Do Ottawa stair lift companies need TSSA licensing for home installs?

Ontario Regulation 209/01 (Elevating Devices), made under the Technical Standards and Safety Act, exempts elevating devices in or in connection with private dwelling houses used exclusively by the occupants and their guests. That exemption covers stair chair lifts and stair platform lifts installed in a private home. TSSA's licensing of elevating-device contractors and mechanics is for the devices its Regulation covers; ask TSSA how that applies to your home and lift.

The Regulation also does not apply to lifts for persons with physical disabilities that rise 600 mm or less and are not accessible to the general public. TSSA publishes a questionnaire to determine whether premises count as a private dwelling house. If your home is rented, shared, or partly open to the public in any way, that questionnaire determines whether the exemption holds. We found no basis to say it does or does not in any particular case.

TSSA's own page notes that exempt devices may still be regulated by other entities. We did not research whether an electrical permit applies to the installation, so ask the City of Ottawa's Building Code Services whether any permit is required for your specific project.

On the contractor side, we found no Ontario or City of Ottawa licence specific to stair lift installation in a private home. March of Dimes Canada's Home and Vehicle Modification Program, if you are applying to it, requires quotes from a registered medical vendor or contractor, but that is a program rule, not a provincial licence. WSIB says people who own or run a construction business in Ontario must have coverage, with some exceptions, including independent operators doing only home renovation work for the person who hires them or that person's family. Ask the contractor to confirm their WSIB status before work begins.

The single most useful thing to ask a contractor before you sign: can you show me your WSIB account status, and confirm in writing whether you or any subcontractors you bring in are covered?