Everything you need to know to become a construction contractor

Build your dream entrepreneurial

Know that thousands of construction workers will retire by 2023.

Quebec therefore needs new competent entrepreneurs!

See which RBQ license you have to choose, the number of exams you will have to take, the overall cost to obtain it and the bonds required by law.

First of all, what does it take to become a construction contractor?

All of the following skills and aspects are obviously scrupulously approached in our training courses offered since they have been assessed in the RBQ exams.

A construction contractor must use his tools in an experienced way but also have knowledge as varied as management, the regulatory context of the construction field, management, management, administration, commercial relations, implementation techniques. work and building codes.

Depending on the type of license chosen, he will also have to make use of skills such as

• Ease of communicating, transmitting or exchanging information
• Reading and interpretation of plans and laws, regulations, standards
• The use of documents such as quotes, contracts, disbursements, invoices, etc.
• Using numbers to perform calculations
• Management and accounting (forecast, income statement, taxes, etc.)
• Prevention, problem solving and decision making
• The capacity for reasoning

The entrepreneur must develop his activity in accordance with the realities of competition, supply and regulatory context.

He is responsible for implementing the strategy on all aspects of his business:

• Services and materials offered
• The target market, prices
• Advertising, communication
• Human resources
• General management of projects and construction sites
• Purchasing and supply policy
• The sustainability of his business

His daily mission:

• Prepare forecasts
• Organize the various internal departments: materials, human resources
• Plan and organize daily tasks on construction sites, know how to manage
• Ensure safety on construction sites
• Be as close as possible to its customers, before, during and after the work
• Analyze the client’s project according to the existing situation and the maneuver potential
• Develop a comprehensible project: specifications, description
• Make or have made the estimates, by task and by defined work.
• Conclude sales
• Ensure the proper execution of the work (quality control)
• Ensure relational follow-up with the client during the works
• Participate in the reception of the works
• Check customer satisfaction

Who must have an RBQ license?

Anyone who offers his services to carry out or have construction work carried out in Quebec must have a license except for exceptions provided for in the Act and its regulations.

What is considered construction work?

Foundation work, erection, renovation, repair, maintenance, modification or demolition of a building, of equipment intended for public use, of an installation not attached to a building , an installation of petroleum equipment or a civil engineering work carried out on the site of the site and on the job, including preliminary land development work.

You must be licensed if you are a:

• Construction contractor who performs or has work performed for a third party, but also who submits, solicits customers or places an advertisement in a newspaper or elsewhere
• Promoter who undertakes by contract to sell a building (house, condominium or other) or a street that he has built, that he has had built, or that he promises to build or have built
• Owner of a building, of equipment intended for public use or of an installation subject to the Building Act which itself carries out work for its own account. You must then have an owner-builder license.

A person who works unlicensed is at all times subject to a costly fine for committing an offense.

Source: RBQ

Conditions for obtaining a license

When you apply for a contractor’s or owner-builder’s license, you must demonstrate that you have the necessary knowledge in administration and safety as well as in the technical aspects of the construction work. that you will run.

The exams of the Régie du bâtiment du Québec verify professional skills in various fields of qualification such as administration, safety management on construction sites, management of site projects and the execution of certain construction work.

You must demonstrate that you have the necessary knowledge (RBQ exams), provide financial guarantees (further down in the article) and guarantee the * probity of your company.

* “The virtue which consists in scrupulously observing the rules of social morality, the duties imposed by honesty and justice”

RBQ license categories

here are the license categories that you can get. Note that each of them is divided into several subclasses.

General contractor’s license

The holder of a general contractor’s license organizes and coordinates the construction work carried out by himself, his employees or subcontractors.

The holder of a general contractor’s license is responsible in particular for the organization and coordination of the work carried out by himself, by his employees or by subcontractors within the framework of residential, commercial, industrial and public projects where several specialties are combined.

There are 4 subclasses of general contractor namely:

1.2 Small buildings (3 floors maximum)

1.3 Buildings of all kinds (no floor and area limits)

1.1.1 New residential buildings covered by a guarantee plan [bâtiments neufs jusqu’au quintuplex (15)]

1.1.2 New residential buildings covered by a guarantee plan [propriété divise (condos)]

1.2 and 1.3 differ in the height and area limit of the buildings concerned by the contractor’s work.

1.1.1 and 1.1.2 are only required for new buildings constructed for immediate resale.

How many exams do I have to take?

For a general contractor’s license, the following exams must be passed:

1. administration. Duration 3h00
2. safety management on construction sites. Duration 1h30
3. project and site management. Duration 3h00 (since August 2019)
4. execution of construction work in the subclass (es) of the Annex 1 covered by the request. (Thus, an exam must be passed for each subclass requested.) Duration 3h00.

