Contractors Bidding and Working on Construction Projects in Quebec

Updated: January 2008
ISBN 1-4249-1919-3
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This fact sheet is provided for your information and convenience only. It is not a legal document. For further information contact the Jobs Protection Office of the Ministry of Labour.

Contractors who wish to work in Quebec must be licensed as general or specialized contractors with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) before they can bid on a construction project. Plumbing and electrical contractors must register with and be licensed by Quebec associations specific to their trade.

The requirement to be licensed before bidding on a project applies equally to contractors who live in Quebec and contractors from other provinces. A fee must be paid with the application for a licence. The licence must be renewed annually.

Ontario contractors whose bids are unsuccessful may be eligible, under certain conditions, for a refund of the fees paid to the RBQ.

Four Steps to Obtain a Licence from the RBQ

1. Obtain and complete an Application for a Contractor's Licence from the RBQ.

2. Pass three RBQ exams:

Construction project management
Site safety management,
Administrative management.

The exams are available in English and may be written by one or more full-time officers of a company. Instead of writing the exams, company officers have the option to complete a relevant training program recognized by the RBQ.

For those contractors who must complete step 2, it usually takes 4 to 6 weeks to process the application form.

Some Ontario contractors may be exempt from writing the three exams.

Ontario contractors can be exempted from the requirement to write exams if they prove one of the following:

Company registration with Tarion Warranty Corporation (formerly known as Ontario New Home Warranty Program) for at least three years (for the residential sector); or
Registration as a corporation with the Companies and Personal Property Security Branch of the Ministry of Government Services (MGS) for at least five years (for all construction sectors); or
Registration of the company name with the Companies and Personal Property Security Branch of the MGS for at least five years, regardless of whether the company is a partnership, limited partnership, or sole proprietorship.

The RBQ has developed a special application package for Ontario contractors who do not have to write the exams and an RBQ licence can generally be issued in 24 hours if the application is complete.

3. Prove three or five years experience relevant to the subcategory (ies) of licence applied for. Providing copies of contracts or invoices for each selected subcategory meets this requirement. A list of subcategories for general contractors and subcontractors is included in the RBQ licence application package.

4. There are several additional documents that an Ontario contractor must submit with the RBQ's Application for a Contractor's Licence:

Proof of corporate status, such as letters of patent, certificate of incorporation or partnership agreement.

(Note: Sole proprietors are exempted from this requirement if their company name uses the owner's name.)
$10,000 security bond issued by an organization recognized by the RBQ.

This bond must use the exact wording required by the RBQ (sample wording is included in the application package).

(Note: Members of the Guarantee Plan for New Residential Buildings do not have to submit this security bond if they are applying only for licences to build new residential buildings covered by a guarantee plan.)
Signed and dated balance sheets, review engagement reports and/or financial statements indicating that the company has a net equity of $20,000 (for a general contractor) or $10,000 (for a specialized contractor), and a minimum working capital ratio of 1.1/1.

The most recent year's information must be provided. Incorporated companies must provide financial statements prepared by a professional accounting corporation governed by a professional code. This information does not have to be submitted by members of the Guarantee Plan for New Residential Buildings.
Proof of qualification with one of the authorized managers of the Guarantee Plan for New Residential Buildings for contractors wanting to build new residential buildings covered by a guarantee plan. Further information is available from the managers.
Payment of the licence fee in the form of a certified cheque or money order payable to the Ministre des finances. (Licence fees are determined annually.)

Electrical Contractors

Ontario contractors who specialize in electrical work must apply to the Corporation of Master Electricians of Quebec (Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec) (CMEQ) to obtain their contractor's licence and mandatory membership in the corporation. Contractor's licence and membership must be renewed annually. Renewal fees are applicable.

Plumbing and Heating Contractors

Ontario contractors who specialize in plumbing, heating, heating systems, natural gas burner or oil burner systems, must apply to the Corporation of Master Pipe Mechanics of Quebec (Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec) (CMMTQ) to obtain their contractor's licence and mandatory membership in the corporation. Contractor's licence and membership must be renewed annually. Renewal fees are applicable.

Refund of RBQ Fees

The RBQ will refund fees paid to it by an Ontario contractor if the contractor informs the RBQ that it wishes to terminate its licence within 15 days of being notified that a bid was unsuccessful. The RBQ will refund the licence fee within 15 days. (If construction work has already been performed under that licence, or if the licence is a renewal from previous years, there will be no refund.)

In order to obtain a refund, a contractor must complete a reimbursement form and supply proof that the bid was unsuccessful.

