Start a construction company in Saskatchewan: register through the ISC Corporate Registry, register with the Workers' Compensation Board within 30 days, get the municipal building permit under the Construction Codes Act, and certify trades through the SATCC.
Applies in: Saskatchewan
A Saskatchewan construction company starts with three registrations: the business with the Information Services Corporation (ISC) Corporate Registry, the employer account with the Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board (WCB), and the building permit with the municipality where the work happens. Saskatchewan's registry is run by ISC, not a government ministry, and filings go through the Corporate Registry application. The WCB registration is separate from the provincial business registration and must be done within 30 days of beginning work or hiring workers. Building work is governed by The Construction Codes Act and the 2020 National Building Code, enforced by the municipality's licensed building official. This guide covers the Saskatchewan mechanics only — it does not re-cover Ontario's WSIB and constructor rules or British Columbia's WorkSafeBC rules.
Choose a name that is distinctive and descriptive, and select the correct purpose for the name reservation — reserving for the wrong purpose means starting the process over, including another full payment of fees. Log in to the Corporate Registry application, select "file", and under "reserve a name or create a company" click the entity type. Enter the proposed name and click "check name": the system will tell you if similar or exact names have been found, or if the name is currently available. Complete the application and submit it; the request will be reviewed and, if approved, you will be sent a name reservation number, according to Information Services Corporation, Step 2: Reserve a Name.
When you fully complete your name reservation and are issued a name reservation number, you must submit your registration or incorporation with the name reservation number included — the Corporate Registry cannot process the registration or incorporation of a named company without it. If the requested name is available, it is automatically reserved for 90 days, and in that time you must complete your registration or incorporation. A corporation that operates as a numbered company does not have to choose a name at all.
File through the Corporate Registry application: register a sole proprietorship or partnership under the reserved name, or incorporate a business corporation. The Corporate Registry covers Saskatchewan business corporations, non-profit corporations, sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited partnerships, and extra-provincial corporations. Corporations must file an annual return with the Corporate Registry each year. Keep the registered office as a physical street address in Saskatchewan — the registry needs a real address, not a mailing box, for the corporation's records.
Register with the WCB separately from the provincial business registration — the WCB states plainly that you must register with the provincial government and the WCB separately. Under The Workers' Compensation Act, 2013, all employers operating in industries covered under Saskatchewan's legislation who hire workers on a regular, casual, or contractual basis must register and create an account with the WCB, according to Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board, New business registration. You need to register within 30 days of beginning work or hiring workers in Saskatchewan.
To register, have ready the complete legal name of the business, or the legal names of the partners; the physical address, mailing address, and contact information; the federal business number; the start date of operations and of workers in Saskatchewan; an estimate of payroll for workers; and a list of contractors paid in the previous three years for work done in Saskatchewan, including the type of work completed and the total contract amounts. There is no charge for submitting a registration if you are part of a mandatory industry. There is a minimum account fee of $100 per year; otherwise, premiums are calculated based on payroll in the industry you operate in.
Two WCB rules matter for a construction company in particular. First, it is against the law to avoid registering: failure to register can mean a fine even if no worker is injured, liability for the total compensation costs of a worker's injury, and three years of retroactive insurance premiums. Second, directors of corporations are no longer considered workers: effective January 1, 2025, the definition of a worker changed, and directors receiving wages reported on a T4 are no longer included — they have no automatic WCB coverage, though optional personal coverage can be purchased.
Saskatchewan adopted the 2020 editions of the National Building Code, the National Energy Code for Buildings, and the National Plumbing Code effective January 1, 2024, by regulation under The Construction Codes Act, according to Government of Saskatchewan, Building Bylaws. Under the Act, local authorities must make building bylaws prohibiting any person from starting the construction, erection, placement, alteration, repair, renovation, demolition, relocation, removal, use, occupancy, or change of occupancy of any building unless authorized by a permit to do so. The bylaw sets out what information permit forms must include, how permits are issued, when they may be revoked, the terms and conditions of a grant, and the payment required to issue permits.
Apply to the municipality where the work happens — the permit, the fee, and the inspection schedule are set by that municipality's bylaw, and municipalities must appoint a licensed building official to provide services on behalf of the local authority. Do not start work before the permit is issued: the bylaw prohibits starting without one, and work done without a permit can be ordered stopped or removed.
