The City of St. Thomas says it has “recently heard from several residents” who report high-pressure sales tactics and “very high estimates for plumbing work.”
In a Facebook post on Monday, September 28th, the City asked homeowners to take their time before agreeing to any major plumbing job. “It’s your home, your decision, and you should never feel pressured into making an immediate purchase,” the post says. It does not name a company or say what kind of plumbing work was involved.
What the City suggests
Before you agree to major plumbing work, the City recommends that you:
- get at least two or three written quotes from reputable contractors
- take time to review estimates and ask questions
- be careful with anyone who pushes you to decide right away
- ask for a detailed breakdown of the costs and the proposed repairs
- check the contractor’s reviews, references and qualifications
“Taking a few extra steps before signing a contract could save you thousands of dollars,” the City says.
What Ontario law already gives you
Provincial rules back up that advice, especially when a deal is signed inside your home.
- Ten days to change your mind. If you sign a home renovation or repair contract worth $50 or more in your home, you have a cooling-off period of 10 calendar days. You can cancel for any reason in that time, with no cancellation fee. If work already started during those 10 days, you may still owe a fair amount for the work and materials.
- A limit on surprises. When a written estimate is part of your renovation contract, the final price cannot be more than 10 per cent above it, unless you agreed to new work or a new price. The province says to insist that the estimate is written into the contract.
- Paper first. Any home renovation contract worth more than $50 must be in writing.
- Some things can’t be sold at your door. Water heaters, water softeners, water filters and other water treatment devices, furnaces, air conditioners and a few other products and services can’t be sold at your home unless you asked the company to come over to buy one. Plumbing repair work itself is not on the list, so it can still be sold at your door. Other provincial contract rules still apply. But if you called a company in for a repair or for maintenance, it cannot sign you to a new contract for one of the listed items during that visit. It can only leave information. (A company you already have a written contract with can still offer you one of the listed items, but it has to tell you first and you have to agree to hear the offer.)
The province also warns about a common trick: a free “inspection” of a furnace, chimney or roof, then news that “immediate and expensive repair work must be done,” with a contract ready to sign.
Checking up on a contractor
Before you hire, the province suggests searching both the business name and the name of the person running it on Ontario’s Consumer Beware List, since one operator can run several businesses or change a business name. It also suggests asking whether the tradespeople are certified by Skilled Trades Ontario. It recommends keeping any down payment to no more than 10 per cent of the job, and never paying the full amount before the work is done.
If something goes wrong
The province says to tell the business about the problem first, by letter or email, or by phone while writing down the date and what was said. If that doesn’t settle it, you can file a complaint with the province at no cost. Home renovation and maintenance is one of the areas it covers.
Sources: City of St. Thomas on Facebook (September 28, 2026) · Ontario: Your rights when starting home renovations or repairs · Ontario: Door-to-door sales and home service contracts
By Anthony Zruna · About the LocVox Newsroom
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