vendor-roster (Home Systems)

Vendor Roster

• What this is: the framework, card schema, and vetting SOP for a trusted-trades roster — covering plumbers, gas fitters, electricians, HVAC, and general contractors in a BC strata context.
• Not: legal or insurance advice; names and licence numbers are owner-data that must be filled in (see FILL prompts throughout).
• Figures: 2025–26 Metro Vancouver estimates — get your own quotes.
• Role: the HOME for every other component’s Gate-4 named-resource cards; downstream notes (water heater, toilet, HVAC, etc.) link here rather than duplicating contact data.

Bottom line

The rule (tripwire)

• Before you hire anyone → verify their TSBC licence. One free search at technicalsafetybc.ca/find-a (company name or licence # LGA1234567). Active licence + no discipline orders = the minimum bar; no licence = do not hire.¹

One-time setup

• Seed your roster before you need it — a pre-vetted contact beats scrolling a directory while a pipe runs. FILL every card below.

Recurring upkeep

• Review and refresh your contacts annually — licences lapse and companies change.

Standing facts

• Plumbing and gas fitting are separately licensed in BC. A plumber’s SkilledTradesBC C of Q does not authorise gas work; gas requires a TSBC-registered gas fitter (Class B minimum for residential ≤120 kW).²³ Confirm which trade the job needs before calling.
• In a strata, the contractor pulls the permit — you can’t.⁴ All regulated gas, electrical, and mechanical work goes to a licensed contractor who takes permit responsibility and schedules the inspection. → Strata Owners Cannot Pull Homeowner Gas Permits in BC (Home Systems)

How it works — the one thing that matters

The roster is a just-in-time readiness tool, not a directory. Every card must be usable TODAY: you pick up the phone, quote the job, and get it booked without any prior research step. A card that’s missing a licence number, expired CGL, or unconfirmed strata-permit capability is not a card — it’s a to-do.

The BC trades system has THREE parallel credential streams, all of which must be green before you hire:¹⁵⁶

Stream	Who maintains it	What it proves	Where to verify
Trade qualification	SkilledTradesBC (formerly ITA)	The individual is journey-qualified in their trade (plumber, gas fitter, etc.)	skilledtradesbc.ca/forms-registration/verify-tradespersons-certification — need first name, last name, certificate #
Contractor licence	Technical Safety BC (TSBC)	The company is licensed to perform regulated work and holds a $10K surety bond	technicalsafetybc.ca/find-a — search by company name or licence # (LGA format)
Insurance / WCB	WorkSafeBC + insurer	Workers are covered; you’re not liable for unpaid premiums	WorkSafeBC clearance letter addressed to YOU (online or 1-888-922-2768); CGL certificate naming strata as additional insured

So what: all three can be green or red independently:

• A tradesperson can be journey-qualified but work for an unlicensed company.
• A licensed company can have a discipline order.
• An insured company can have a lapsed WorkSafeBC account.

Check all three.

What goes wrong, and the warning signs

Watch for	What it means
Contractor says “no permit needed” for gas or electrical	Either unlicensed or trying to skip the inspection — both are disqualifying
Contractor asks you to obtain the permit	Impossible for strata owners (gas);4 also signals they may not be a licensed contractor
CGL certificate does not name your strata corporation	Insurance won’t cover a strata-related claim if they’re not named as additional insured
Contractor has a discipline order or monetary penalty on TSBC	Verify scope — may or may not relate to safety; ask directly about the order before proceeding
Clearance letter shows “not active and in good standing”	Do not proceed; you inherit liability for their unpaid WCB premiums6
Contractor quotes verbally only, no written scope	Get scope + price in writing before any work begins

Key decision — when to use your roster vs. call the strata

In a strata, some work belongs to the corporation, not the owner. The roster is for unit-interior work — plumbing, gas appliances, and electrical inside your strata lot. For anything on common property (building envelope, shared drainage stack, rooftop equipment), the strata’s own contractor is responsible.

