Going self-employed is the point where a lot of women in the Canadian trades stop fitting in to someone else's site and start setting the terms, and it brings its own set of advantages and gaps. Women are still a minority in the trades, close to 14 percent of construction employment in 2024 and a smaller share again working directly on the tools, but the share is growing and the support built specifically for women is realer than it has ever been. This guide is for the woman running, or starting, her own trade business: the networks worth using, the parental-leave gap that catches the self-employed, the seasonal-income reality, and where the law still has your back. The employee-side picture, including harassment rights and PPE, is covered in the women in the trades guide on this site.
Use the networks built for you
There is a genuine network of organisations created to get women into the trades and keep them there, and several support business-building, training and connections, not just entry. Where they offer free training, safety tickets, mentorship or help with PPE and other costs, take it; it is there to be used.
- Women Building Futures (WBF), Alberta-based with national reach, offers free skills training, safety certifications and employer connections.
- The BC Centre for Women in the Trades (BCCWITT) provides training, mentorship, PPE support and help with childcare and transport.
- Office to Advance Women Apprentices (OAWA), based in Newfoundland, supports women apprentices into work.
- Some colleges run women-specific grants for apprenticeship study; ask the training institution near you what is on offer.
Confirm current programs and eligibility directly with each organisation, since intakes and offerings change.
The parental-leave gap is the one to plan for
This is the gap that catches self-employed women off guard, so plan for it before you need it. Outside Quebec, self-employed people are not automatically covered for parental leave. You can access EI special benefits, including maternity and parental, but only by voluntarily registering with the Canada Employment Insurance Commission in advance, and there is a waiting period: you must wait 12 months from confirmed registration before you can claim. You can cancel within 60 days of registering at no cost, but once you have ever collected, you pay premiums for the rest of your self-employed career. The blunt consequence: if you might want paid parental leave, you generally need to have registered well before you are pregnant.
Quebec stands alone and, in this case, in your favour. The Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) covers self-employed workers automatically, with no opt-in required; you contribute and you are covered for maternity, paternity, adoption and parental benefits. A self-employed tradeswoman in Quebec is automatically covered; the same tradeswoman in Ontario must opt in a year ahead. For family-age women weighing where to base a business, that difference is a real factor.
Smoothing a seasonal, self-employed income
Self-employed trades income is lumpy, and the EI safety net that covers laid-off employees does not cover self-employed regular benefits, so the buffer has to be yours.
- Build a 3 to 4 month operating reserve in the busy months and treat it as a fixed business cost, not spare cash.
- Pay yourself a steady amount year round from a separate account, rather than living off whatever lands that week.
- Keep the tax and GST/HST money apart. Set aside 25 to 30 percent of gross for income tax and remittances, and remember you must register for GST/HST once revenue passes $30,000 over four consecutive quarters or in a single quarter.
- Consider winter-proofing the work with indoor jobs, maintenance retainers or snow contracts.
The law still has your back as your own boss
Running your own business does not remove your protections; it changes who enforces them. Human rights law in every province and territory still prohibits sex and gender discrimination and harassment, which matters when you are dealing with clients, general contractors and suppliers rather than an employer. Document problems, and know that provincial human rights tribunals, most of them free to use, remain open to you. As an employer yourself, you also now carry the duty to have a written workplace harassment policy and to provide PPE that actually fits any crew you hire, women included.
Common mistakes
- Leaving parental leave too late. Outside Quebec you must opt in to EI special benefits a full 12 months before claiming. Decide early.
- Living job to job through a seasonal year. Without an employee's EI cushion, the reserve is on you. Build it in the busy months.
- Assuming the support programs are not for a business owner. Many help with training, mentorship and connections beyond entry. Ask before you pay for anything.
- Spending the HST. It is not your income. Hold tax and GST/HST in a separate account from the first invoice.
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Keep reading
Need help pricing your work? Read Section 14: Pricing Your Work - day rates, job prices and how to stop underselling yourself.
Finished your apprenticeship? Read our guide: After Your Apprenticeship - the stuff nobody teaches you in college.
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