General contractor subclasses

• List of general contractor subclasses
• Subclass 1.3 limited
• What a general contractor's licence allows you to do
• Important: Reserved work

List of general contractor subclasses

A general contractor's licence is required for any contractor whose main activity consists of organizing, coordinating, carrying out, or having carried out, in whole or in part, construction work that is authorized by one of the following 11 subclasses:

• 1.1.1 – Contractor – New residential buildings covered by a guaranty plan, Class I
• 1.1.2 – Contractor – New residential buildings covered by a guaranty plan, Class II
• 1.2 – Contractor – Small buildings
• 1.3 – Contractor – All buildings
• 1.4 – Contractor – Roads and mains
• 1.5 – Contractor – Civil engineering structures
• 1.6 – Contractor – Underwater civil engineering
• 1.7 – Contractor – Telecommunications, transmission, transformation and distribution of electric power
• 1.8 – Contractor – Petroleum equipment installation
• 1.9 – Contractor – Building mechanicals
• 1.10 – Contractor – Mechanical lifts

If you are unsure which subclass(es) are required for the work you are planning, consult the List of Licence Subclasses – PDF (84 KB) or contact us.

You can also consult the Guide for determining the type of licence required [Fr].

Subclass 1.3 limited

On June 25, 2008, following the coming into force of the Regulation respecting the professional qualification of contractors and owner-builders, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) sent all contractors who held licence subclass 1.2 (Contractor – Small buildings), but did not have licence subclass 1.3 (Contractor – All buildings), a new licence containing the addition of subclass 1.3 limited – Contractor - All buildings. This measure was taken to preserve the rights of small building contractors.

This subclass is "limited" in that it includes only the work authorized by subclass(es) that contractors held prior to June 25, 2008 (former subcategories 4041, 4043, 4047, 4050.1 and 4050.2). Please refer to the licence subclass concordance table in the Schedule IV of the Regulation respecting the professional qualification of contractors and owner-builders.

Definitions of subclass 1.3 limitations included on the contractor's or owner-builder's licence:

• 4041 Residential buildings, Class I: This subcategory includes construction work in respect of buildings of a building height of 4 stories or less, not covered by the Regulation respecting the guarantee plan for new residential buildings, (O.C. 841-98), and intended to be used mainly for residential purposes and similar or related construction work.
• 4043 Maintenance, renovation, repair and alteration of residential buildings: This subcategory includes the construction work to maintain, renovate, repair and alter, in whole or in part, residential buildings including the construction of small additions with respect to the building as a whole.
• 4047 Building removal: This subcategory includes preliminary underpinning work, transportation, installation and restoration of buildings and similar or related construction work.
• 4050.1 Public, commercial and industrial buildings, Class I: This subcategory includes the construction work for buildings having a building height of 4 storeys or less designed mainly for public service, government and commercial use and for light industry and similar or related construction work.
• 4050.2 Shelters, all types: This subcategory includes the construction work for prefabricated shelters, greenhouses and similar constructions designed mainly for public service, government and commercial use and for light industry and similar or related construction work.

What a general contractor's licence allows you to do

Work the contractor can subcontract

Work the contractor can carry out

• Work included in all the lower-risk specialized subclasses in Schedule III of the List of Licence Subclasses – PDF (84 KB) under the Regulation respecting the professional qualification of contractors and owner-builders, where this work concerns buildings, installations or works included in the general contractor's licence (see Example 1)
• Work included in the higher-risk subclasses in Schedule II of the List of Licence Subclasses – PDF (84 KB) that are listed under the general contractor's subclass, for the types of buildings, installations or works it covers (see Example 2)
• Work included in the specialized licence subclasses held in addition to the subclass(es) of their general contractor's licence

Example 1

Example 2

Important: Reserved work

• only electrical contractors (subclass 16) may  perform, with their qualified staff, work relating to electrical installations
• only master pipe-mechanics (subclasses 15.1, 15.2, 15.3, 15.4 and 15.5) may perform, with their qualified staff, work relating to plumbing or heating systems.