Does WorkSafeNB coverage affect my renovation contractor choice in NB?

WorkSafeNB coverage should be a firm requirement — not an afterthought — when choosing a renovation contractor in New Brunswick. If a worker is injured on your property and your contractor doesn't carry WorkSafeNB coverage, you can be held personally liable for medical costs, lost wages, and related claims. This is one of the most important protections to verify before signing any contract.

WorkSafeNB is New Brunswick's workers' compensation system, and it works similarly to workers' compensation in other provinces — employers pay into the system, and in exchange, workers injured on the job receive compensation through the fund rather than through personal injury lawsuits. When your contractor carries valid WorkSafeNB coverage, workers injured at your home while performing covered work are handled through the WorkSafeNB system. When your contractor doesn't carry coverage, you as the property owner can potentially be treated as the employer of record — meaning injury claims land directly on you.

The practical step is straightforward: before signing a contract, ask for the contractor's WorkSafeNB clearance letter. This is an official document issued by WorkSafeNB confirming the contractor is registered and in good standing. The clearance letter has an expiry date, so ask for a current one — not one from six months ago. A legitimate, properly established renovation contractor will have this document readily available and will hand it over without hesitation. A contractor who can't produce it, deflects the question, or claims they don't need it because they're a sole proprietor should prompt serious caution. Some genuinely small sole-proprietor operators are exempt from the requirement to register, but this area of WorkSafeNB rules is nuanced — the safest approach is to get the clearance letter or confirm the exemption status in writing.

The risk isn't hypothetical. Renovation work involves real physical hazards: falls from ladders, cuts from power tools, back injuries from heavy material handling, electrical and structural risks. Your home is a construction site during a renovation, and injuries happen even on well-run projects with experienced crews. The $0 you save by not verifying WorkSafeNB coverage is not worth the exposure to a workers' compensation claim that could reach tens of thousands of dollars.

Beyond WorkSafeNB, verify that your contractor carries general liability insurance as well — typically a minimum of $2 million for renovation work. General liability covers property damage (your home, your neighbour's property) caused by the contractor's work, which is a separate and equally important protection from WorkSafeNB's worker injury coverage. Ask for a certificate of insurance from the contractor's insurer directly, and confirm your renovation project is covered under their policy.

As a homeowner, it's also worth calling your home insurance provider before a major renovation starts to understand how your policy is affected. Many home insurance policies have notification requirements when construction is underway on your property, and failing to notify can create coverage gaps during the renovation period. This isn't something a renovation contractor can advise on — it's a conversation to have directly with your own insurer.

The bottom line: WorkSafeNB clearance letter, current general liability certificate, and TSANB trade licences for any electrical, plumbing, or gas work. These three documents are the foundation of a responsible contractor relationship in New Brunswick, and any contractor who resists providing them is telling you something important about how they operate. New Brunswick Renovations encourages every homeowner to verify these credentials independently before signing a renovation contract.

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Looking for experienced contractors? The New Brunswick Construction Network connects homeowners with qualified professionals:

• Thirty Four Renovations
• Gionetterenovations