Work type	Who calls the contractor	Notes
In-unit plumbing (toilet, supply lines, water heater)	You — from your roster	Must still comply with strata bylaw notice requirements
Shared drainage stack / building envelope	Strata corporation	Not your roster; coordinate with strata manager
Emergency (pipe burst, gas smell)	You call 911/Fortis, then strata; then your roster for repair	→ See water-heater (Home Systems), supply-lines (Home Systems) for emergency steps
HVAC / forced-air unit (in-unit)	Typically you — from your roster	Confirm in registered bylaws; some stratas manage HVAC

This is a reversible, low-cost decision (who to call), so no ensemble needed — but confirm bylaw responsibility first. → The Decision Lifecycle

How to vet and onboard a new trade — the SOP

Full detail in → How to Vet and Onboard a Trade in BC (Home Systems). Summary:

Procedure: Vet a new contractor before the first hire

Why: an unvetted contractor can leave you with unpermitted work, a voided strata claim, or personal liability for their employees’ injuries. You’ll need: contractor’s company name or licence #, contractor’s employee name + certificate # (optional but best practice), ~20 minutes online.

1. MUST verify TSBC contractor licence: go to technicalsafetybc.ca/find-a → “Find a Licensed Contractor” → search by company name.¹ Confirm licence is active and the scope covers the work type (gas, electrical, plumbing/drainage, refrigeration). Note any enforcement actions.
2. MUST verify WorkSafeBC standing: go to worksafebc.com → request a clearance letter addressed to you (or your strata unit address).⁶ Confirm “active and in good standing.” Letters are date-stamped; refresh per job.
3. MUST obtain CGL certificate: ask the contractor to provide a Commercial General Liability certificate with $2M+ minimum, naming your strata corporation as additional insured. Many strata bylaws require this before work begins.
4. MAY verify individual trade certification: go to skilledtradesbc.ca → “Verify a Tradesperson’s Certification” → enter name + certificate number from their C of Q card.⁵ Confirms they hold a valid C of Q (and Red Seal if applicable).
5. MUST confirm strata-permit handling: ask directly — “Are you familiar with strata permit requirements? Will you handle the permit and schedule the inspection?” A yes here means they understand the two-track approval system (municipal permit + strata notice). A no or blank stare is a red flag.
6. Ask for a written quote with scope, timeline, permit details, and warranty terms before committing.
7. File: licence number, CGL certificate, WorkSafeBC clearance letter, written quote, and (post-job) the permit + inspection pass record.

Done when: all three credential streams are green, CGL is on file, and contractor has confirmed strata-permit handling in writing (email is fine). Stop and call a pro if: TSBC shows no active licence, WorkSafeBC is not in good standing, or the contractor refuses to provide a CGL certificate. These are disqualifying — do not proceed and find another trade.

Annual roster review (set it and forget it):

• Annually (e.g. each January): call or email each roster contact to confirm they’re still in business and re-pull a fresh TSBC lookup.
• Before each job: request a fresh WorkSafeBC clearance letter addressed to you.
• After each job: file the permit + inspection pass record alongside the invoice.

Strata reality — the part most people miss

Two approval tracks, not one. BC strata renovations require (a) a municipal permit (for structural, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical work) AND (b) a separate strata approval under the Strata Property Act and your building’s bylaws. Getting the municipal permit but skipping strata approval — or vice versa — is non-compliant on the strata side. Your contractor handles the municipal track; you must handle the strata track (submit a written scope, contractor credentials, CGL certificate, and WorkSafeBC clearance to your strata manager before work begins).

The Strata’s documentation ask. Most Vancouver stratas require:

• Written scope with materials and ratings
• Contractor name, licence #, and proof of licensure
• CGL certificate ($2M–$5M, strata named as additional insured)
• WorkSafeBC clearance letter
• Building permit number (once issued)
• Proposed timeline

Some stratas also require a damage deposit ($500–$2,000) refundable after work is complete.

The owner’s protection. Your permit + passed-inspection record + licensed-contractor invoice are the audit trail that defends you in a strata deductible-chargeback dispute. Without them, “I got it done” is not enough — you need to prove it was done lawfully and inspected. → Aging In-Unit Hot Water Tanks In Strata Should Be Proactively Replaced (Home Systems)