Successful Bids

After securing a contract in Quebec, but before performing construction work, contractors with the appropriate licence must:

Contact the Régistraire des enterprises du Québec to obtain an NEQ number (Numéro d'entreprise du Québec). The Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ) will request this number when you register with them.

All firms carrying out commercial activities in Quebec must have an NEQ number and renew their registration annually.
Contact the Ministère du revenu du Québec to:
- register for the Quebec sales tax (QST)
- meet the other obligations contractors have as businesses and, where applicable, as employers.
Register with the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CSST) [in french only] (same as WSIB).

Obtain an employer number, produce declaration of wages, and find out the contribution rate applicable to the type of construction work performed.
- As either prime contractors, or those responsible for all work on the construction site, notify the CSST in writing of the opening of the construction site, at least 10 days before work begins, and on the appropriate form.
Register with the CCQ to:
- obtain an employer number and fill out monthly reports on hours worked by all workers and applicable deductions; and
- become a member of the Association des entrepreneurs en construction du Québec (AECQ), to which all construction contractors working in Quebec must belong.
Register heavy equipment with the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), when it is brought into Quebec.
Register trucks with the Commission des transports du Québec (CTQ) and a brokerage service, where required. (For road building contracts, you must register with a brokerage agency to be able to work on certain projects.)

There are other requirements specific to certain construction activities: gas, petroleum, propane, work on high pressure equipment, and other specialties.

Tendering of Construction Contracts

Crown Corporations

Ontario contractors have access to construction contracts of Crown Corporations at or above $100,000. The Crown Corporations covered by the Labour mobility agreement are:

Société des alcools du Québec
Société des loteries du Québec

Electrical Utility Corporations

Ontario contractors can bid on any Hydro-Quebec construction contracts when such contracts are open for bidding to all Quebec contractors, and are subject to the same conditions applicable to Quebec contractors.

In addition, Ontario contractors are entitled to bid on any Hydro-Quebec construction contracts to be performed in the Outaouais administrative region, when such contracts are open for bidding to contractors in this region, and are subject to the same conditions applicable to contractors in this region. For this purpose, Ontario contractors will be considered to have their Head Office in the Outaouais administrative Region.

Please inquire about registration requirements with the Quebec authorities or the Jobs Protection Office (JPO), which can also help with other questions about working in the construction industry in Quebec, prior to engaging in any construction projects.

A list of addresses and phone numbers for all above-mentioned organizations is attached to this fact sheet.

Further Information

For general assistance or information, contact:

Jobs Protection Office of the Ministry of Labour
2378 Holly Lane, Suite 202
Ottawa, Ontario, K1V 7P1

Hotline: 1-888-998-9959
General Inquiry: (613) 260-8351
Fax: (613) 260-8369
E-mail: oqconstruction@mol.gov.on.ca

Official Contact for Ontario:
Mr. Bob Onyschuk
Director, Jobs Protection Office

Ontario

Ontario Government Organizations

Ministry of Labour 347 Preston Street, 4^th Floor Ottawa ON K1S 3J4 Phone: 613-228-8050 Fax: 613-727-2900 1-800-267-1916 http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/index.html	Jobs Protection Office of the Ontario Ministry of Labour 2378 Holly Lane, Suite 202 Ottawa Ontario K1V 7P1 Phone: 613-260-8351 Fax: 613-260-8369 1-888-998-9959 Email: oqconstruction@mol.gov.on.ca http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/
Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) 347 Preston Street, 3^rd Floor Ottawa ON K1S 3H8 Phone: 613-731-7100 Fax: 613-731-4160 1-877-221-1220 www.edu.gov.on.ca	MTCU Cornwall Office 55 Water Street West, Suite L50 Cornwall, Ontario K6J 1A1 Phone: 613-938-9702 Fax: 613-938-6627 1-877-668-6604
Ministry of Government Services 393 University Ave, Suite 200 Toronto Ontario M5G 2M2 Phone: 416-314-8880 Fax: 416-314-4812 1-800-361-3223 www.mgs.gov.on.ca	Ontario Business Connects 161 Elgin Street Court House 2^nd floor Ottawa Ontario K2P 3T2 Phone: 613-238-3630 Fax: 613-566-2234 1-800-565-1921
Ministry of Finance Retail Sales Tax Central Registry 33 King West, C.P. 623 Oshawa Ontario L1H 8H5 Phone: 905-433-6004 Fax: 905-436-4445 1-800-263-7965 www.fin.gov.on.ca	Taxation-Ottawa 1400, Place Blair, Suite 300 Ottawa Ontario K1J 8B8 Phone: 613-746-9200 Fax: 613-842-3593 1-800-461-4909

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Ontario Contractor Associations

