Quebec roofer shingle quotes: compliance overview

What to take away

RBQ licensing and roof work

Replacing a roof for someone else is construction work in Quebec, and construction work for others requires a licence from the Regie du batiment du Quebec. The RBQ issues licences by class, and each class lists the subcategories of work the holder may perform.

A shingle roof on a duplex usually sits under a residential building class with the right subcategory. Membrane work on a commercial flat roof in Quebec City falls under different subcategories entirely. If the class does not match the job, the quote is not a legal basis for the work.

The licence carries obligations past the class itself. The holder must maintain a security, keep a place of business in Quebec, and follow the laws and regulations that govern the trade.

The RBQ publishes those laws and codes, and a contractor is expected to know them before pricing anything. The RBQ laws, regulations and codes are the framework behind every compliant quote.

The licence is the first gate, not the last. Our licensing and compliance guide walks the sequence from application to ongoing obligations, and owners who skip it usually meet the gap when a client asks for the licence number.

What the licence does not cover

It does not cover an owner working on their own single-family home, or a handyman who never holds out as a contractor. It does not cover a subcontractor who should carry their own licence.

A general contractor cannot lend its licence to an unlicensed roofing crew. That arrangement breaks the law and leaves the property owner holding liability for unpermitted work.

Checking a licence before you sign or subcontract

The RBQ licence register shows the number, the classes and subcategories, the status, and whether the licence is still valid. The check takes minutes and prevents the most expensive roofing mistake there is: a deposit paid to a firm that cannot legally do the job.

Contractors need the same discipline on their own subs. If you hire a crew for part of a re-roof, that crew must hold the appropriate licence, and a general contractor who uses an unlicensed one can be penalized.

The client can then pursue you for the defective work. Checking the register before signing a subcontract costs less than defending that claim.

How to check a licence

A register entry showing a class mismatch is a warning, not a technicality. The same order applies to a new firm setting itself up: licence, insurance, then hiring is the sequence that keeps a roofing company legal from its first quote. Our license requirements piece lists the documents that should exist before work starts.

French contract rules for a Quebec roofing quote

Quebec's Charter of the French language requires contracts of adhesion and standard-form contracts to be drawn up in French. A residential roofing quote a homeowner signs without negotiation is generally a contract of adhesion, so the quote, the terms and the pre-printed clauses must be in French.

An English-only version signed by a homeowner can be challenged, and the French text prevails on any discrepancy.

A compliant quote is written in French and covers the work, the materials, the price and the payment schedule. It sets the start and completion dates and the warranty terms.

Product names and technical terms can stay in English where no accepted French equivalent exists, but the contract language around them must be French.

A bilingual quote works only if the French version is available and both parties clearly agree to be bound by it.

Read the French text, not just the number at the bottom. The French version controls what happens if the roof leaks in year three or the schedule slips. Contractors should have a French template reviewed once, then reuse it. A clean quote template with pricing examples saves time and keeps an unenforceable clause out of the file.

Clauses that cause disputes

A blank permit line is a change order waiting to happen. Most Quebec municipalities require a permit for a roof replacement, so the permit cost and the inspection sequence belong in the contract from the start.

How CCQ labor rules affect roofing quotes

Roofing is a regulated trade in Quebec. Most site workers on a residential or commercial re-roof must hold a competency certificate from the Commission de la construction du Quebec.

The CCQ sets minimum wage rates by trade and region; the applicable rate depends on where the work is performed.

A quote built on helper wages below the CCQ minimum will not survive an audit.

The system adds indirect costs on top of wages. Employers pay into training funds, vacation funds and social programs through payroll.

Those contributions are part of true labour cost, and a contractor who leaves them out is either underbidding or planning to misclassify workers.

Misclassification is a live risk in roofing, where crews are sometimes paid as subcontractors while working under the direction of the general contractor.

When comparing quotes, ask whether the applicable CCQ rates and payroll contributions are included. A very low quote is a prompt to ask who will be on site and whether those workers hold CCQ certificates.

Why the regional rate matters

CCQ rates vary by region, and the rate for the work location applies, not the rate where the office sits. A crew based outside Montreal cannot legally quote a Montreal job at its home-region rate.

Owners should ask for the CCQ certificate numbers of the workers assigned to the job, or at least confirm the contractor employs certified workers.

Construction Code and Safety Code obligations on a re-roof

The Quebec Construction Code sets the technical requirements for building work, including roof assemblies, structural loads, fire separation and energy performance. It adopts national model requirements with Quebec amendments, so details can differ from what a contractor learned in another province.

A compliant re-roof meets the snow load for its region, uses the required underlayment and flashing details, and preserves the fire resistance of the assembly where the building requires it.

The Safety Code covers worksite safety and applies on every re-roof. Fall protection is the central obligation on a sloped roof, and the required system depends on the work.

The code also addresses ladders, scaffolds and material handling, and a quote should carry the equipment cost and the time to use it properly.

The RBQ publishes the Quebec Construction Code and the Quebec Safety Code for anyone who needs the actual text.

In Quebec, the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) administers workplace health and safety. Contractors should confirm applicable employer registration and workplace-injury reporting obligations with CNESST before pricing a job; this overview does not replace project-specific safety guidance.

What this means for the quote

A quote that includes safety equipment, code-compliant underlayment and correct snow load assumptions will run higher than one that ignores them. That gap is not padding. It is what the job costs when it has to pass inspection.

Owners who take the cheaper number often pay twice, once at the inspection and again when an insurer questions the installation after a claim.

Continuing education and licence upkeep inside the number

An RBQ licence is not permanent. The holder must complete continuing education and keep a training file, and the requirement sits on the licence holder rather than on each employee. The RBQ provides a continuing education file where completed hours are tracked, and missing hours can affect the licence at renewal.

Training cost, licence security and the administrative work of renewing are overhead. Overhead belongs in every legitimate quote. A contractor who prices work without recovering it is eroding the business, and a client who hires that contractor may find the warranty worthless if the licence lapses.

A sample re-roof scope

Take a shingle re-roof on a Montreal duplex, roughly 1,500 square feet of roof area. The quote covers tear-off, disposal, ice and water membrane at the eaves, synthetic underlayment, new flashing and architectural shingles.

Labour is priced at the CCQ rate for the region with certified roofers on site, the permit is included, and fall protection is a visible line item.

This scope accounts for certified labor, the permit and fall protection rather than leaving them out of the quote. For the paperwork behind the job, our compliance checklist for new owners lists the documents to keep on file.

Common questions

Can a roofer without an RBQ licence legally quote my roof in Quebec?

No. Construction work for others requires an RBQ licence, and a quote from an unlicensed contractor is not a legal basis for the job. Verify the licence in the RBQ register before you sign anything.

Does my roofing quote have to be in French?

If it is a standard-form contract you sign without negotiation, Quebec language rules require it in French. The French text controls if it conflicts with an English version.

Why are Montreal roofing quotes higher than quotes in other regions?

CCQ minimum rates are higher in the Montreal and Quebec City areas, and employers also pay training and social contributions on payroll. Compliant quotes carry those costs.

What code requirements affect a re-roof in Quebec?

The Construction Code sets roof assembly, snow load, underlayment and fire separation requirements. The Safety Code sets fall protection and worksite safety obligations that apply on every re-roof.