RBQ licence check: how to verify a Quebec contractor

In Quebec, a contractor doing construction or renovation work must hold a licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ). Electricians’ licences are issued by the Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec (CMEQ), and those of plumbers and heating contractors are most often issued by the Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec (CMMTQ). According to the RBQ, hiring a licensed contractor gives you access to a financial guarantee if a dispute arises. Yet in its February 2026 campaign (in French), the Régie noted that still too few people check. It takes two minutes.

1. Find the licence number

The number (for example 5678-1234-01) must appear on the contractor’s quote, contract, invoice and advertising. If it is nowhere to be seen, ask for it in writing. A refusal, or a vague answer, is a warning sign.

2. Look it up in the register

Enter the number in the RBQ’s licence holders register, or search the company by number, name or phone in our licence check. Our site shows the date of the RBQ data it uses: for a large contract, also confirm in the Régie’s register on the day you sign.

According to the RBQ page Check a contractor’s licence (read on November 1, 2026), each file in the register shows, among other things:

• the company’s name and contact details, and its Québec enterprise number (NEQ);
• the licence classes and subclasses;
• the association or company that provides its financial guarantee (bond);
• its claims history;
• any licence restriction for public works.

3. Match the subclasses to your project

A licence does not cover every kind of work: it lists subclasses. A plumber must hold subclass 15.5, an electrician 16, a septic system installer 2.4. If you are not sure which one applies, the RBQ has tools to determine the required licence (in French): a four-step guide, a keyword index and the list of subclasses.

4. Read the rest of the file

• The name: the company that signs the contract must be the one that holds the licence. Compare the name and NEQ in the file with those on the contract.
• The licence bond: according to the RBQ claim page (in French) read on November 1, 2026, it is $40,000 for a general contractor and $20,000 for a specialty contractor; it may be used to compensate a client, under the conditions set by the Régie. Draft regulations (in French) published for comment in February 2026 would raise these amounts; they were not in force on that date.
• Claims: compensation already paid does not automatically rule a company out, but it is worth a few questions before you sign.
• A new home: the builder must also be accredited with the mandatory guarantee plan (see the GCR warranty).

Montréal and Laval: when the licence is your only check

In Greater Montréal, a lot of work is done without any municipal permit, so no city employee ever sees who does it. The City of Montréal says it no longer issues permits for plumbing, electrical work and electric or gas heating: that work follows provincial rules (page Renovate the interior of a building). In Laval, painting or renovating an existing bathroom or kitchen needs no permit, according to the City’s interior home renovation page (in French). For that kind of job, checking the licence is up to you.

Have a question about a licence? The RBQ has a Montréal service point at 255, boulevard Crémazie Est (ground floor, room 040), and answers at 514 873-0976 or 1 800 361-0761 (page Contact us, read on November 1, 2026). Once the check is done, you can browse renovation companies in Montréal, electricians in Brossard or licensed companies in Laval.

Warning signs

• No licence number on the quote or contract.
• A company name on the contract that differs from the one in the register.
• A large deposit required before work starts, especially in cash.
• No written contract, or a contract with no price or description of the work.
• Pressure to decide right away.

Self-employed contractors (individuals) are not listed on our site: look them up directly in the RBQ register. Planning a project? You can describe your project and ask for quotes, then check the licence of each company that replies.

Check a licence