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Hiring an Electrician: Who is a Licensed Electrical Contractor?

This is intended to be a factual, hopefully simple, rounding up of information regarding the differences and requirements of a Licensed Electrician and a Licensed Electrical Contractor. I'll admit, even I was confused by some of the electrical companies ads I've heard on the radio. And I haven't seen a good example where this is clearly described. I did some research, and here is what I've found, along with all the links I used.

 This all started because many times I've been asked, "do I need a hire a licensed electrician, or a licensed electrical contractor?"

The answer: both.

A licensed electrician is someone who has written and passed their Certificate of Qualification exam. They are legally allowed to be employed as a fully licensed electrician. This does not make them an electrical contractor.

An electrical contractor is a person or company who is registered with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) through their Electrical Contractor Registration Agency (ECRA). There are certain requirements that a business must meet in order to qualify (including but not limited to):
-Have a place of business in Ontario
-Have public liability and property damage insurance coverage of at least $2 million
-Be registered with WSIB
-Be a Master Electrician, or have one designated on staff at all times
This last one here is pertinent: You need a Master Electrician qualification to run an electrical contracting business, or to be employed as the DSM (Designated Master Electrician) for a company, 

The Master Electrician license is something you can achieve after a minimum of 3 years as a licensed electrician. The Masters course has less to do with actual electrical theory, and more to do with further understanding of the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, government acts and regulations, business practices and safety standards.

A lisenced electrical contractor will have their ECRA/ESA registration number posted in their workplace, and on any work vehicles. A sure fire way to know right off the bat if the man (or woman) pulling into your drive is a registered as or working for a licensed electrical contractor. 

A couple things to note:
-the person who owns the business does not have to be the DSM. 
-the person showing up at your door does not have to be the DSM.

So, the next time you need to hire for electrical work, remember that you are hiring both a licensed electrical contractor, and a licensed electrician. 

 Hope this helps!

*A handy thing to note about the College of Trades: if you are hiring someone, you can look up their name on the college website to verify that they are licensed, or an apprentice. 

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