Methods of competency evaluation

Before issuing a licence, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) will evaluate the construction company's professional competency in one or more fields of qualification. 

Whose competency must be evaluated?

Individuals within the company who serve as its officers must have their professional competency evaluated. They will then act as guarantors for the company before the RBQ.

Obviously, if you are a natural person doing business alone (in sole ownership), you will need to undergo all of the necessary evaluations of your qualifications. A person may serve as a guarantor in one or several fields of qualification. An individual may also serve as a guarantor for more than one company.

How does the RBQ evaluate your competency?

The RBQ offers the following 3 methods of having your professional competency assessed:

• Taking the RBQ examinations
• Successfully completing a training program recognized by the RBQ. In this case, you must provide your certificate of successful completion of the program along with your licence application.
• Having acquired sufficient training and professional experience in the field of qualification you are applying for and, in the case of the Carrying out of Construction Work, in the selected subclass. In this case, you may obtain an equivalence by presenting a professional file.

You may be exempt from having your competency evaluated if:

• the applicant or their guarantor already have experience as a guarantor or had their skills evaluated and recognized in the field of qualification and in the licence class or subclass they are applying for. Consult the page Skills already recognized.
• the company is domiciled in a province that has signed an interprovincial agreement with Québec and meets the requirements of that agreement.

What fields of qualification are evaluated?

The fields of qualification for which your professional competency must be evaluated depend on the licence subclasses you are applying for and the type of company.

General or specialized contractor's licence

For this type of licence, the following fields are evaluated:

• Administration
• Construction site safety management
• Project and site management
• Carrying out of construction work, for the subclasses listed in Schedules I or II of the List of Licence Subclasses – PDF (131 KB).

However, for subclasses 1.4 to 1.7 (civil engineering structures), the following fields are evaluated:

• Administration
• Construction site safety management, for the guarantor's selected subclass
• Project and site management, for the guarantor's selected subclass

You must pass all the exams in order to have the selected subclass included on your licence.

General owner-builder's licence

For this type of licence, the following fields are evaluated:

• Construction site safety management
• Project and site management
• Carrying out of construction work

Specialized owner-builder's licence

For this type of licence, the following fields are evaluated:

• Construction site safety management
• Carrying out of construction work, for the subclasses listed in Schedule II of the List of Licence Subclasses – PDF (109 KB).