Source RBQ

Costs to be expected for obtaining a general contractor’s license (example given for general contractor 1.3)

Preparatory training for the RBQ exams : $ 825.00

First year of license: $ 1,135.05

RBQ exam fees: $ 370.04

RBQ license bond : $ 500.00

Total: $ 2,830.09 (Training + surety + RBQ fees )

Tax exempt and no additional or hidden costs

Attention for subclasses 1.1.1 and 1.1.2, it is a GCR bond who is required

The specialized contractor’s license

The holder of a specialized contractor’s license is distinguished from the holder of a general contractor’s license by his main activity. The latter is linked to a single construction trade, such as masonry or carpentry.

The holder of a specialized contractor’s license performs himself or with his employees, as the case may be, work related to a specialty.

This contractor may bid on, carry out or have carried out work included in his license subclass (es) regardless of the type of building, installation or work concerned.

How many exams do I have to take?

For a specialized contractor’s license comprising one (1) or more subclasses of the annex 3 , the following exams must be taken:

1. administration. Duration 3h00
2. safety management on construction sites. Duration 1h30
3. project and site management. Duration 3h00 (since August 2019)

For a specialized contractor license in Annex 2, one or more exam (s) must be added

1. execution of construction work in the subclass (es) of the annex 2 covered by the request (Thus, an exam must be passed for each subclass of Schedule 2 requested.)

Source RBQ

Costs to be expected for obtaining a specialized contractor license (example given for the specialized contractor of the annex 3 )

Preparatory training for the RBQ exams : $ 650.00

First year of license: $ 746.40

RBQ exam fees: $ 277.53

RBQ license bond : $ 300.00

Total: $ 1,973.93 (Training + surety + RBQ fees )

Tax exempt and no additional or hidden costs

The owner-builder license

The holder of an owner-builder’s license carries out or supervises construction work carried out on his own account. He therefore does not perform work for clients.

The holder of a builder-owner’s license carries out or has carried out, on his property or properties, work to meet his own needs and not to derive a profit from the actual execution of the construction work. In simpler terms, the owner-builder does not perform construction work for clients.

Unless otherwise provided for in the regulations, you are required to have an owner-builder’s license to carry out or have contractors carried out construction work related to a project carried out on your own account. You must apply for your license from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec.

How many exams do I have to take?

For a general builder-owner’s license, the following exams must be passed:

1. safety management on construction sites. Duration 1h30
2. project and site management. Duration 3h00 (since August 2019)
3. execution of construction work in the subclass or subclasses covered by the request. Duration 3h00

Source RBQ

Fees for obtaining an owner-builder’s license (example given for the general owner-builder)

Preparatory training for the RBQ exams : $ 680.00

First year of license: $ 1,135.05

RBQ exam fees: $ 277.53

NO DEPOSIT

Total: $ 2,092.58 (Training + RBQ fees )

Tax exempt and no additional or hidden costs

Provide financial guarantees

Article 25

Every entrepreneur must provide the RBQ license bond provided for in section 84 of the Act.

This bond is intended to compensate any customer who has suffered damage as a result of the non-performance or execution of construction work and resulting directly from the down payments made, the non-completion of the work, poor workmanship and defects discovered in the year following the end of the work.

However, it does not cover the claims of persons who participated in the construction work, damages resulting from delay in the execution of construction works, damages for moral injury and punitive damages. .

OC 314-2008, s. 25.

Article 27

The amount of the security required is established as follows:

(1) when a license subclass of the general contractor category is requested, the security required is $ 40,000;

(2) when only license subclasses of the specialized contractor category are requested, the security required is $ 20,000.

OC 314-2008, s. 27; OC 703-2016, s. 1; Erratum 2016, GO 2, 4711.

Article 26

Despite section 25, the security is not required when only license subclasses 1.1.1 and 1.1.2 provided for in Schedule I are requested.

OC 314-2008, s. 26.

If a contractor holds subclass 1.2 under the General contractor category in addition to subclass 1.1.1, he must provide an RBQ license bond in addition to being accredited to the GCR guarantee plan.

In Quebec, an entrepreneur who wants to sell or build a new residential building must meet the following two conditions:

1. Be accredited with Garantie de construction residielle and therefore obtain a GCR bond .

Since January 1, 2015, GCR is the only non-profit organization authorized by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) to administer the guarantee plan.

2. Hold a contractor’s license from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec comprising at least one of subclasses 1.1.1 or 1.1.2

This compulsory guarantee plan ensures the fulfillment of certain obligations on your part and covers the following new residential buildings:

✓ For buildings not held in divided co-ownership: Isolated single-family house, semi-detached, row and multi-family building with two to five dwellings

✓ For buildings held in divided co-ownership: Isolated single-family house, semi-detached, in row and multi-family building with no more than four superimposed private parts

Our large pool of contractors allows us to offer the best prices on the market for your RBQ bonds and your GCR bonds as well as products exclusive to construction contractors.

Our expert specialists offer you solutions adapted and personalized to your project for the most complete protection. Request a free callback.

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• SINGLE-FAMILY RENOVATIONS AND ROOMS FOR RENT – RBQ LICENSE AND CCQ CARDS
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