Council of Ontario Construction Associations 180 Dundas street West, Suite 2001 Toronto, ON M5G 1Z8 Phone: 416-968-7200 Fax: 416-968-0362 www.coca.on.ca	Greater Toronto Home Builders' Association 20 Upjohn Road, Suite 100 North York Ontario M3B 2V9 Phone: 416-391-3445 Fax: 416-391-2118 www.newhomes.org
Ontario General Contractors Association 6299 Airport Road, Suite 703 Mississauga Ontario L4V 1N3 Phone: 905-671-3969 Fax: 905-671-8212 www.ogca.ca	Ontario Home Builders' Association 20 Upjohn Rd. North York, Ontario M3B 2V9 Phone: 416-443-1545 1-800-387-0109 Fax: 416-443-9982 www.homesontario.com
The Ottawa Construction Association 196 Bronson Avenue Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6H4 Phone: 613- 236-0488 Fax: 613- 238-6124 www.oca.ca	Ottawa Carleton Home Builders' Association 30 Concourse Gate, Suite 203 Nepean, Ontario K2E 7V7 Phone: 613-723-2926 Fax: 613-723-2982 www.ochba.com
Electrical Contractors Association of Ottawa 86 Greenfield Avenue Ottawa, Ontario K1S 0X7 Phone: 613-238-1124 Fax: 613- 238-8194 www.ecaottawa.org	The Mechanical Contractors Association of Ottawa 280 Albert Street, Suite 804 Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G8 Phone: 613- 232-0492 Fax: 613 -235-2793 www.mcac.ca

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Other Ontario Organizations

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) 99 Metcalfe Street, Suite 700 Ottawa ON K1P 1E8 Phone: 613- 237-8840 Fax: 613-239-3435 1-800-267-9601 www.wsib.on.ca	Tarion Warranty Corporation 1145 Hunt Club Road Ottawa, ON K1V 0Y3 Phone: 1-877-982-7466 Fax: 1-877-664-9710 www.tarion.com
Construction Safety Association of Ontario (CSAO) 21 Voyager Court South Etobicoke Ontario M9W 5M7 Phone: 416-674-2726 Fax: 416-674-8866 1-800-781-2726 www.csao.org	Electrical Safety Authority 155A Matheson, Blvd. W, Suite 200 Misissauga, ON L5R 3L5 Greater Toronto Area: 905-712-5385 Fax: 905-507-4572 Customer Service Centre: 1-877-372-7233
ESA-Ottawa 111 Colonnade Road, Suite 200 A Ottawa Ontario K2E 7M3 Phone: 613-913-3685 Fax: 613-832-4006 www.esasafe.com	Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) 3300 Bloor Street West – 14th Floor Centre Tower Toronto, Ontario M8X 2X4 Phone: 416-734-3300 Toll Free: 1-877-682-8772 Fax: 416-231-4903
Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario 65 International Boulevard, Suite 206 Toronto ON M9W 6L9 Phone: 416-670-8887 Fax: 416-670-8882 http://www.ontariobuildingtrades.com	Unionized Building and Construction Trades Council of Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec 2100 Thurston Drive, Unit #3 Ottawa, Ontario K1G 4K8 Phone: 613-739-5944 Fax: 613-739-5945 Email: unionizedbuildingtrades@hotmail.com
Ontario Workplace Gateway http://www.serviceontario.ca/workplacegateway/english/index.htm

