Home Repair Projects: tools, finishes and planning

Three groups: do it, check it, or call a pro

In simple words

Before any project, ask three questions: Is it safe for me? Does it need a permit? Does the law say a licensed person must do it? Like a traffic light: green means go, yellow means check first, red means stop and call someone.

Before this course: Home Repair Basics (course 12.3). You already know safety gear, ladder safety, where your water shut-off and panel are, simple plumbing fixes, small drywall patches, caulking, and what to do in a gas smell or CO emergency. Here we go one step deeper: bigger projects, and a clear way to decide who should do each part.

Key facts

Light	What it means	Examples
Green	Learn it and do it	Painting, caulking, small drywall patches, hanging a shelf into studs, replacing a toilet flapper
Yellow	Check for a permit or rules first	Renovating a room, tiling, changing a layout, anything that breaks ground, anything that changes pipes or drains
Red	Stop and call a licensed professional	Gas appliances and gas lines, wiring beyond what ESA has accepted, structural walls, roofs, suspected asbestos or mould

Ontario's rules in short (an example; see "In your country" below for other countries):
Building permits: issued by your municipality. A permit is needed to construct, renovate, demolish or change the use of a building. Contact your city or town building department if you are unsure.
Electrical: homeowners may do electrical work in their own home only after filing a notification with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) before starting, and the work must be reviewed by ESA when complete. Friends, family members and neighbours cannot do electrical work in your home. ESA recommends hiring a Licensed Electrical Contracting Business.
Gas and fuels: only TSSA Registered Fuels Contractors are legally authorized to do fuels-related work (for example gas furnaces, water heaters, stoves and fireplaces).
Plumbing: plumber is a compulsory trade in Ontario, listed with Skilled Trades Ontario. Ask your municipal building department what applies to your job before you start any plumbing that changes pipes, drains or vents.
Digging: request a free locate from Ontario Dig Authority at least 5 business days before you dig.
Old homes: Health Canada advises not to disturb materials that may contain asbestos and to hire a professional to test before renovating.
When unsure, the answer is "ask first". Asking the building department is free.

In your country

Trades licensing is provincial, not national. In Ontario, plumbing is a compulsory trade (Skilled Trades Ontario). Electrical work for others needs a licensed electrical contracting business, and work is notified to the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) before it starts. Homeowners may do their own electrical work.
Source: Skilled Trades Ontario, plumber: www.skilledtradesontario.ca/trades/plumber/
Source: ESA, DIY electrical work: esasafe.com/compliance/diy-electrical-work/

No national licence for electricians, plumbers or contractors was found. States regulate these trades, and some rules are local. Look up your state licensing board for the trade.
Source: SBA, Apply for licenses and permits: www.sba.gov/business-guide/launch-your-business/apply-licenses-permits

Electricians: the New Electrical Engineering Law (RA 7920) has the PRC license registered electrical engineers and registered master electricians. Plumbers: the Plumbing Law (RA 1378) regulates master plumbers. Contractors: the Contractors' License Law (RA 4566) set up a licensing board for contractors; work under PHP 10,000 in total is exempt.
Source: RA 7920 text: lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1995/ra_7920_1995.html
Source: RA 1378 text: lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1955/ra_1378_1955.html
Source: RA 4566 text: lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1965/ra_4566_1965.html

Electricians: working on electrical equipment is a "special operation". Workers must pass training and assessment and hold a special operation certificate, valid for 6 years nationwide. For plumbers and general contractors, check with the local housing bureau.
Source: Order No. 30 text (Ministry of Emergency Management): www.mem.gov.cn/fw/flfgbz/xgxywj/201505/t20150529_237958.shtml

A construction business needs a construction permit unless it only takes minor jobs (for example contracts under 5 million yen; the limit differs by type of work). A Minister permit applies to offices in two or more prefectures, otherwise the prefectural governor issues it.
Source: MLIT Kanto, Construction business permit (Japanese): www.ktr.mlit.go.jp/kensan/index00000003.html

Construction contractors register under the Framework Act on the Construction Industry, by category of work. Electrical contractors register under the Electrical Construction Business Act. Minor works set by decree need no registration.
Source: Framework Act on the Construction Industry, English text (KLRI): elaw.klri.re.kr/eng_service/lawViewContent.do?hseq=26041
Source: Electrical Construction Business Act, English text (KLRI): elaw.klri.re.kr/eng_service/lawViewContent.do?hseq=6012

Step by step

Write your project in one sentence ("Tile the kitchen backsplash").
List every part: demolition, wall prep, plumbing, electrical, finishing.
Give each part a traffic light colour using the table.
For every yellow part, call or visit your municipal building department and ask whether a permit is needed. Write down the answer and the name of the person.
For every red part, find a licensed contractor (ESA licence, TSSA registration, or the Skilled Trades Ontario register).
If the home is older, check for materials that may contain asbestos before any demolition or sanding.
Do not start until every part has an owner: you or a named professional.
Check: your one-page plan shows every part, its colour, and who does it.