Licence class discrimination table — what each trade’s licence authorises

Trade	Licence issuer	What to verify	Residential scope
Plumber	SkilledTradesBC (C of Q) + TSBC contractor licence	SkilledTradesBC C of Q (journeyperson); TSBC contractor licence for the company	In-unit supply/drain/fixture work; water heater replacement (non-gas)
Gas fitter — Class B	SkilledTradesBC Red Seal + TSBC C of Q (ARD exam)	TSBC “Find a Certified Individual” for the tech; TSBC contractor licence for the company	Appliances ≤120 kW input + piping + vents — covers most residential gas appliances (water heater, furnace, stove, fireplace insert)2
Gas fitter — Class A	Class B ≥ 2 years + TSBC C of Q (ARD exam)	Same as Class B	Any gas system except vehicle fuel — required for larger/commercial loads; for residential, Class B is sufficient3
Electrician	SkilledTradesBC C of Q + TSBC contractor licence (electrical)	TSBC contractor licence (electrical); SkilledTradesBC C of Q for the tech	All regulated electrical work inside the unit; municipal permit required
HVAC / refrigeration	TSBC boiler/PV/refrigeration contractor licence (Class REF for refrigeration systems)	TSBC contractor licence — confirm class covers the specific equipment	In-unit forced-air, heat pump, refrigeration systems; as of Jan 1 2026, Class B/REF renewals require a quality control program (QCP) manual7

Rule of thumb for a strata unit: gas fitter Class B covers >90% of residential gas jobs. Confirm Class A only if the job involves very large systems (rare in a residential strata unit). For electrical, verify the TSBC electrical contractor licence — “Find a Licensed Contractor” on TSBC covers electrical as well as gas.

When you hire someone

Before work starts, ask:

1. Can you show me your TSBC contractor licence number? (I’ll verify it online.)
2. Can you provide a WorkSafeBC clearance letter addressed to me and/or my strata corporation?
3. Can you provide a CGL certificate naming [Strata Corporation name] as additional insured?
4. Will you pull the permit and schedule the inspection? (I’m in a strata — I cannot hold a homeowner permit.)
5. What trade licence class will the technician hold for this job? (Gas: confirm Class B or A for TSBC C of Q.)

Verify the work:

• Municipal permit issued (confirm with city if needed)
• Inspection PASSED (obtain the inspection pass record — don’t accept “it’ll be fine”)
• No leaks / no code deficiencies
• Invoice includes contractor’s licence #, scope of work completed, and warranty terms

Who to call — named-resource roster

FILL: add one card per trade as you vet contacts. The card schema is in → Named-Resource Card Schema (Home Systems). Cards are “live” only when all credential-stream fields are complete and current.

Card schema

Name / company | Trade + licence class | Phone | Email | TSBC licence # | TSBC last verified (date) | WorkSafeBC status + date | CGL on file (Y/N) | Notes (hours, strata-permit experience, unit-specific history)

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Plumber / gas fitter (TSBC-licensed)

Field	Value
Name / Company	David — Marvel Plumbing and Drainage
Trade	Plumber (confirmed); gas licence class — FILL
Phone	(604) 729-3864
Address	4728 Smith Ave, Burnaby, BC V5G 2W2
TSBC licence #	FILL — verify at technicalsafetybc.ca/find-a
TSBC last verified	FILL
WorkSafeBC clearance	FILL — request per job, addressed to you
CGL on file	FILL
Notes	Inspected unit Dec 26 2025 (wax seal/toilet); quoted wax seal replacement $438,newtoilet$495–600; familiar with unit. Confirm gas licence class before any gas work.8

Contact details from a third-party aggregator (ZoomInfo); verify phone and address directly with the company before relying on them — aggregator data may be stale.⁹

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Electrician (TSBC-licensed electrical)

Field	Value
Name / Company	FILL
Trade	Electrician
Phone	FILL
TSBC licence #	FILL — verify at technicalsafetybc.ca/find-a
TSBC last verified	FILL
WorkSafeBC clearance	FILL
CGL on file	FILL
Notes	FILL

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HVAC / heating (gas fitter Class B+ or TSBC refrigeration class)

Field	Value
Name / Company	FILL
Trade	HVAC / gas fitter
Phone	FILL
TSBC licence #	FILL
TSBC last verified	FILL
WorkSafeBC clearance	FILL
CGL on file	FILL
Notes	FILL

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General contractor (strata alteration work)

Field	Value
Name / Company	FILL
Trade	General contractor
Phone	FILL
TSBC licence #	N/A (GC does not hold a TSBC licence; verify subcontractor licences)
WorkSafeBC clearance	FILL
CGL on file	FILL
Notes	FILL — must confirm they’ll manage all subcontractor permits and licences

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Gate-4 Preparedness sentence (template): “If [emergency trade need, e.g. burst pipe] → then I call [Name] at [phone] using vendor-roster (Home Systems) → confirm they’re the right trade + can pull the permit → work begins within [X hours/days].”

