How to Find a Licensed, Bonded, and Insured Electrician

Hiring an electrician in Toronto or the GTA sounds simple until you realize how many Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace ads claim to be licensed without actually being registered anywhere. This guide walks you through exactly how to find a legitimately licensed, bonded, and insured electrician in Ontario, what to verify before you sign anything, and the red flags that mean walk away.

What licensed, bonded, and insured actually means in Ontario

In Ontario, a legitimate residential electrical contractor must hold an ECRA/ESA licence from the Electrical Contractor Registration Agency of the Electrical Safety Authority, carry WSIB coverage for their employees, and hold commercial general liability insurance (typically $2 million minimum). “Bonded” is a bonus that generally means the contractor carries a surety bond covering losses if they fail to complete a job. All three protect you, not them.

You can and should verify all of the above in under five minutes. Do it before the site visit, not after. Full breakdown of the ECRA/ESA number itself is at what ECRA/ESA license number should I look for in an electrician.

Step 1: Verify the ECRA/ESA licence

Every legitimate electrical contractor in Ontario is registered with ECRA/ESA and displays a 7000-series licence number on their vehicles, invoices, and website. To verify:

1. Ask the contractor for their ECRA/ESA licence number in writing.
2. Search it on the Find a Licensed Electrical Contractor tool on the Electrical Safety Authority website.
3. Confirm the business name on the ESA record matches the name on the quote you were sent.
4. Confirm the licence status is Active, not Suspended or Expired.

A licence in the name of an individual master electrician is not the same as an ECRA/ESA-licensed contractor. Only the contractor licence entitles the business to file ESA notifications for the work you are paying for. If the ECRA/ESA number does not verify, walk away. There is no exception worth the risk.

Step 2: Confirm insurance and WSIB

Ask for two documents before the work begins:

• A Certificate of Insurance (COI) from the contractor’s insurer, naming you or your property. Look for commercial general liability coverage of at least $2,000,000 and confirm the policy is current.
• A WSIB Clearance Certificate, which any legitimate contractor can pull on demand from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. This confirms their employees are covered if injured on your property.

If the contractor is a sole operator without employees, WSIB may not apply, but personal accident coverage should. Never allow uninsured work on your property. If a worker is injured on an uninsured job at your home, liability can attach to you as the homeowner.

Step 3: Ask about the actual scope, permit, and inspection

A legitimate contractor talks openly about permits. Ask three questions early:

• Will you file an ESA notification for this job? Any residential wiring alteration typically requires one. If the answer is no, or it’s optional, they are proposing unpermitted work. See when do I need an ESA permit for electrical work.
• Is the ESA permit fee included in your quote? Yes is the correct answer. Contractors who do not include it often skip it altogether.
• Will you provide the Certificate of Inspection at completion? This is the document that proves the work passed ESA inspection. Read what is a Certificate of Inspection.

Any hesitation on those three questions is a signal to keep shopping.

Step 4: Look at reviews and references the right way

• Read Google reviews across at least a year of activity, not just the most recent five-star burst.
• Look for reviews that describe specific jobs, timelines, and photos rather than vague praise.
• Ask for two direct references — recent GTA homeowners who had similar work done — and actually call them.
• Ask what the follow-up experience was like. A great contractor answers the phone six months later.

Consistent bad reviews about surprise pricing, unpermitted work, or work not passing ESA inspection are red flags no discount can outweigh.

Step 5: Get quotes in writing, not verbally

A proper quote includes:

• Scope of work in plain language.
• Materials, brand, and grade where relevant.
• Labour separately or as a package.
• ESA permit fee, itemized.
• Timeline for the work and for the inspection.
• Payment terms. Deposit up to 10-25% is normal. Full payment upfront is not.
• Warranty on labour (12 to 24 months is standard) and manufacturer warranty on parts.

Get at least two quotes on any job over a few thousand dollars. The cheapest quote is rarely the best. The middle quote from a properly licensed contractor with clean references is almost always the right answer.

Red flags that mean walk away

• No ECRA/ESA licence number on their website, truck, or business card.
• An ECRA/ESA number that does not verify on the ESA site.
• Cash-only pricing or refusal to issue a proper invoice with HST.
• Insistence that a permit is not needed for work that clearly needs one.
• Reluctance to provide a Certificate of Insurance or WSIB clearance.
• Full payment demanded upfront.
• Vague scope, verbal-only agreement, no line-item quote.
• Aggressive same-day pressure to sign.
• A Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace ad with no traceable business name.

Even one red flag is a good reason to keep looking. The Ontario electrical trade has enough legitimate contractors that you never need to compromise.

Expert tip from our ESA-licensed electricians

Ask the contractor how they handle the ESA inspection appointment. A legitimate GTA electrician books the ESA inspection directly, coordinates the appointment with you, and stays on site or is reachable during the visit. Contractors who tell you the inspection is your problem to schedule are usually planning to leave the job in a state that will not pass, then vanish. If you can only remember one screening question after reading all of this, it is that one: who is booking the ESA inspection, and who will be on site for it. The answer tells you almost everything about how the job will go.

Related reading from ezsmart.ca

• What ECRA/ESA License Number Should I Look for in an Electrician?
• When Do I Need an ESA Permit for Electrical Work?
• How Much Does an ESA Permit Cost?
• What Is a Certificate of Inspection and Why Does It Matter?
• What Happens During an ESA Electrical Inspection?

Contact us

Need a licensed, bonded, and insured electrician for a Toronto or GTA home? Call ezsmart at 416-838-9006 or use our contact page. We provide our ECRA/ESA number, insurance, and WSIB clearance on request, quote in writing, and handle the ESA inspection ourselves.