Ontario homeowners

Know what to ask before the trades arrive.

You are going to ask an AI about this anyway. The difference here is that every answer names the authority that actually decides, cites a primary source, and shows the date it was last checked — and says so plainly when it doesn't know.

Ask about a project, a system, or your rights

Answers come only from this site's reviewed Ontario corpus. Out of scope questions get a referral, not a guess.

Try:

Why not just ask a general chatbot?

What general AI told us

“Under Ontario's Consumer Protection Act, 2023, your renovation contract must be in writing…”

The 2023 Act was passed but has not been proclaimed in force. Ontario's own homeowner guidance still points at the 2002 Act. The answer is fluent, confident, and names the wrong law.

What Groundwork does

Cites the Act that is actually in force, links the government page it came from, and shows when a human last checked it.

Pending legislation is tracked as a state, not discovered by accident. See the card.

Before the contractor arrives

What applies to the job, who has to be certified, what a complete quote contains, and the questions to ask out loud.

2 obligations · 5 questions Build a deck The one project where the legal step most people skip is free, and takes a phone call. 4 obligations · 5 questions Finish a basement Framing, insulation, electrical, sometimes plumbing — and a set of requirements around egress and fire separation that catch people out. 2 obligations · 4 questions Install an EV charger A new circuit, an ESA notification, and a question about whether your panel can actually carry it. 4 obligations · 5 questions Renovate a kitchen Multiple trades, a long timeline, and the highest change-order risk of any common project. 3 obligations · 5 questions Replace a furnace, AC, or heat pump The one job where a homeowner has no DIY path at all, and where sizing matters more than brand. 2 obligations · 5 questions Upgrade the electrical panel or service Two different jobs that get quoted as one, at very different prices.

Know your own systems

What you have, how long it lasts, what failure looks like — and what is legally yours to touch in Ontario.

ESA Electrical The one regulated system where Ontario does let you work on your own home — with conditions. TSSA Heating and cooling Strictly regulated on the gas side, and usually oversized on the sizing side. Building dept. Plumbing Supply in, drain out, and the one valve that decides whether a heavy rain reaches your basement. Building dept. Roof Usually replaced because of age, occasionally because of a storm, and frequently oversold at the door. Building dept. Windows, insulation, and air sealing The system where the cheapest measure usually outperforms the most expensive one. Building dept. Drainage and water management Where most basement water problems are actually solved, and it is rarely inside the basement.

Check a contractor

There is no province-wide general contractor licence in Ontario — so “are you licensed?” is the wrong question. Here is the right one, per trade, with the registry that can actually confirm it.

How we know

Every card carries a reviewer, a review date, and a deadline. Cards past their deadline are withheld rather than served. See the current state of the corpus.