Does a Calgary mold company need to show WCB coverage?

Yes, asking for WCB coverage is a reasonable step before hiring any Calgary mould remediation company, and it costs you nothing to check.

What a WCB clearance letter tells you

WCB-Alberta issues clearance letters that confirm whether a contractor has an active account and is in good standing with premium payments. You can request one online through WCB-Alberta without creating an account yourself. The reason this matters: WCB-Alberta says that if you do not have a clearance letter and the contractor has not paid their premiums, you may be liable for those premiums.

Ask for the letter before work begins, not after. A contractor who hesitates to provide one is worth questioning.

What else to ask for before signing

Beyond WCB, a few other documents are worth collecting:

• A certificate of liability and property damage insurance, in the contractor's name, current
• Confirmation that workers hold a government-approved Alberta asbestos worker card, if any asbestos-containing material is involved in the scope
• A written contract, because Alberta consumer protection rules require any prepaid contract of $200 or more to be in writing, with itemized prices, a completion date, and a statement of your cancellation rights

On the licence question: there is no provincial licence for mould remediation companies in Alberta. There is no certificate or notification requirement for mould work under the Alberta OHS Code. What the Code does require is that the contractor control worker exposure to mould under the hierarchy of controls. So "licensed mould remediator" is not a credential that exists in Alberta law; what you can verify is WCB standing, liability insurance, and the written contract.

On the remediation itself, Alberta Health Services notes that porous materials such as drywall, carpet and ceiling tiles typically require removal rather than cleaning. Health Canada places mould covering more than three square metres in the extensive category, where qualified and trained mould remediation contractors should do the work. For smaller areas, Health Canada says a person in good health can clean patches under one square metre using water and dish detergent, a disposable N95 respirator, safety glasses and disposable gloves.

One consumer protection note: any business that takes payment before finishing the work must hold a prepaid contracting licence with Service Alberta. You can confirm that through Service Alberta's licensed-business search. If a contractor asks for a deposit and is not listed, your cancellation rights are stronger, but it is a flag worth noticing before you sign.

Comparing quotes is easier with a short list: containment, what is removed versus cleaned, how the moisture source will be fixed, and what the post-remediation check will show.

Contractors who reply through the form on this page come from the Calgary Construction Network directory, and every document above is fair to ask them for.