RBQ Licence: How to Verify It and What It Actually Covers

A contractor hands you a quote. At the bottom of the page, an RBQ licence number. Most people stop there: the number exists, so it must be fine.

The problem is that the number alone tells you almost nothing. A licence can be active and still not cover the type of work you are asking for. It can carry subclasses that were never subject to any competency assessment. And conversely, a perfectly legitimate contractor may have no licence at all, because their trade does not require one.

Here is how to read a licence properly, and what it will never tell you.

What an RBQ licence proves, and what it does not

A licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec certifies that a business has met the conditions to carry out construction work for others: exams passed by a designated officer, security deposit in place, file in good standing.

What it does not prove: quality of work, respect for deadlines, the existence of liability insurance sufficient for your project, or the current financial health of the business. An active licence is a starting point, not a guarantee.

That is why you cannot call a contractor "verified" simply because they hold a licence. What gets checked is the state of a permit at a given moment. The business behind it is a separate question.

The real trap: active does not mean it covers your work

This is the part almost nobody knows, and it matters most.

An RBQ licence is divided into subclasses. Each one corresponds to a specific field of work, and a contractor may only perform the ones listed on their licence. There are roughly sixty of them.

A few concrete examples:

• 1.2 Small buildings and 1.3 All buildings: two general contractor subclasses that authorize very different scopes.
• 1.1.1 and 1.1.2 New residential buildings covered by a guaranty plan: specific to new construction under a warranty plan, not renovation.
• 6.1 Wood structures, 4.1 Masonry structures, 3.1 Concrete structures: each structural trade has its own.
• 2.4 Private sewerage systems: septic systems have a dedicated subclass.
• 10 Solid fuel local heating systems: wood stoves too.

So a contractor holding only "1.2 Small buildings" who offers to redo your foundation is not covered for that work, even with a perfectly active licence. If something goes wrong, it complicates everything: recourse, insurance, warranty.

The question is never "do they have a licence". It is "does their licence cover what I am asking for".

Schedule III, the part that proves nothing

Subclasses are split across three schedules. Schedules I and II correspond to assessed fields of competence.

Schedule III groups subclasses granted without any assessment of competence in performing the work. Almost every contractor licence carries them. In other words, a long list of subclasses on a licence does not mean the business demonstrated competence in each one: a good portion may come from Schedule III.

This is exactly the kind of detail that gives a false impression of depth when you look at a licence without knowing how to read it.

Checking a licence in two minutes

Our tool to verify an RBQ licence queries the active licence dataset published by Données Québec. You can search by licence number or by business name.

What you get: the licences found, the exact legal name tied to the number, and most importantly the list of subclasses with their official RBQ wording. That is where you compare against your own project.

Two useful things about the tool. It displays the date of the data, because an open dataset is not real time: for a borderline case or an important file, cross-check with the official RBQ registry. And if the number found matches a business that has a listing with us, the tool shows you that listing, which saves you starting a fresh search.

The tool never displays an email, phone number, or address. It is a verification tool, not a way to harvest contact details.

When a licence is not required, and why that is not a red flag

The absence of a licence is not an alarm signal in itself. Several activities simply do not fall under the obligation to hold a contractor licence. The RBQ publishes the list, and it includes among others:

• inspections of all types;
• professional consultation for a construction project;
• de-icing and snow removal;
• tree felling;
• delivery of construction materials;
• grass mowing.

Add to that the trades whose work is a matter of aesthetics, layout, or advice rather than construction in the legal sense. An interior designer, a building inspector, a landscaper depending on the type of work: these people can be excellent, insured, and fully compliant without an RBQ licence.

On the other hand, some trades carry their own additional requirements. Electrical and plumbing work is specifically regulated, and businesses in those fields also answer to their professional corporation. If you are looking for an electrician or a plumber, validate both the licence and membership in the relevant corporation.

What to ask for beyond the licence

The licence settles one question out of five. The rest you ask for directly:

• The liability insurance certificate, with the coverage amount. Ask for a current copy, not a verbal assurance.
• The Quebec enterprise number (NEQ) to confirm the company exists and is in good standing with the Registraire des entreprises.
• Recent references on work comparable to yours, not on any random project.
• A detailed written contract listing the work, materials, schedule, and exclusions. Exclusions are the part people read least and that costs the most.

One thing not to misread: a deposit at signing is normal industry practice in Quebec, often around 15 to 30 percent depending on scope. That is not in itself a sign of fraud. What should worry you is a deposit requested in cash, without a contract, or well above those proportions.

For the rest of the process, our guide on choosing a renovation contractor covers the full criteria, and the one on hidden defects explains your recourse if a problem shows up after the work is done.

When comparing several quotes, our directory of general contractors lets you start from several qualified businesses rather than a single name picked up by word of mouth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a contractor without an RBQ licence necessarily operating illegally?

No. Several activities do not require a contractor licence: inspections, consultation, snow removal, tree felling, material delivery, among others. An interior designer or building inspector works legally without an RBQ licence. What would be illegal is performing construction work for others without holding the licence required for that work.

How do I know whether the licence covers my project?

By comparing your work against the list of subclasses on the licence. Each subclass carries official wording published by the RBQ, for example "Wood structures" or "Private sewerage systems". If the type of work you need matches none of the subclasses on their licence, ask the contractor directly.

Is the tool's data up to date?

It comes from the active licence dataset published by Données Québec, and the tool displays the date of that data. That is enough for a first check. For an important file or a borderline case, cross-check with the official RBQ registry, which always prevails.

Does an active licence mean the business is reliable?

No, and this is a common confusion. The licence certifies that the conditions for obtaining it were met: exams, security deposit, file in good standing. It says nothing about quality of execution, respect for deadlines, or the satisfaction of previous clients. You complete the picture with references, an insurance certificate, and a written contract.

What if the contractor refuses to give their licence number?

Take that seriously when the work you need requires a licence. A licensed contractor has no reason to hide their number; it normally appears on their quotes and documents. A refusal, visible hesitation, or a number that leads nowhere in the registry all justify moving on to another candidate.