To hire a general contractor in Calgary, check the paperwork before the price. Confirm a City of Calgary business licence, an Alberta prepaid contracting licence if you will pay before the work is done, a WCB Alberta clearance letter and a liability insurance certificate. Then sign a written contract with itemized prices and cancellation rights, agree whose name goes on each permit, call references, and keep the 10% lien holdback. Alberta has no single general contractor licence. Sela Developments includes its licence, WCB and insurance details in every quote.
01 · Overview
Hire a general contractor in Calgary by checking licences, coverage and the contract before you compare prices. A price is only worth comparing once the company behind it checks out. Work through this list in order:
Do you need a licence to be a general contractor in Alberta? Alberta has no single general contractor licence. Which licences apply depends on the work. The City of Calgary requires contractors to hold a City business licence, and without one they cannot get construction or trade permits. Residential contractors who sell away from their place of business and take money before the work is done need a provincial prepaid contracting licence. Builders of new homes need a residential builder licence.
02 · Before you start
Five risks cause most of the trouble.
An unlicensed contractor cannot get City permits, so the job either runs without them or lands in your name. A prepaid contracting licence requires a criminal record check and security posted with the province. The City also advises against hiring a contractor who will not give references.
If the contractor has no WCB Alberta coverage and has not paid premiums, WCB says you may be liable for those premiums. Without liability insurance, damage to your home or a neighbour’s property may have no one to pay for it.
Money paid before the work is done is the easiest money to lose. Service Alberta warns that a demand for a large down payment to buy materials is a warning sign, and that verbal contracts are hard to prove.
The City of Calgary recommends the contract say who is responsible for building permits and inspections. When that line is missing, work can start without approval. A contractor who asks you to take out the permit in your own name may not be able to get one.
Yes. An unpaid subcontractor or supplier can register a builder’s lien against your property, even if you paid the general contractor. The City notes that an unresolved lien can stop you from renewing your mortgage or selling your home until it is paid.
03 · Key insight
Most hiring problems start with something the homeowner says or agrees to. Alberta gives you protections, but you can talk yourself out of them. Avoid these:
Service Alberta’s advice for the final payment is simple: wait until everything you were promised is completed to your satisfaction.
04 · How we work
Look up the City business licence with the City of Calgary’s Licensed Trade Contractor tool. Check the prepaid contracting licence in Service Alberta’s licensed business search under the Prepaid Contractor type, or call 1-877-427-4088. For a new home, the Residential Protection Program answers builder licence questions at 1-866-421-6929. Then call two recent clients and ask about quality, timing, budget and how easy the job was. Our prepaid contracting licence is [Licence no.].
Request a clearance letter from WCB Alberta online, with or without a myWCB account. WCB advises getting one before you hire and again before you release payment. Ask for a certificate of liability insurance and attach it to the contract. Our WCB account is [Account no.] and our liability coverage is [Amount].
A prepaid contract of $200 or more must state your cancellation rights, itemize prices for goods and services, disclose any cost of credit and carry both signatures. If you sign at home or away from the contractor’s business, you can cancel within 10 days after you receive your copy, without giving a reason. Tie each payment to a finished stage and get a signed receipt every time.
The contract should name who applies for the building permit and who books the inspections. Licensed electricians, plumbers and gas fitters pull their own trade permits. Ask to see the building permit before work starts.
Alberta’s Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act came into force on August 29, 2022. The owner keeps back 10% of each payment and holds it for 60 days after the certificate of substantial performance, or after completion if no certificate is issued. Liens generally must be registered within 60 days, or 90 days for some concrete supply. Before the final payment, search your title through Alberta Land Titles, and see a lawyer if a lien is registered.
05 · In short
Hire a general contractor in Calgary by checking the City business licence, the prepaid contracting licence, a WCB clearance letter and an insurance certificate first. Then sign a written, itemized contract with your cancellation rights, agree who applies for each permit, call references and keep the 10% holdback until the lien period passes. Sela Developments puts its licence, WCB and insurance details in every quote so you can check them before you compare prices.
Once the paperwork checks out, read what a general contractor costs in Calgary to compare quotes line by line. See how we work on residential projects and commercial projects, or go back to general contracting in Calgary. When you are ready, ask us for a quote and our paperwork.
Last reviewed October 22, 2026 by the Sela Developments team. See our editorial policy for how we write and check these pages.
Alberta has no single general contractor licence. Contractors working in Calgary need a City of Calgary business licence to get permits. A contractor who sells residential work away from its place of business and takes money before the work is done needs a provincial prepaid contracting licence. New home builders need a residential builder licence, and electrical, plumbing and gas work needs certified tradespeople with their own permits.
Avoid anything that gives away your own protections. Do not offer cash with no contract or receipt, do not reveal your whole budget before the scope is written, do not ask to skip the permit, and do not agree to start before the contract is signed. Approve every change in writing, and hold the final payment until the work you were promised is finished.
Use the City of Calgary's Licensed Trade Contractor tool, linked from its Hiring a contractor page, to confirm the City business licence. For the provincial prepaid contracting licence, search Service Alberta's licensed business list under the Prepaid Contractor licence type, or call 1-877-427-4088. A licensed business must give you a copy of its licence or other confirmation when you ask.
Service Alberta's homeowner guide does not set a deposit amount. It says to ask whether the deposit is refundable and under what conditions, to get a signed receipt for every payment, and to treat a demand for a large down payment to buy materials as a warning sign. A contractor who takes money before residential work is finished needs a prepaid contracting licence.
Under Alberta's Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act, the owner keeps back 10% of each payment as a holdback. It is held for 60 days after the certificate of substantial performance, or 60 days after the contract is completed if no certificate is issued. Unpaid subcontractors and suppliers generally have 60 days to register a lien, and 90 days for some concrete supply.
Send your project details. With the quote we include our licence number, WCB clearance and insurance certificate, plus a draft contract you can check line by line.