Our clients

The public is at the very heart of the RBQ’s concerns. Through all the actions it takes to accomplish its mission, and with the help of its collaborators and partners, the organization works day after day to meet the needs of the citizens. In fact, the RBQ plays several roles in their daily lives:

Enforcing the Building Act, the Construction Code and the Safety Code

The RBQ is instrumental in ensuring the quality of the buildings and the protection of the citizens when they are on the premises of buildings and equipment covered or are using equipment falling within the regulations, such as an elevator or a ski lift.

To this end, the RBQ provides for enforcement of the Building Act. More specifically, it sees that the prescriptions of the Construction Code as well as of the Safety Code are met.

Issuing licences to the contractors and owner-builders

The RBQ is instrumental in ensuring the quality of the construction or renovation work, or the installation of certain equipment. To this end, it issues the licences [Fr] relevant to the contractors and owner-builders, provided that certain conditions are being met. The RBQ not only issues these licences, but it is also empowered to modify, restrict or withdraw these when their holders have failed their obligations. You can refer to the existing decisions rendered to this effect.

Offering financial guarantees to the consumers

In order to protect the consumers, two types of financial guarantees are available.

The licence security

The licence security is an amount which is lodged (deposited) as guarantee by any contractor applying for a licence. This amount is to be used to compensate the consumer who has suffered prejudice as a result of, for instance, the non-performance or the poor performance of the work.

The Guarantee plan for new residential buildings

The Guarantee plan for new residential buildings offers to the purchasers of houses or new dwellings held in co-ownership which are covered by this plan, a guarantee of the contractual obligations of the contractor. These obligations involve in particular the partial payments as well as a guarantee against construction defects.

In order to benefit from the protections offered by this plan, the purchaser must take certain precautionary measures, the first of which being to do business only with a contractor holding the appropriate licence subclass and whom is duly accredited with a manager authorized by the RBQ.

Think safety

The RBQ builds upon prevention and awareness-raising in order to inform the public about the hazards and safety precautions which are related to the thrust areas managed by the RBQ. You will find in the section entitled Safety tips advices on the behaviours to adopt in order to avoid hazards and to ensure your safety in public places and at home.

The contractors and owner-builders

The RBQ delivers licences to building contractors and owner-builders. These licences confer them with a right of exercise, subject to the evaluation of their professional competence and of their probity. The RBQ sees to it that they hold a licence that is both valid and in agreement with to the types of work carried out.

If one or several defaults on regulation are observed, the RBQ then enacts so as to regularize the situation. The licence holders as well as the applicants for licence delivery thus form a major segment of the RBQ’s client base. This is why the RBQ supports these stakeholders to help them meet their responsibilities.

The professionals, the owners or the operators of buildings and facilities

The RBQ also supports the other stakeholders who have responsibilities under the Building Act: the professionals (architects, engineers or professional technologists), the owners or the operators of the facilities and buildings coming under the regulations. This support takes the shape of awareness campaigns, targeted actions and diffusion of technical information.

Pressure vessel manufacturers

Under the Building Act, the RBQ adopts regulations regarding accessibility and ensure their application in new buildings or alteration work.

It also conducts various projects to develop regulations in force and facilitate their application. Through these actions, the RBQ improves the building accessibility for the persons with reduced mobility. Since 2005, it has also been counting on the cooperation of the Office des personnes handicapées du Québec to carry out this mission.

Accessibility of buildings

All buildings and facilities subject to the Building Code must meet the minimum accessibility requirements set out therein. Visit the Accessibility of buildings [Fr] page to find out more about:

• buildings subject to the Code
• requirements to be met
• barrier-free design standards

Tax deduction for the renovation or conversion of a building

A tax deduction has been set out for renovations or conversions of income properties in view of improving their access by disabled persons. Such work must comply with the standards of barrier-free design.

Please visit Revenu Québec ‘s website to obtain all necessary information on the subject.