How 905 Trades works, who pays, and how contractors are vetted

You never pay 905 Trades

905 Trades is paid a referral fee by the contractors it introduces. It does not change your price. You hire the contractor directly, on their quote and their contract. That is the whole model, in one sentence, and it is worth spelling out further. When a job we introduced closes, the contractor pays 905 Trades a referral fee out of their own margin on that job, agreed with them in writing before any lead is sent. The site never states the percentage, because it is negotiated per partner and per trade, but it is always paid by the contractor, never added to your invoice. If a contractor ever tried to pass that fee back to you, they would be breaking their own agreement with us, not yours with them.

What happens after you send a request

1. You send one formThe job, the town, how to reach you. It gets a reference number like 905-260914-K7P2 that follows the job all the way to the invoice.
2. We match it to one partnerThe partner for that trade in that area gets your request the same day, with a copy to the operator so nothing gets dropped.
3. They call within a business dayThat is a condition of being on this site, not a courtesy. They quote on their own paper.
4. You sign with themNot with us. Their quote, their contract, their warranty.

What vetted means

Every partner shows the same five things before a single lead is sent. No exceptions.

• WSIBA clearance certificate, or a documented exemption, confirming with the board that their account is in good standing and premiums are paid.
• InsuranceA current certificate of liability insurance, checked before the first lead, not after.
• HSTRegistered, so the invoice you get is a real invoice from a real business.
• Google rating4.5 stars or better across real reviews.
• Seen in personThe operator has to know the business personally and have watched the work, on a real job, not just read about it.

Why one partner per trade

905 Trades does not run a bidding war. You are not handed three flooring installers and left to chase quotes and compare fine print at 10pm. One vetted business gets the trade in an area, and gets every lead for it. In exchange for that exclusivity, they carry the accountability: a call within a business day is not optional, and it is the reason the standard above is checked before the relationship starts, not after something goes wrong.

If the contractor does not call

Email hello@905trades.ca with your reference number. We chase it the same day. If a partner misses the one-business-day response on the same lead twice, they lose the trade in that area, full stop.

Your contract is with the contractor

905 Trades is not a party to the work. The quote is theirs, the contract is theirs, the warranty is theirs. We introduce you and step back. If something about the job needs to be worked out, it gets worked out between you and the contractor, on the paper they gave you.

Where the cost figures come from

Every range you see cited on this site comes from our sister site, Hamilton Home Costs, part of Blue Crane. Those are published estimator ranges for a typical Hamilton job, mid-range materials, standard access, with HST excluded, not quotes from any of our partners. As real jobs close through 905 Trades, we intend to publish the actual invoiced amounts, dated and anonymised, so you can compare a real bill to the published range. Until that exists, start with the ranges on each service page.

Common questions

Does the contractor know I came from 905 Trades?

Yes. Your request goes to them with your reference number attached, and they quote that number back on the invoice.

Can I ask for a different contractor if I do not like the one I am matched with?

Only one partner covers each trade in each area, by design, so there is not a second name to switch to for the same trade. If the fit is wrong, you are free to hire someone outside 905 Trades; we would rather you say so than force a match.

What if I am outside the towns you list?

We only list a town when a partner actually drives there. If your address is close to the edge, send the request anyway and say so in the details box; the partner will tell you if it works.

Do you check the contractor's work after the job is done?

No. The vetting happens before the first lead. What happens on your specific job is between you and the contractor, on their contract and their warranty.

Why does the site never say the referral fee percentage?

Because it is negotiated per partner and per trade, and stating one number would imply every partner pays the same, which would not be true. What matters to you is fixed: it is paid by the contractor, and it never touches your price.