A good construction bid (soumission) names the client, describes the work included and excluded, breaks down the price, and sets payment terms and how long the offer stays open. It also carries the line "Licence RBQ: XXXX-XXXX-XX", which the Building Act requires on a licence holder’s estimates, bids and contracts.
What a clear bid contains
A bid tells the client in writing what you will do and at what price. The more precise it is, the fewer misunderstandings you get at invoicing. A clear bid usually contains:
- Your details: legal business name, address, phone, email and RBQ licence number.
- The client’s details and the address of the work.
- A description of the work: what is included and what is excluded.
- The price, with the way it was calculated (lump sum, unit prices or another method).
- Payment terms: deposit, instalments, due dates.
- A schedule: target start date and estimated duration.
- A validity period for the offer, which you set yourself.
- Assumptions and conditions: site access, existing conditions, materials supplied by the client.
- Signatures of both parties, with the date.
If you are answering a call for tenders (appel d’offres), your document also has to follow what that call requires.
A template to adapt
This table is not an official form. Fill in the square brackets for your project. We left out every dollar amount: your prices come from your own cost estimate.
| Section | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Business | [Legal name], [address], [phone], [email] |
| Licence | Licence RBQ: XXXX-XXXX-XX (your own 10-digit number) |
| Client | [Name], [billing address] |
| Work location | [Site address] |
| Date and number | [Bid date], [reference number] |
| Work included | [List of work, by section] |
| Work excluded | [What is not in the price] |
| Price | [Total amount] or [unit prices and quantities] |
| Taxes | [Applicable taxes, on a separate line] |
| Payment | [Deposit], [instalments], [due dates] |
| Schedule | [Target start], [estimated duration] |
| Validity | [Deadline for acceptance] |
| Assumptions | [Access, existing conditions, client-supplied materials] |
| Signatures | [Business], [client], [date] |
Keep the same structure from one bid to the next. It reduces omissions and makes it easier to compare against the prices you receive from subcontractors and suppliers.
The required RBQ licence line
Section 57.1 of the Building Act (opens in a new tab) (Loi sur le bâtiment) requires a licence holder to show the licence number in all advertising and on estimates, bids, contracts and statements of account. The RBQ adds invoices to its list and sets out the wording:
Licence RBQ: XXXX-XXXX-XX
The number has 10 digits. The RBQ also requires it on site signs that show the company name, on your website, on business social media and on vehicles that show the company name. To find your number, see how to find and read an RBQ licence number.
Display details:
- Displaying the Québec government flag or the RBQ logo is forbidden. Only the number is required.
- Promotional items such as pens, mugs and clothing do not need to carry the number.
- Members of the CMEQ and the CMMTQ, and contractors domiciled outside Québec, are exempt from this display requirement.
Put the line in the header of your template so it appears on your bids, contracts and invoices.
Bid and contract: what binds you
What an accepted bid commits you to in law depends on the wording of your document, the type of contract and the client. The RBQ competency profile lists the legal value of a bid among its exam topics, but we do not go into it here: if in doubt, get advice from a lawyer.
A few habits that prevent disputes:
- State clearly what is excluded from the price.
- Set a deadline for acceptance.
- Say how you will handle a change requested along the way.
- Keep a signed copy of everything that is accepted.
If you are a specialized contractor and your price goes to a general contractor, the BSDQ (Bureau des soumissions déposées du Québec, the Québec bid depository) is a private non-profit body that receives bids from specialized contractors and forwards them to general or specialized contractors. It is mandated by the ACQ, the CMEQ and the CMMTQ. See bsdq.org (opens in a new tab).
What the Project and Site Management exam asks about estimating
The competency profile for Project and Site Management (Gestion de projets et de chantiers) has 5 modules and 26 elements. It is based on section 23 of the Regulation respecting the professional qualification of contractors and owner-builders (opens in a new tab), which lists cost estimating and bids among the exam subjects. Module 3, "Estimation des coûts et soumission" (cost estimating and bidding), groups elements 10 to 17. From the profile’s headings, it covers:
- the call-for-tenders and bidding process, including the legal value of a bid;
- analysing a call for tenders;
- types of contracts;
- preparing a bid;
- agreements with subcontractors and suppliers;
- BSDQ rules;
- quantity takeoff (métré);
- costing labour and materials.
The exam lasts 3 hours. For module-by-module detail, see the Project and Site Management exam page.
FAQ
How do you write a construction bid?
Describe the work included and excluded, calculate your price from a quantity takeoff and your real costs, then add payment terms, a schedule and a validity period. Enter "Licence RBQ: XXXX-XXXX-XX" with your own number. Have the client sign the bid.
Does a bid have to show the RBQ licence number?
Yes, if you hold an RBQ licence. Section 57.1 of the Building Act requires it on estimates, bids, contracts and statements of account, and the RBQ adds invoices. CMEQ and CMMTQ members, and contractors domiciled outside Québec, are exempt.
Is there a free official bid template?
The template on this page is free, but it is not an official form. Adapt it to your trade and your project. No section contains a price: your amounts must come from your own estimate.
Is a bid the same as a specification?
Generally not. The specification (devis) describes the technical requirements of the work and goes with the plans. The bid is the contractor’s price offer to carry out that work.
Is this on the RBQ exam?
Yes, if you sit the Project and Site Management exam. Its module 3 is devoted to cost estimating and bidding.
To practise before your exam, check your level with RBQexam’s free timed practice exam. RBQexam is not affiliated with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec.
Information current to 1 October 2026. The template is an example to adapt, not legal advice. No dollar amount is quoted on this page.