Choose a licenced contractor

Before hiring a contractor, you must ensure that they hold a licence and an itinerant merchant’s permit, if applicable. Moreover, you may check if they have a good record.

Make sure that they hold a licence

The contractor must not only have a licence, but also have the right subclass for the type of work they intend to do for you. To check if they have a licence, consult the Licence holders’ repertory.

Check whether they need an itinerant merchant’s permit

If the contract was signed at your residence, you might be dealing with an itinerant merchant An itinerant merchant must hold a permit delivered by the Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC) in addition to their Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) contractor’s licence. To ensure your contractor has an itinerant merchant’s permit, go to the OPC website.

To know whether your contractor is considered to be an itinerant merchant, read the definition of an itinerant merchant [Fr] on the OPC website.

Consult your contractor’s record

To learn more about your contractor, visit the pages below:

• Outstanding claims: Check if your contractor currently has a claim file against their licence security.
• Indemnities paid since 2009: If problems arise, customers who have dealt with a licenced contractor can file a complaint to claim for their licence security. When beneficiaries obtain an indemnity, the RBQ adds this information to the list of indemnities that have been paid since 2009.
• Restricted, suspended or cancelled licences [Fr]: Make sure your contractor’s licence is not restricted, suspended or cancelled because of a judicial record.
• Enterprise Register: Consult a contractor’s or enterprise’s file to obtain more information, such as possible bankruptcies, recourses and their enterprise’s file number (NEQ).

Tips to find a contractor

• Ask for bids from several contractors to compare the offers.
• Get in touch with former clients to learn about their level of satisfaction.
• Make sure the contractor has a physical address.