractor Vetting Checklist
01 /What does the vetting checklist do?
It answers a narrow question: have you collected the proof a careful homeowner would want before letting this company work on this job? It does not rate the company, compare prices or judge the method. A contractor can pass every check and still quote the wrong fix, which is why the result links to getting a second opinion when the diagnosis itself is in doubt.
You choose a province and a job, tick the documents and confirmations you already have, and tick any warning signs you have seen. The result gives a verdict, a count of checks met for that job, each missing check rewritten as a plain question, a short explanation of every red flag, and the province-specific rules for trade credentials, workers' compensation and utility locates.
02 /Which checks does each job need?
A drain clearing and a lateral replacement carry very different risks, so the checklist asks for different evidence. Items you tick that a job does not strictly need are counted separately and noted as good record-keeping.
| Job | Required checks | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Drain or main-line clearing | Business identity confirmed · liability insurance · payment terms in writing | 3 |
| Camera inspection | Business identity confirmed · liability insurance · the recorded video in your hands | 3 |
| Spot repair (dig) | All twelve: certificate · business · insurance · workers' comp · written scope · video · permit · locates · restoration · warranty · post-work video · payment terms | 12 |
| Lining or pipe bursting | All twelve, as above (pits still need locates) | 12 |
| Full line replacement | All twelve, as above | 12 |
| Backwater valve | Certificate · business · insurance · workers' comp · written scope · permit · warranty · payment terms | 8 |
The twelve checks cover two kinds of risk. The first four are about the company: who is doing the plumbing, who they are, whether they are insured, and whether their workers' compensation is in order. The rest are about your job: what exactly is being done, the evidence it is based on, who handles the permit and locates, what surface comes back, what the warranty covers, proof of the finished work, and how money changes hands.
03 /How is the verdict decided?
The checklist first looks at red flags, then at the share of required checks you hold. The first matching rule wins.
- Stop — get a second opinion before you sign
If you ticked "they suggested skipping the permit", or "a clog became a full replacement without a camera", or any two red flags together.
- Get answers before you sign
If you ticked one other red flag, or you hold fewer than 60 per cent of the required checks.
- Nearly there — close the gaps
If you hold at least 60 per cent but not all of them.
- Paperwork complete
All required checks held and no red flags. The result reminds you to compare quotes on scope, not only on price.
A progress bar shows the share of required checks met. The eight red flags are: pressure to sign today; an unasked approach at the door or by phone; cash only or no invoice; refusal to share the video, or video that does not show the defect; most or all of the price wanted up front; a suggestion to skip the permit; a jump from clog to replacement without a camera; and no business address.
04 /What does it say about my province?
Each province block was written from the official page for that rule, checked in September 2026. Where the checklist could not verify a detail, it says "confirm with" the body that decides.
| Province | Plumbing credential | Workers' compensation and locates |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | Compulsory certification trade; check names with the Tradesecrets Tradesperson Lookup | WCB-Alberta clearance letter before work and payment; Utility Safety Partners at least three full working days ahead; private lines not marked. Prepaid contracting licence for at-home sales that take money before the work is done. |
| British Columbia | Not a compulsory trade; ask for a journeyperson or Red Seal certificate | WorkSafeBC clearance letter (homeowners could be jointly liable for unpaid premiums); BC 1 Call is free, members respond within three working days |
| Saskatchewan | Compulsory trade: registered apprentice or certified journeyperson only | Confirm the coverage check with the Saskatchewan WCB; confirm the locate service and notice |
| Manitoba | Voluntary certification trade | Confirm the coverage check with WCB Manitoba; confirm the locate service and notice |
| Ontario | Compulsory trade (306A); worker must appear on the Skilled Trades Ontario Public Register | WSIB clearance policy does not apply to householders directly hiring for exempt home renovation work; Ontario One Call free, five business days ahead |
| Quebec | RBQ licence with subclass 15.5 (Contractor – plumbing), issued through the CMMTQ | Confirm the coverage check with the CNESST; confirm the locate service and notice |
For clearing and camera jobs the result adds a caution: whether a drain technician needs a plumbing certificate depends on the province and the exact work, so confirm with the apprenticeship authority if it matters to you. For Ontario, the result also mentions that Toronto's basement flooding subsidy asks you to confirm the contractor's City business licence before work starts.
05 /How should I use the questions it gives me?
Send them in writing. An email with the missing items as numbered questions gets clearer answers than a phone call, and the replies become part of your record. A good contractor answers most of them without being asked; the rest should take minutes. Slow or evasive replies to basic requests, such as an insurance certificate or the video file, tell you something about how the job and the warranty will go.
- Run the checklist for each contractor you are considering, with the same job selected.
- Email each one the questions for their missing items.
- Verify certificates and licences yourself on the official register; a photo of a card is not the same as a lookup.
- Put the answers beside the quotes and compare scope line by line before price.
06 /What are the limits of the checklist?
It cannot tell you whether a quote is fair, whether the method suits your pipe, or whether the work will be done well. Documents lower the risk of hiring someone you cannot find or hold to account later; they say nothing about the quality of the digging or the joints. For price context use the cost answers page; for the method question read your repair options; for a diagnosis you doubt, read getting a second opinion.
Rules change. Trade designations, clearance policies and locate notice periods are set by provincial bodies and utilities, and program terms change with budgets. Treat the province block as a pointer to the right register, then check the register itself. The reasoning behind each check is in how to vet a sewer contractor, and regional details sit on the across Canada page. If you want another set of eyes on a quote, send it to the desk.
FAQQuestions people ask
Does a voluntary trade mean a plumber in BC or Manitoba is unqualified?
No. It means certification is not legally required for the trade there. Many plumbers hold a journeyperson or Red Seal certificate anyway; ask to see it.
Why does suggesting I skip the permit trigger a stop on its own?
A permit brings an inspection before the pipe is buried. Skipping it removes the one independent check on the work and can surface later when you sell or claim insurance.
Is an insurance certificate enough proof of insurance?
It is the usual proof. Check the company name matches the contract and the dates cover your job; call the insurer on the certificate if anything looks off.
Can I use the checklist for a condo or rental property?
Yes, but in a condo the corporation may control the work on shared lines, and a landlord hiring for a rental may face different permit rules. Confirm with the property manager or municipality.
Does the checklist judge whether the price is fair?
No. It deals with proof and paperwork only. Compare prices against the planning ranges and, better, against other quotes for the same written scope.
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