Quotation and contract

Before hiring a contractor or a disaster recovery specialist to carry out work, a few steps are necessary.

1. Make sure they hold a building contractor licence

Make sure your contractor you intend to hire holds a valid licence that is appropriate for the work to carry out. To do so, consult the Licence holders’ repertory, or contact the RBQ at the toll-free number: 1-800-361-0761.

You can also consult the following webpages:

• How to determine the required licence? [Fr]
• List of licence subclasses [Fr]

If a contractor comes to your house and solicits you, check if they hold an itinerant merchant’s permit by consulting the Office de la protection du consommateur’s [Fr] website or by calling 1-888-672-2556.

2. Get more than one written quotation

Before signing the contract, demand a written and detailed quotation for the price of the work. The contractor also has the obligation to provide you with any relevant information regarding the nature of the work they plan to carry out and the materials and time necessary to carry them.

The contractor should list, in the quotation, details of the work to carry out, in which you distinguish the work eligible for the financial assistance program.

A complete quotation should include, among others, the following information:

• The detailed list of the work to be done (workforce and materials) in which you distinguish the work eligible for the financial assistance program
• Costs of the work, materials sold and taxes
• Basic hourly rate, and the hourly rate charged for additional work, if any
• Approximate duration of the work
• Nature and duration of the guarantee related to materials and workforce
• the licence number of the contractor and, if need be, of the subcontractor
• any one-time expenses that could be charged to you (trip, transportation, etc.).

By getting quotations from different contractors, you will be able to evaluate the cost of the work and make comparisons beforehand.

3. Demand a written contract

Once you have selected a quotation, demand that a written contract be established with the contractor. There are two main types of contract of enterprise.

Lump sum contract (fixed price)

The first type is a lump sum contract. It fixes a total and global price for the whole work planned with the client. 

• Fixed price (lump sum) residential renovation contract model [Fr]  – PDF (772 KB)
  Caution: Do not use this contract model if you deal with an itinerant merchant.

Hour or time and material contracts

The second type of contract is the hour or time and material contracts. The client must pay the contractor at an hourly rate fixed in advance, and pay the material bought to carry out the work.

To include in the contract

A complete quotation should include, among others, the following information:

• The detailed list of the work to be done (workforce and materials) in which you distinguish the work eligible for the financial assistance program
• Costs of the work, materials sold and taxes
• Work schedule
• Permit fees and declaration of work
• Total price for a lump sum contract
• Hourly rate for a time and material contract
• Hourly rate charged for additional work, if asked
• Related costs of an application for a connection, if applicable
• Payment methods and instalments

The scope of financial guarantees provided by the contractor must be indicated in the contract. Relevant documentation concerning the manufacturer’s guarantee must be given to the client.

You can ask to sign the paper testifying of the time and material provided after every workday of the contractor.

Once the work is completed, you can ask the contractor to give you the defective parts that have been replaced.

The RBQ advises you to verify whether the contractor has a valid third party liability insurance and a general insurance that will adequately cover their possessions, materials and equipment. You can ask your contractor for a proof of insurance coverage.

You may check the progress of the work, the quality of the materials used and of the work done, as well as the expenses incurred at any moment.