Checking a contractor before you sign: licence, insurance and track record

Key points.

1. A licence is verified in the Régie du bâtiment’s register, never on a business card.

2. The contract must name the work, the dates, the itemized cost and the payment terms.

3. With a salesperson who came to your door, you have 10 days to cancel.

Check the licence in the registry, not on a business card

A number printed on a card, a truck or a quote proves nothing on its own: what counts is what the register says today. The Office de la protection du consommateur puts it simply: a Régie du bâtiment licence confirms that the firm’s professional qualifications and solvency have been reviewed.

Check the exact company name, not just the name of the person in front of you. A company may have changed its name or number, or have conditions attached to its licence.

References : Régie du bâtiment du Québec ↗ · Office de la protection du consommateur ↗

Have the work written down, not just the price

A price is not a contract. The Office de la protection du consommateur lists what the contract must contain, and the list is short enough to be required without negotiating. What is not written down will not exist on the day things go wrong.

Add one clause almost nobody asks for, which settles half of all disputes: the contractor must obtain your authorization before performing any additional work.

References : Office de la protection du consommateur ↗ · Office de la protection du consommateur ↗ · Office de la protection du consommateur ↗

Settle payment before the first hammer blow

Payment is the only leverage you have left once the job has started, so it is settled beforehand. The Office recommends minimizing or avoiding a deposit with an established contractor, agreeing to progress payments, and keeping a final balance of 10 to 15 % until the end.

A salesperson who came to your door is governed differently, and more strictly. They cannot accept any deposit during the 10 days following the signature, unless materials have already been delivered, and the funds must be held in trust. You, for your part, have 10 days to cancel.

References : Office de la protection du consommateur ↗ · Office de la protection du consommateur ↗ · Office de la protection du consommateur ↗

Check the regulated trades too

Some trades add a check on top of the Régie du bâtiment licence, because they fall under a professional corporation. That is the case for plumbing and heating, electricity, and pesticide application.

Ask the question before, not after: who actually performs the work? A general contractor can subcontract, and it is the subcontractor who must hold the qualification required for their trade.

References : CMMTQ ↗ · CMEQ ↗ · Régie du bâtiment du Québec ↗

The four checks, in order

Your preparation checklist

Frequently asked questions

How do I check a licence?

In the Régie du bâtiment du Québec’s register of licence holders, using the exact company name or the licence number. Do it on the day you sign: a licence can be suspended between two meetings. Régie du bâtiment du Québec ↗

Should I pay a deposit?

The Office de la protection du consommateur recommends minimizing or avoiding it with an established contractor, and agreeing instead to progress payments, with a final balance of 10 to 15 %. Office de la protection du consommateur ↗

Someone rang my doorbell. Is that legal?

Yes, but it is governed. For doors, windows, insulation or exterior cladding, they must hold an itinerant merchant permit, they cannot collect any deposit for 10 days, and you have 10 days to cancel. Office de la protection du consommateur ↗ · Office de la protection du consommateur ↗

What if the company has no licence?

Do not sign. The licence attests that qualifications and solvency have been reviewed; without it your recourse is far thinner if something goes wrong, and you will not know who is really doing the work. Office de la protection du consommateur ↗ · Régie du bâtiment du Québec ↗