Construction trades in Saskatchewan are certified through the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC) under The Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Act, 2019. Apprenticeship training is a structured system of supervised training leading to certification in one of Saskatchewan's designated trades. Apprentices spend approximately 85% of their time working on the job, learning the knowledge and skills associated with a trade from a certified journeyperson, with the rest in technical training. Apprentices receive their journeyperson certification once they pass all levels of required technical training, complete their required trade time, and pass the certification examination, according to Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission, Business Plan 2026-27.
As an employer, you submit an apprenticeship application with the apprentice through MyATC, the SATCC's online system. On completion, the apprentice receives a Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship and a Journeyperson Certificate of Qualification. Five trades are compulsory in Saskatchewan — Construction Electrician, Plumber, Sheet Metal Worker, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic, and Sprinkler Fitter — and applicants challenging the certification exam in a compulsory trade go through the SATCC Assessment Unit, according to Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission, International Trade Qualifier Application Process. Only a certified journeyperson may work unsupervised in a compulsory trade, so check the trade's status before assigning work.
If you hire contractors, you are considered an employer under the WCB Act, and you should get clearances for any contractors you hire. If the contractor is not registered with the WCB, they will be treated as your worker and you will pay premiums on their behalf. If all of your contractors are registered and in good standing, you are only responsible for the minimum account fee, according to Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board, New business registration. Run the clearance check before the contractor starts, not at invoicing time — premiums for an unregistered contractor land on your account either way.
WCB coverage does not carry across provinces: each province has its own legislation, so a company that also works in Manitoba or Alberta needs to check whether it must register there too.
Construction work is a taxable service to real property under Saskatchewan's Provincial Sales Tax, so register with the Revenue Division before you quote. A business providing services to real property must register as a Licensed Vendor, by completing the Application for Vendor's Licence/Consumer Registration, to collect and remit PST on its sales of taxable goods and services. A contractor doing services to real property must collect PST on the total charge to the customer — labour, materials, transportation, insurance, permits, service fees, and any other charges except GST — and show PST as a separate line item on the invoice. Materials that are resold or incorporated into a real property contract can be bought exempt from PST by quoting your vendor's licence number to the supplier. Do not use the vendor's licence number to buy consumables or equipment for your own use exempt — PST is payable on the purchase cost of consumables and equipment you use yourself.
The ISC name reservation page opened for this guide points to the fee schedule for fees and does not list them on the page, so no ISC incorporation or registration fee is printed here — check the current ISC fee schedule before budgeting. The WCB page opened does not publish premium rates by industry class, so no rate is printed here — premiums are calculated from payroll in the industry you operate in. The Saskatchewan building bylaws page opened does not list municipal permit fees, which are set by each municipality's bylaw, so no permit fee is printed here.
Through the Information Services Corporation (ISC) Corporate Registry. Log in to the Corporate Registry application, select file, and reserve a name or create a company; a name reservation number is required to register or incorporate a named company, according to [Information Services Corporation, Step 2: Reserve a Name](https://www.saskregistries.ca/corporateregistry/registeringabusiness/searchandreserveabusinessname).
90 days. If the requested name is available, it is automatically reserved for 90 days, and in that time you must complete your registration or incorporation, according to [Information Services Corporation, Step 2: Reserve a Name](https://www.saskregistries.ca/corporateregistry/registeringabusiness/searchandreserveabusinessname).
Within 30 days of beginning work or hiring workers in Saskatchewan, according to [Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board, New business registration](https://www.wcbsask.com/new-business-registration). There is no charge for submitting a registration if you are part of a mandatory industry, and the minimum account fee is $100 per year.
Saskatchewan adopted the 2020 editions of the National Building Code, the National Energy Code for Buildings, and the National Plumbing Code effective January 1, 2024, by regulation under The Construction Codes Act, according to [Government of Saskatchewan, Building Bylaws](https://www.saskatchewan.ca/business/housing-development-construction-and-property-management/building-and-technical-standards/building-bylaws).
The Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC) runs apprenticeship training: about 85% of training is on the job with an employer, and the rest is technical training. Apprentices receive journeyperson certification once they pass all levels of required technical training, complete their required trade time, and pass the certification examination, according to [Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission, Business Plan 2026-27](https://saskapprenticeship.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-27-Business-Plan-DI-FINAL.pdf).
Yes, in effect. If you hire contractors, you are considered an employer under the Act, and you should get clearances for any contractors you hire. If a contractor is not registered with the WCB, they will be treated as your worker and you will pay premiums on their behalf, according to [Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board, New business registration](https://www.wcbsask.com/new-business-registration).