Renovation and trades quotes in Canada come with their own traps: GST/HST is sometimes in and sometimes out (and the rate depends on your province), licensing is provincial — a trade certified in one province may not be in yours — and winter changes what work can be done, when, and at what price. Add the classic 'cash deal' offer, which leaves you with no contract, no warranty and no recourse, and the paper you sign matters more than the handshake. We independently review your quote: the scope, the exclusions, the deposit and payment terms, the warranty language and whether winter conditions are priced in — and tell you exactly what to pin down in writing before you sign. You pay in Canadian dollars.
What do we check?
- ✓ Price breakdown — is every item specified or only roughly estimated?
- ✓ Scope — what is and isn't included in this quote?
- ✓ Included / excluded — VAT, materials, transport, waste removal?
- ✓ Extra work — how and when is it communicated and approved?
- ✓ Warranty — on labour and materials, for how long and under what conditions?
- ✓ Schedule — is the completion date binding or only indicative?
- ✓ Payment — are instalments tied to progress or set arbitrarily?
- ✓ Terms — what are the cancellation and liability clauses?
- ✓ Missing information — what isn't stated but should have been?
- ✓ Questions for the supplier — concrete points to clarify.
Common risks
- ⚠ GST/HST shown excluded — the real total is up to 15% higher depending on your province
- ⚠ 'Cash deal' pricing — no contract, no warranty, and no recourse if something goes wrong
- ⚠ Lump-sum quotes without a breakdown of labour, materials and equipment
- ⚠ Deposit larger than the work completed at any point in the project
- ⚠ Extras and change orders priced 'as incurred' without written approval terms
- ⚠ No WCB/WSIB clearance — without workers' compensation coverage, a jobsite injury can land on the homeowner
- ⚠ Licensing is provincial: electrical, gas and plumbing work have their own certification rules in your province
- ⚠ Winter conditions excluded in the fine print: frost, snow removal, hoarding/heating, cold-weather limits on concrete, shingles and paint
- ⚠ Warranty on workmanship unclear, too short, or shifted entirely to the manufacturer
- ⚠ No written timeline — start and completion dates missing from the quote
Example questions for your supplier
After our analysis we send you concrete questions to put to the supplier. For example:
- 1 "Is GST/HST included in this price, and at my province's rate?"
- 2 "Can you show a WCB/WSIB clearance certificate and proof of liability insurance?"
- 3 "Is every major item broken out, or is this a lump-sum quote?"
- 4 "How do extras and change orders get approved and priced — in writing, before the work?"
- 5 "Who applies for the building permit with my municipality, and is the fee included?"
- 6 "Are winter conditions — heating, hoarding, cold-weather materials — included, or billed as extras?"
- 7 "What does the workmanship warranty cover, and for how long?"
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QuoteChecker reviews the document you upload. We do not verify provincial licensing or WCB/WSIB coverage; always confirm your contractor's credentials independently.