FILL: complete each card so the sentence resolves with zero lookup steps.

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Sources

Idea Compass

North: Where this comes from

• Vendors & Service Providers (Home Systems) — parent system MOC
• How to Vet and Onboard a Trade in BC (Home Systems) — atomic SOP child
• Named-Resource Card Schema (Home Systems) — schema child
• Strata Owners Cannot Pull Homeowner Gas Permits in BC (Home Systems) — regulatory anchor

East: Tensions / tradeoffs

• “trusted referral vs. verified licence” — a neighbour recommendation is not credential verification
• “strata approval vs. municipal permit” confusion — two separate tracks, both required
• “roster staleness” — a licence can lapse between jobs; re-verify per engagement

South: Where this leads

• water-heater (Home Systems) · toilet (Home Systems) · supply-lines (Home Systems) · washing-machine (Home Systems) · heating-system (Home Systems) · electrical-panel (Home Systems) — every component “Who to call” section resolves here
• the annual review tripwire lives in this note
• Strata Toilet Claim’s David / Marvel Plumbing card is the seed for the plumber entry

West: What’s similar

• insurance-warranties (Home Systems) — the parallel Tier-B roster for insurance/warranty contacts
• The Decision Lifecycle — reversibility framing for who-to-call decisions
• Strata Toilet Claim — a real worked instance of why a vetted trade matters (David’s inspection provided the “couldn’t have known” defence)
• Aging In-Unit Hot Water Tanks In Strata Should Be Proactively Replaced (Home Systems) — downstream use case where a vetted plumber/gas fitter is the named resource

Footnotes

1. Technical Safety BC (TSBC), the BC safety regulator — Find a Licensed Contractor lookup; search by company name or LGA-format licence #; shows scope and enforcement actions since 2022 — https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/regulatory-resources/find-a-licensed-contractor ↩ ↩² ↩³

2. Technical Safety BC (TSBC), the BC safety regulator — Class B gas fitter scope: appliances ≤120 kW input + piping + vents. TSBC is the licensing authority; no stable direct URL for the Class B certification page was found at time of research — see TSBC contractor licences hub and search “gas fitter Class B” for current page — https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/apply-for/licences ↩ ↩²

3. Technical Safety BC (TSBC), the BC safety regulator — Class A gas fitter scope: any gas system except vehicle fuel; requires Class B experience ≥2 years. Same caveat as ² — no stable direct URL found; see TSBC licences hub — https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/apply-for/licences ↩ ↩²

4. Technical Safety BC (TSBC), the BC safety regulator — homeowner gas permits; strata owners cannot obtain homeowner permits and must hire a licensed contractor (verbatim quote verified at source) — https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/apply-for/permits/homeowner-permits/homeowner-gas-permits ↩ ↩²

5. SkilledTradesBC, the BC trades certification body — tradesperson certification verification tool; confirms C of Q and Red Seal status — https://skilledtradesbc.ca/forms-registration/verify-tradespersons-certification ↩ ↩²

6. WorkSafeBC, the BC workers’ compensation authority — clearance letters for contractors; confirms “active and in good standing”; request online at worksafebc.com or call 1-888-922-2768. No stable direct sub-URL confirmed at time of research — access via the Insurance section — https://www.worksafebc.com/en/insurance ↩ ↩² ↩³

7. Technical Safety BC (TSBC), the BC safety regulator — HVAC/refrigeration contractor licences; Class REF for refrigeration systems; as of Jan 1 2026, Class B/REF renewals require a quality control program (QCP) manual — https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/apply-for/licences (TSBC licences hub; dedicated boilers/PV/refrigeration sub-page URL not confirmed at time of research) ↩

8. Owner record from the Strata Toilet Claim vault corpus — David / Marvel Plumbing and Drainage: inspected unit Dec 26 2025 (wax seal/toilet); wax seal replacement quoted $438;newtoiletquoted$495–600; familiar with unit layout. ↩

9. ZoomInfo (third-party aggregator, data not independently verified) — Marvel Plumbing and Drainage listed at 4728 Smith Ave, Burnaby, BC V5G 2W2; (604) 729-3864. Verify directly with the company before relying on this data — aggregators are frequently out of date. ↩