How to vet a Calgary drain or sewer contractor

01 /What credentials matter for drain and sewer work in Calgary?

Four layers matter: the City's business licence, the provincial trade certification of the people doing regulated plumbing work, workers' compensation coverage, and liability insurance. A fifth, the provincial prepaid contracting licence, applies when a business asks for money before the work is finished. Each one can be checked, and none of them should be taken on a website's word.

02 /Why does the bar change between drain cleaning and repair?

Because the law treats them differently. The City of Calgary's plumbing permit guidance says no permit is needed to remove a blockage in the drainage system, whereas building, extending or altering a plumbing system needs one, as does replacing water and sewer lines in or around the home. Clearing is service work; repair and replacement is regulated plumbing.

In Alberta, Plumber is a compulsory certification trade. Its regulated tasks are limited to certified journeypersons, holders of a recognized trade certificate, and registered apprentices supervised by a certified journeyperson. Many drain cleaning companies employ technicians who clear lines and run cameras; that is normal. What matters is who does the repair if one is needed, and under whose permit.

On the City's side, a business must register as a City Qualified Trade and hold a contractor business licence to pull trade permits, and the City lists a Journeyman Plumber qualification for standard plumbing permits. When a quote includes a repair, ask directly: who will do this work, who will pull the permit, and who books the inspection?

03 /What are the ten checks before you hire?

1. Business licence

   Get the City of Calgary business licence number and check it with the City's Licensed Trade Contractor search.

2. Who does regulated work

   Name of the journeyperson plumber responsible for any repair or replacement, and whether apprentices will be supervised.

3. Permits and inspections

   For repairs and replacements, the contract says who applies for the permit and books inspections. The City's contractor tips say the contract should spell this out.

4. WCB-Alberta clearance

   A current clearance letter before work starts, and again before each payment on a longer job.

5. Liability insurance

   A certificate of insurance attached to the contract, as the City's hiring tips recommend.

6. Prepaid licence if a deposit is asked

   If the business wants money before the work is complete, check its provincial prepaid contracting licence.

7. References

   Recent customers you can call. The City's advice is blunt: if a contractor cannot or will not provide references, do not hire them.

8. Camera and evidence

   Video before and after, footage-counter distances, and whether each defect is before or past your property line.

9. Written scope and price

   Method, length, access point, what is included, what would change the price, and the warranty in writing.

10. Restoration and cleanup

    For anything involving digging or slab cutting: what gets put back, to what standard, and when.

04 /What should the written quote or contract say?

The City of Calgary's tips for hiring a contractor list what a written contract should include. Adapted for drain and sewer work, look for:

• The contractor's business licence number.
• Start and completion dates.
• The full scope: method (cable, jetting, lining, spot repair, replacement), the length of pipe, and the access point.
• Materials and warranties, separating the product warranty from the workmanship warranty.
• Payment arrangements, including any deposit and when progress payments are due.
• Liability insurance details.
• Responsibility for permits and inspections.
• Workers' compensation information or, if the contractor is exempt, private disability coverage.
• Camera video before and after, provided to you.
• Restoration: lawn, driveway, flooring or basement slab, and the timing.

For comparing several quotes line by line, SewerQuotes.com has a worksheet built for it; Calgary price ranges for common service calls are on the service call cost page.

05 /What are the red flags?

• A replacement recommendation with no camera video, or video you are not allowed to keep.
• Distances and defects described verbally but never written down.
• Claims that a problem is on the City side without suggesting you call 311 with the footage.
• An offer to dig in the boulevard or near a City tree without mentioning the City.
• No business licence number, or reluctance to put it on the paperwork.
• A statement that a sewer line replacement does not need a permit.
• A large cash deposit before any work, from a business that will not show a prepaid contracting licence.
• Pressure to decide on the spot, especially at night, for anything beyond restoring flow.
• Chemical treatments sold as a permanent fix for roots or a broken pipe.

06 /What should you do after the job?

Close the loop on paperwork before the final payment. The City's hiring tips suggest checking for builders' liens through Alberta Land Titles before paying in full on larger jobs, and a final WCB clearance before the last payment protects you from premiums the contractor did not pay.

• Keep the before and after video, the written findings and every invoice together.
• Keep the permit number and the inspection result for any repair or replacement.
• Record the date, cause and distances in a simple house log; it sets your maintenance interval and helps at resale.
• If the problem returns within the warranty period, call the same contractor first and refer to the written warranty.

If the contractor found a defect at or past the property line, run the details through the City or Owner triage tool and call 311 with the footage. For the replacement process itself in Calgary, CalgarySewerReplacement.ca goes step by step. To get matched with local contractors, request quotes.

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