1. Who needs an RBQ licence

Quebec's Building Act defines a contractor as a person who, for others, carries out or has construction work carried out, or submits tenders for such work (section 7). A licence is required to act as a contractor (section 46).

• Work covered: foundation, erection, renovation, repair, maintenance, alteration or demolition of a building or civil engineering work, including the site preparation that comes before it.
• A contractor may not use a subcontractor who has no licence (section 46).
• Each licence lists subclasses, for example 5.2 "Metal works contractor" and 5.1 "Metal structures and precast concrete elements contractor". The company must hold the subclass that matches the work.

2. The rules to follow: Construction Code and Safety Code

In Quebec, work must comply with the Construction Code (Chapter I, Building) and the Safety Code. Since April 17, 2025, they are based on the National Building Code 2020 as amended for Quebec. The RBQ extended the transition period: the previous rules remain allowed for work that starts before October 17, 2027.

For steel structures, the chain of requirements is clear: the National Building Code (article 4.3.4.1) requires compliance with CSA S16, and CSA S16 (clause 24.3) requires fabricators and erectors who weld to be certified to CSA W47.1, in other words certified by the Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB).

The Safety Code also adds rules for hot work such as welding and grinding: protection against open flames and sparks during the work.

3. What the licence actually gives you

Good to know: the mandatory guarantee plan only covers new residential buildings. For plant work, the protection provided by law is the licence bond. For your own insurance, ask your insurer directly before the work starts.

4. The risks of hiring someone without a licence

For the unlicensed company: heavy fines (2026 amounts)

Amounts double for a first repeat offence, then triple, and are indexed every January 1. A contractor who hires an unlicensed subcontractor faces the same fine.

For you, the client

• No bond to compensate you if the work is poorly done or abandoned.
• Nobody has checked the company's competence or solvency.
• Work that does not meet the Code may have to be torn out and redone at your expense, often at the time of an inspection, a sale or an insurance claim.
• For health and safety, the owner can become the "prime contractor" of the site (Act respecting occupational health and safety, section 1), with an employer's obligations: notice of opening of the site to the CNESST, a prevention program from 10 workers, a site committee from 20.

5. How to check a licence in 2 minutes

• Ask for the company's RBQ licence number: it must appear on the quote and the contract.
• Look it up in the RBQ's public register of licence holders: validity, subclasses and bond claims.
• Check that the subclass matches the work (structures, metal works, etc.).
• For structural welding, also ask for CWB certification (CSA W47.1).
• In doubt? The RBQ takes complaints about unlicensed work at 1-800-361-0761.

In short

• Anyone doing construction work for others must hold an RBQ licence with the right subclass.
• Work follows the Construction Code and the Safety Code (NBC 2020 as amended for Quebec), and structural steel welding requires a CWB-certified company.
• The licence protects you: government screening, a bond and a public record.
• Without a licence, the company risks large fines, and you lose your remedies.

Alliance Maintenance Industrielle holds an RBQ licence and is CWB certified. For building work in your plant, call us at 438-357-8800.

Sources

1. LégisQuébec — Building Act (B-1.1), sections 7, 46 and 50 (French)
2. RBQ — Contractor FAQ: construction work covered (French)
3. RBQ — Specialty contractor subclasses (French)
4. RBQ — Update of the Construction Code and Safety Code, April 2, 2025 (French)
5. RBQ — Extension of the transition period, August 26, 2026 (French)
6. RBQ — Licence bond: amounts and compensation (French)
7. RBQ — Steps to obtain a licence; guarantee plan for new residential buildings (French)
8. RBQ — Fines, 2026 amounts, section 197.1 (French)
9. RBQ — Unlicensed contractors: stay alert, January 12, 2026 (French)
10. LégisQuébec — Act respecting occupational health and safety (S-2.1), prime contractor (French)
11. CNESST — Shared prevention responsibilities (French)
12. CWB Group — Job site visit report (NBC 4.3.4.1 → CSA S16 cl. 24.3 → CSA W47.1)

Photo: Unsplash. This article provides general information; it does not replace the manufacturer's requirements or your facility's risk assessment.