Watch on YouTube

Hire a licensed electrical contractor and get a permitElectricalSafetyESA · YouTube · youtube.com

AsbestosWorkSafeBC · YouTube · youtube.com

Videos by other creators on YouTube, for reference. They are not made by or affiliated with The Future Market.

LESSON 01Three groups: do it, check it, or call a pro

LESSON 01 / ANIMATED LESSON / AI VOICE00:00 / 01:00

Voice

Read the video script

[Screen: traffic light with project parts] "Before you start, give every part of the job a colour. Green: you can do it. Yellow: check for a permit. Red: call a licensed pro."
[Text on screen: Electrical = ESA. Gas = TSSA.] "Electrical work in Ontario needs an ESA notification, and gas work is only for TSSA registered contractors."
[Screen: city hall building department counter] "Not sure? Ask your municipal building department. It's free."
[Host] "Know the difference between what you can learn and what the law reserves for licensed people."

Try it now

Pick a project you want to do this year. Break it into parts and colour each part green, yellow or red. Write down which Ontario office you would call for each yellow and red part.

ClaudeStuck? Copy a ready-made prompt for Claude

Copy this, open Claude, paste it, and Claude will walk you through the lesson step by step.

For a grown-up: Claude is for adults (18+). Copy this, paste it into Claude, and use the answer to explain the lesson to your child.

I'm learning "Home Repair Projects: tools, finishes and planning" on The Future Market. Lesson 1: "Three groups: do it, check it, or call a pro".

What the lesson teaches:
- Light - What it means - Examples
- Green - Learn it and do it - Painting, caulking, small drywall patches, hanging a shelf into studs, replacing a toilet flapper
- Yellow - Check for a permit or rules first - Renovating a room, tiling, changing a layout, anything that breaks ground, anything that changes pipes or drains
- Red - Stop and call a licensed professional - Gas appliances and gas lines, wiring beyond what ESA has accepted, structural walls, roofs, suspected asbestos or mould
- Ontario's rules in short (an example; see "In your country" below for other countries):
- Building permits: issued by your municipality. A permit is needed to construct, renovate, demolish or change the use of a building. Contact your city or town building department if you are unsure.
- Electrical: homeowners may do electrical work in their own home only after filing a notification with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) before starting, and the work must be reviewed by ESA when complete. Friends, family members and neighbours cannot do electrical work in your home. ESA recommends hiring a Licensed Electrical Contracting Business.

The exercise I'm working on:
Pick a project you want to do this year. Break it into parts and colour each part green, yellow or red. Write down which Ontario office you would call for each yellow and red part.

I'm stuck. Please:
1. Explain the main idea in plain, simple words with one everyday example.
2. Walk me through the exercise one small step at a time. Ask me what I've done so far before giving the next step.
3. Don't just give me the final answer. Help me do it myself, and check my work when I share it.

I'm a parent helping my child (about 8 years old) with a lesson called "Three groups: do it, check it, or call a pro" from the course "Home Repair Projects: tools, finishes and planning".

Here's what the lesson says:
Before any project, ask three questions: Is it safe for me? Does it need a permit? Does the law say a licensed person must do it? Like a traffic light: green means go, yellow means check first, red means stop and call someone.

The activity:
Pick a project you want to do this year. Break it into parts and colour each part green, yellow or red. Write down which Ontario office you would call for each yellow and red part.

Please explain this so an 8-year-old understands: short sentences, a fun everyday example, and no hard words.
Then give me 3 simple questions I can ask my child to check they understood, and a way to do the activity together, one tiny step at a time.

Open Claude

Sources

Electrical Safety Authority, DIY electrical work: esasafe.com/compliance/diy-electrical-work/
TSSA, Registered fuels contractors: www.tssa.org/fuels-contractor
Skilled Trades Ontario, Plumber: www.skilledtradesontario.ca/trades/plumber/
Government of Ontario, Building permits (Citizen's guide to land use planning): www.ontario.ca/document/citizens-guide-land-use-planning/building-perm
Ontario Dig Authority: ontariodigauthority.ca/
Health Canada, Health risks of asbestos: www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/air-quality/indoor-air-contami

My notes

I learned this