General owner-builder's licence – Subclasses

A general owner-builder's licence is required for any owner-builder 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 9 subclasses.

• 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, transformation and distribution of electric power
• 1.8 - Petroleum equipment installation
• 1.9 - Contractor – Mechanical lifts

If you are unsure which subclass(es) are required for the work you are planning, consult the Keyword index [Fr] or the Schedule I of the List of Licence Subclasses – PDF (109 KB).

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 Concordance Table in Schedule IV of the List of Licence Subclasses.

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.

Exemptions

An owner-builder is not required to hold a licence if they are having the work carried out by a specialized contractor who holds all of the subclasses required for the work to be done.

An owner-builder does not require a licence to carry out, or have carried out, work that falls exclusively within the subclasses listed in Schedule III (lower-risk specialized work) of the List of Licence Subclasses – PDF (109 KB).