Trade Partners
Contractor FAQ
Questions we answer by email every week. Answers to how we work, what we need, and what to expect on every job.
Questions we answer by email every week. Answers to how we work, what we need, and what to expect on every job.
No — and this is non-negotiable. CDN Crew is strictly trade-only. We contract exclusively to print companies, advertising agencies, and other installation companies. We do not quote, communicate with, or invoice end clients under any circumstances. When we’re on your client’s site, we are an extension of your team — not a separate vendor relationship.
We don’t bid against the print shops and agencies we work for. If a client approaches us directly, we redirect them to their print partner. If they don’t have one, we send them to one of ours. Our entire business is built around being an invisible part of your operation — the crew that shows up, does the job right, and makes you look good. That’s what builds referrals.
Most of our trade partners send us jobs by email with a scope, site address, and install date. We quote within one business day, confirm crew and date, show up prepared, and send completion photos the same day. Some partners have us on retainer for regular rollouts; others call us as jobs come in. Both work. There’s no minimum volume requirement to work with us.
Yes. CDN Crew carries active Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) coverage. Certificates are available on request — email office@cdncrew.com and we’ll send one same day.
We carry commercial general liability insurance. If your project or client requires a certificate of insurance, proof of coverage, or additional insured status, let us know at the quoting stage and we’ll accommodate it.
Yes. CDN Crew has existing WCB and insurance on file with most major Calgary and Edmonton malls, including Chinook Centre, CrossIron Mills, Market Mall, and others. This means we can move faster on mall jobs — we’re not starting vendor approval from scratch.
One business day. For urgent jobs, call 403.399.3939 directly — we can often turn around same-day for clear scope and known sites.
For an accurate quote, send us:
Use the project intake form for structured submissions — it covers all the above and creates a project folder automatically.
Fixed-price quotes. We don’t do open-ended estimates that balloon on billing. When we quote a job, that’s the number — unless scope changes materially after quoting, in which case we discuss it before proceeding, not after.
Yes. We have specialised night crews for mall and retail installs. Most of our mall hoarding and retail rollout work happens nights and weekends. This isn’t a special arrangement — it’s part of our standard service.
Every job gets same-day completion photos covering the full install, edges, seams, any challenging areas, and the site left clean. Photos are sent to the trade partner that day — not when we get around to it. This is standard on every CDN Crew job. It protects you and it protects us.
We call you. Not after we’ve guessed at a solution — before we proceed. If a substrate isn’t as quoted, material is wrong, or site conditions have changed, the trade partner hears about it immediately. We don’t make unilateral decisions about scope changes on your behalf.
Yes. We work in hospitals, active construction sites, high-security facilities, and environments requiring specific PPE. Flag any site requirements at quoting — hard hat, safety vest, steel-toe, escort, WHMIS — and we’ll confirm crew compliance before accepting the job.
Our core work:
No. CDN Crew focuses on environmental and architectural graphic installation — walls, windows, floors, hoarding, and signage. Vehicle wraps are outside our scope. If you need a vehicle wrap subcontractor, we can point you toward someone reputable.
No. We are an installation company — the print and materials side stays with you. This is intentional. We don’t compete with our trade partners on the supply side.
The trade partner — always. We invoice the print shop, agency, or installation company that booked the job. We do not invoice end clients. This is part of the trade-only model.
Net 30 for established trade partners. First-time partners may be asked for a deposit on larger jobs. Payment terms are confirmed at the quoting stage — no surprises on billing.
If your organisation uses POs, we’ll reference one on the invoice — just include it with the job request. If you don’t use POs, a written scope approval by email is sufficient. We don’t require a formal PO process to begin work.
Yes — this is a growing part of our business. If you’re a national installation company managing a multi-province rollout and need Alberta covered, we can be your subcontractor. We understand the documentation and reporting requirements that come with national accounts and work to your process, not ours.
Yes, for the right scope. Alberta has significant geography — Calgary and Edmonton are three hours apart, and southern Alberta cities are a further two hours south. We plan crews accordingly. Tell us the full scope at quoting and we’ll be straight about what we can execute on a given timeline.
We respond within one business day. Or call us directly — 403.399.3939.