Trades & Contractors · 6 min read · Last updated
Plenty of Toronto mechanical firms do both trades — pipes in the morning, furnaces in the afternoon. The Plumbing & Heating Contractor licence exists for them: one class covering a person planning, supervising, employing people performing, or installing plumbing and heating work. Here is how the combined licence works and when it beats holding two.
The City of Toronto lists this under its “Trade” category: “A person planning, supervising, employing people performing or installing plumbing and heating work require a licence.”
Who needs this licence?
The class covers a person who plans, supervises, employs people performing, or installs plumbing and heating work — the two trades in one licence. It fits the mechanical contractor whose crews genuinely work across both: service firms handling boilers and supply lines, new-construction subs roughing in water and heat together.
If the business is really one trade with occasional dabbling, the single-trade classes — Plumbing Contractor on one side, Heating Contractor on the other — may describe it more honestly, and the master credentials (Master Plumber, Master Heating Installer) remain the personal qualifications behind a contracting business in either case. Choose the class that matches the services you actually sell; the combined licence is built for genuinely dual-trade firms.
What documents do you need?
- Government-issued identification for the applicant, two pieces with at least one photo
- Corporate documents or business name registration
- Qualifications evidence spanning both trades, per the City's supporting-documents checklist
- A police reference check where the City requests one
Because the class spans two trades, expect the qualifications review to look at both sides — a firm strong on paper in plumbing but silent on heating invites questions.
Zoning and premises requirements
The licence has no premises component; plumbing and heating work happens at client sites. Keep a home office inside home-occupation rules if that is your setup, and remember every job site brings its own permits and approvals — they follow the address of the work.
Inspections and approvals
Nothing premises-based attaches to the licence; Municipal Licensing & Standards responds to complaints. The double scope shows up in permits instead: plumbing installations need plumbing permits, heating installations need their own, and a dual-trade job can carry both at once — each inspected on its own track while the licence covers who is doing all of it.
How much does it cost?
One licence means one fee stream: an application fee when you file and an annual renewal fee thereafter, set in the City's licensing fee schedule, confirmed during the application, and paid to the City directly.
How to apply
Apply once, to Municipal Licensing & Standards under Chapter 545, through the City's online Business Licence & Permit portal — open since January 2026 — or in person. Package identification, registration and both-trades qualifications evidence together with any requested police check.
One licence, two trades, many permits — Permits2Go's workspace keeps the licence file and the per-job plumbing and HVAC permit applications in one place.
Renewals and staying compliant
Annual renewal, one date instead of two — the administrative payoff of the combined class. Confirm at each renewal that both trades are still active parts of the business, and report changes in officers, name or structure to the City promptly.
Quick quiz: test what you learned
Three questions, all answered in this guide. Click an answer to check it.
1. Who is the Plumbing & Heating Contractor licence designed for?
It is the combined class for genuinely dual-trade operations, covering plumbing and heating in one licence.
2. What is the practical advantage of the combined class over two separate licences?
The combined class consolidates licensing for dual-trade firms — it never touches the permit or qualification side.
3. A dual-trade job includes a boiler swap and new supply lines. How is the work authorized?
Permits attach to the work regardless of how the licences are structured; a combined licence does not merge or waive them.
Skip the paperwork
Tell Permits2Go about your business and it assembles the licence application for you — document checklists, e-signatures and a guided workspace for Toronto, with more cities on the way.
This guide is general information, not legal or professional advice. Licensing requirements, by-laws and fees change and vary by municipality — always confirm the current rules with the City before you apply.