Searching for a contractor or a licence number: consult the Licence holders' repertory.

This content in English is intended for individuals covered by the exceptions to the Charter of the French language and its regulations.

Licence

The Building Act requires that any building contractor offering his/her services for carrying out or having a third party carry out construction work in the province of Quebec holds a licence in good standing. Barring the exceptions set out under the Act and its regulations, a licence is also required from any owner-builder who carries out construction work. The RBQ is the organization responsible for issuing and modifying the licences of contractors. It also ensures on a yearly basis that the conditions of maintenance are fulfilled by the licence holders. The amendment of the Building Act vests further powers to the RBQ. In concrete terms, it allows for an extension of the scope of the actions, which may result in the denial of issuance, the restriction, the revocation or the suspension of a contractor’s licence.
According to the section 9 of the Building Act, foundation, erection, renovation, repair, maintenance, alteration and demolition work is construction work.
In the field of renovation, there is often confusion between the obligation to hold the competency cards which are required by the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ) and the obligation to hold a licence issued by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ).
Indeed, while works related to the maintenance, repair, renovation and alteration of a dwelling, carried out by and for the benefit of the person inhabiting it (residential renovation by the occupant), are not covered by the Act respecting labour relations, vocational training and workforce management in the construction industry, which is administered by the CCQ, it is not the case with regard to the licence issuing when such work is performed by a natural person on behalf of an owner and for the purpose of making profit out of this work. A contractor’s licence is thus always required within the applicable subclass(es). For example, for interior or exterior paint work, or work related to the installation of floorings, walls or ceilings and their finishing, it will be required to hold the subclass 9, Finishing contractor.
To learn about which subclass(es) is (are) applicable to the work to carry out, you may refer to the Guide to determine the licence required [Fr].
If the work is to be performed by a natural person or a legal person for his/her/its own account, please refer to the information related to the status of owner-builder.
If you perform household maintenance work aimed chiefly at the state of cleanliness of buildings, such as washing its walls and waxing the floors, you do not need to apply for a contractor’s licence.
To help you determine which licence classes or subclasses you need, the RBQ has created a Guide to determine the licence required [Fr].
You must submit an application for licence to the RBQ. The RBQ will verify your competence through an evaluation of your skills in the fields of safety management, of administrative management and of construction work management. You will also need to provide a licence security, which will prove your solvency, and the RBQ will furthermore verify your financial probity. You will find in our website the forms and guides required to submit an application for licence.
Since June 25, 2008, all licences delivered by the RBQ are for an indefinite period. Just like your car’s licence plate, the document issued by the RBQ which constitutes your licence must be retained. You must not discard it when you receive the yearly notice of assessment for the maintenance of your licence.
Since June 25, 2008, the licence is of indefinite term. A new licence shall be issued to you only if changes are made to it, for instance, if you have added guarantors, or have changed address.
You will be able to apply for a licence as soon as you will have obtained the document confirming your release from bankruptcy.
You may submit an application for your licence. However, the RBQ can refuse to issue it if you have been an officer of a partnership or legal person during the period of 12 months before it went bankrupt, in the case where such bankruptcy was declared within less than three (3) years of the date of the application for licence.
The Building Act is clear (section 71, paragraph 8): The licence of a contractor or of an owner-builder ceases to have effect as soon as he/she did not pay the fees payable to maintain the licence when they were due. Regardless of the number of days of default, it is the responsibility of the licence holder to make sure that his/her payment for the maintenance of licence comes through no later than the due date. If the payment arrives late, the licence will be cancelled. The licence holder shall complete the application for licence form and pay the fees payable for this type of application.
A change of legal status for the company or a change of the Québec enterprise number (NEQ), except in the cases of company mergers, requires mandatorily the completion of the right form for applying for a licence, the communication of any and all documents which are necessary to process this application and the payment of the fees due and payable.
You must send us a letter requiring the discontinuance of your licence. In the case where you are:
A natural person doing business by themselves, the letter requiring the discontinuance of your licence must be written on the business enterprise’s letterhead paper. Such letter must be dated and signed by the natural person themselves.
A legal person, you must submit one of the following documents:
- A letter requiring the discontinuance of your licence, written on the business enterprise’s letterhead paper. Such letter must be dated and signed by the president or the secretary of the board of directors (BOD), as mentioned in the Quebec register of enterprises, or by 66% of the shareholders with voting rights.
- A resolution (statement) approving the discontinuance of the licence, as concurred by the BOD of the enterprise business. Such a document must be signed and dated by both the president and the secretary.
A partnership, the letter requiring the discontinuance of your licence must be written on the business enterprise’s letterhead paper. Such letter must be dated and signed by all the partners and must state that they wish to discontinue the licence held by their partnership.

Shortcuts Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Send us your comments.

For further information or to file a complain or report, visit the Contact the RBQ webpage.