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Quebec

Quebec Ministries, Agencies, Boards and Commissions

Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ), Siège social 3530, rue Jean-Talon Ouest Montréal (Québec) H3R 2G3 Phone: 514-341-7740 Fax: 514-341-0719 www.ccq.org	Commission de la Construction du Québec, bureau de Gatineau 225, montée Paiement Gatineau, (Québec) J8P 6M7 Phone: 819-243-6065 Fax: 819-243-6088
Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) Direction des licences (Montréal) 545, boul. Crémazie Est 4^e étage Montréal Québec H2M 2V2 Phone: (514) 873-0976 Fax: (514) 864-2903 1-888-271-2491 www.rbq.gouv.qc.ca	Bureau régional de l'Outaouais 170, rue de l'Hôtel de ville Bureau 8.100 Gatineau Québec J8X 4C2 Phone: 819 772-3860 Fax: 819-772-3973 1-800-567-6897
Ministère du Revenu du Québec (MRQ) Complexe Desjardins 150, rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest Montréal (Québec) H5B 1A4 Toll Free: 1-800-567-4692 http://www.revenu.gouv.qc.ca	MRQ-Outaouais 170, rue de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, 6e étage Gatineau (Québec) J8X 4C2 Toll Free: 1-800-567-4692
Registraire des entreprises du Québec (Immatriculation et modification au registre) In person : 800, place D'Youville Rez-de-chaussée Québec (Québec) G1R 4Y5 Phone: 418-643-3625 Fax: 418-528-5703 Toll Free: 1-888-291-4443 www.req.gouv.qc.ca	Registraire des entreprises du Québec (Immatriculation et modification au registre) In person : Mailing address: C.P. 1364 Québec (Québec) G1K 9B3 Montréal Office 800, rue du Square-Victoria Niveau promenade Montréal (Québec) H4Z 1H9 Fax: 514-873-6431 Toll Free1-888-291-4443
Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) Centre de Service 855 boul. Henri-Bourassa Ouest, bureau 100 Montréal, (Québec) H3L 1P3 Phone: 514-873-7620 Fax: 514-873-4320 Toll Free: 1-800-361-7620 http://www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/reach_us/email.html	SAAQ Centre de Service de Hull 975 boul. St-Joseph Hull (Québec) J8Z 1W8 Toll Free: 1-800-361-7620
Commission des transports du Québec (CTQ) 545 boul. Crémazie Est 10e étage, bureau 100 Montréal (Québec) H2M 2V1 Phone: 1-888-461-2433 Fax: 514-873-4720 http://www.ctq.gouv.qc.ca

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Quebec Contractor Associations

Association des constructeurs de routes et grands travaux du Québec (ACRGTQ) (Roads & civil engineering) 435, Grande-Allée Est Québec, Québec G1R 2J5 Phone: 418-529-2949 Fax: 418-529-5139 www.acrgtq.qc.ca	Association de la construction du Québec (ACQ) (mainly ICI) 7400, boul. des Galeries-d'Anjou, bureau 205 Anjou, Québec H1M 3M2 Phone: 514-354-0609 Fax: 514-354-8292 www.acq.org
Association provinciale des constructeurs d'habitations du Québec Inc. (APCHQ) (Homebuilders) 5930, boul. Louis-H.-Lafontaine Montréal, Québec H1M 1S7 Phone: 514-353-9960 1-800-468-8160 Fax: 514-353-4825 www.apchq.com	Association des entrepreneurs en construction du Québec (AECQ) (Membership is mandatory) 7905 boul. Louis H. Lafontaine Bureau 101 Anjou Québec H1K 4E4 Phone: 514-353-5151 Fax: 514-353-6689 www.ccq.org/aecq/
Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec (CMEQ) 5925, boul. Décarie Montréal Québec H3W 3C9 Phone: 514 - 738-2184 Fax: 514-738-2192 1-800-456-2665 www.cmeq.org	Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec (CMMTQ) (All pipefitting trades) 8175, boulevard Saint-Laurent Montréal Québec H2P 2M1 Phone: 514-382-2668 Fax: 514-382-1566 1-800-465-2668 www.cmmtq.org

Other Quebec Organizations

Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CSST)
(WSIB in Ontario)
15, rue Gamelin
Case postale 1454
Gatineau Québec J8X 3Y3
Phone: 819-778-8600
Fax: 819-778-8699
www.csst.qc.ca

Bureau des soumissions déposées du Québec
(Quebec Bid Depository System)
Siège social
7333, Place des Roseraies, bureau 209
Anjou, Québec H1M 2X6
Phone: 514-355-4115
Fax: 514-355-1241

Quebec Construction Trade Unions

CSD--Construction Conseil des syndicats démocratiques du Québec 9403, rue Sherbrooke Est, bureau 1000 Montréal, Québec H1L 6P2 Phone: 514-899-1029 Fax: 514-899-9910 www.csdconstruction.qc.ca	CSN--Construction Conseil des syndicats nationaux du Québec 1601 avenue De Lorimier Montréal Québec H2K 4M5 Phone: 514-598-2121 Fax: 514-598-2029 www.csnconstruction.qc.ca
Conseil provincial du Québec des métiers de la construction International (CPQMC) 8500, boul. Du Golf Anjou, Québec H1J 3A1 Phone: 514-723-6555 Fax: 514-723-6444 www.cpqmci.org	FTQ--Construction Fédération des travailleurs du Québec 565, boul. Crémazie Est, Bureau 2900 Montréal, Québec H2M 2V6 Phone: (514) 381-7300 Fax: (514) 381-5173 www.ftqconstruction.org
Syndicat de la Construction Côte Nord Inc. 2121, avenue Sainte-Anne, bureau 102 Saint-Hyacinthe Québec J2S 5H5 Phone: 450-773-8833 Fax: 450-773-2232 www.sqc.ca

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