Is Your Contractor Licensed To Operate In Oakville?
Article from Oakville Chamber of Commerce "Chamber News", 2001
The Town of Oakville requires that all plumbers, building renovators, driveway paving contractors and heating, ventilating and air conditioning installers be currently licensed. By-laws have been passed by Oakville Town Council to provide a measure of protection for the public when dealing with any contractor who does not possess the required license to operate in Oakville.
If you are considering any improvement to your dwelling or property, which may involve the hiring of one of these trades, it is advisable that you ask for proof of licensing. If you are not satisfied with the credentials provided by the contractor, contact the Licensing Section at the Town Hall immediately for verification that the person or company is licensed.
Quite often, a member of the public will enter into a home improvement contract with the operator offering the lowest price, and this has proved to be a common mistake with serious repercussions.
Over the years, Town staff and members of Council have received many reports of unlicensed contractors doing sub-standard work or leaving work undone after taking a large financial payment from their clients. When the homeowners have tried to contact these businesses, their telephone calls are not returned, their home-insurance policies do not cover the losses and they are forced to hire a qualified contractor to undo the damage or complete the renovation.
Town staff endeavor to enforce the by-laws as vigilantly as possible, but they must often rely on the public to alert them to instances where unlicensed operators are carrying on business. As noted earlier, the licensing by-laws are meant to provide a measure of protection for the local consumer, but there are limitations to their scope of effectiveness. For example, being licensed as a Building Renovator in the Town of Oakville does not guarantee that the trades person is a highly competent or highly skilled individual.
The license does guarantee, however, that the business name used is a legal entity, the licensee carries a certificate of Public Liability Insurance in the amount of one million dollars, the licensee has provided the Town with a current copy of any criminal record and if complaints about the business’s work are too numerous or are not satisfactorily resolved, Council has the ultimate authority to revoke the license.
For additional information, please contact the Town of Oakville By-law & Licensing section of the Building Services Department, 1225 Trafalgar Road, During regular business hours at the following telephone number: (905) 845-6601 ext. 3258.
P.S. Yes, Supreme Windows is licensed, and has been since the passing of these By-Laws.