Work not requiring a licence

One does not always need a building contractor's licence because some works are not considered “construction” work.

Here are some examples:

• Concrete pumping
• Consultation by a professional for construction work
• De-icing and snow removal, in particular on roofs, bridges, electrical transmission towers, roadways and sidewalks
• Delivery of construction materials
• Emergency work intended to close openings or to provide temporary waterproofing on a building that has been burglarized, vandalized, gutted or burned, or that has collapsed
• Excavation of rock in a quarry
• Felling of trees
• Garbage removal along public roadways
• Inspections (all types)
• Installation of measurement instruments in a building or civil engineering work, including piezometers, pressure meters, extensometers, samplers, pendulums, etc.
• Installation of self-adhesive film
• Installation of solar panels for manufacturing processes or for swimming pools not intended for public use, except for anchors or supports
• Landscaping someone’s land or a private enterprise’s
• Lease of personnel (placement agency)
• Management of quarry operations
• Management of sanitary landfill operation
• Mowing of grass (in particular along public roads)
• Non-structural restoration of architectural elements inherent to a building, performed by artisans using artisanal techniques different from common renovation, repair or maintenance work on a building. This work more closely resembles art than construction work.
• Production of asphalt, cement, crushed stone, or assembly of prefabricated parts in a plant
• Spreading of sand and abrasives on pavement
• Spreading of water and other dust control agents on construction sites
• Street cleaning
• Testing to measure air flow, level of lighting, combustion, pressure, etc.
• Water supply (temporary)

Even though the types of work listed above do not require a licence, they may be subject to the Act respecting labour relations, vocational training and workforce management in the construction industry. Check with the Commission de la construction du Québec.