Insurance and WSIB for garage door work, and how to check any contractor

What should you check before hiring a garage door contractor?

Ontario does not license the garage door trade, so the credentials that matter are manufacturer (factory) training, a certificate of general liability insurance, and a current WSIB clearance certificate. Ask any company you are considering for all three before work begins.

Those are three separate protections, and together they decide whether a problem on your property becomes the company's cost or yours. If you want the bigger picture of how HUSH is built, see why choose HUSH, and meet the factory-trained owner who runs every call.

What does each of these protections do for you?

Licensing, liability insurance, and WSIB each cover a different risk. Together they mean that if anything goes wrong on your property, the cost falls on the company, not on you or your homeowner policy. Here is what each one actually does.

People often hear "licensed and insured" as one phrase, but they are distinct. One says the business is registered and accountable, one pays for damage to your home, and one pays if a worker is injured. The three below close every gap.

What does "licensed" mean for a garage door company?

It means the company is a registered, accountable Ontario business with a business number, not an off-the-books operation. Ontario does not require a trade license to repair garage doors, so being a registered business that stands behind a written quote is the real credential.

Because the trade is unregulated, anyone with a truck and winding bars can advertise repairs. A registered business that stands behind a written quote with no overtime fees is who you can actually hold accountable if something is wrong.

What does general liability insurance cover?

General liability insurance pays for property damage caused during the job. If a technician dents your car, scratches the floor, or damages a wall or panel while working, the insurer covers the repair instead of leaving you to argue over the bill.

Garage door work happens over your vehicle, near your house, with heavy panels and tensioned springs. Mistakes are rare but possible. Liability coverage is the difference between a damaged door becoming the company's problem or yours. This is separate from a workmanship warranty like our Done-Right Promise on the work, which covers the repair itself, not property damage.

What is WSIB coverage and why does it protect the homeowner?

WSIB is the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, the provincial workplace-injury insurer. If a covered technician is hurt at your home, WSIB pays their medical and lost-wage costs. Without it, an injured uninsured worker could turn to you.

A torsion spring stores thousands of pounds of force, so injury is a genuine risk in this trade. WSIB coverage means that risk stays with the employer, where it belongs. A clearance certificate is the proof, and you can confirm it free, which the next sections explain.

Are you liable if a technician is injured on your property?

You can be, if the worker is uninsured. If an uninsured technician is hurt at your home, the claim and the medical costs can land on you and your homeowner insurance. Hiring a company that carries liability insurance and WSIB coverage removes that risk.

This is the single most overlooked reason to check coverage before booking. A bargain price from an uninsured handyman can turn into a liability claim or a homeowner-insurance premium hike if something goes wrong. It is the same reason we warn so strongly against do-it-yourself garage door spring work, where the danger is the spring itself.

How do you verify any contractor's insurance and WSIB clearance?

Ask for two documents before work begins: a WSIB clearance certificate and a certificate of insurance. Both are free to request, quick to validate, and a legitimate company hands them over without hesitation. If a contractor stalls, treat it as a warning.

These two checks take five minutes and protect you on every contractor, not just garage door work. Here is exactly what to ask for and how to confirm each one is genuine.

Ask for a WSIB clearance certificate

A WSIB clearance certificate confirms the company is registered and paid up with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. You can validate one free on the WSIB eClearance website using the firm or clearance number, so you are not taking the contractor's word for it.

• Request the WSIB clearance certificate before the technician arrives.
• Check that the company name on the certificate matches the business you hired.
• Validate it free on WSIB eClearance and confirm it is current, not expired.

Ask for a certificate of insurance

A certificate of insurance lists the general liability policy, the insurer, and the coverage dates. It proves property-damage coverage is active. Read it for the company name, current dates, and the type of coverage, then call the broker if you want extra certainty.

You do not need to know a dollar figure to be protected, you need a current policy in the company's name. Ask any contractor you are considering, including us, to provide these before work starts.

What can HUSH actually promise you?

HUSH is a factory-trained, owner-operated garage door company serving Ottawa and Gatineau as a service-area business. Every job comes with an upfront written price you approve first, and a written 90-day Done-Right Promise.

• Factory-trained, owner-operated Ottawa garage door company.
• Upfront written price you approve before any work starts.
• Written 90-day Done-Right Promise on every repair.
• Owner Omar is a factory-trained technician, accountable on every call.

As a service-area business we come to you, so there is no street address. See the Ottawa and Gatineau areas we cover and the garage door services we provide, all backed by our upfront-pricing promise.

How do you book a factory-trained garage door technician?

Call (343) 700-1077 or book online and a factory-trained technician comes to you. The service call is $35 to $85, free with any repair over $250, with no overtime fees, ever, across Ottawa and Gatineau.

You get an upfront written price and a 90-day Done-Right Promise on the work. Whether it is a snapped spring, a dead opener, or an off-track door, book a technician and we will be out the same day.