To become a general contractor (entrepreneur général) in Quebec, you need a licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ). The company’s guarantor (répondant) passes the administration, safety, project management and execution exams, or earns an exemption. The company must also offer financial guarantees. The 2026 fee for a new general licence is $1,291.69, plus $105.27 per exam.
The steps at a glance
In Quebec, anyone who carries out or has construction work carried out must hold a licence, unless an exemption applies. The RBQ breaks the process into eight steps:
- Check that you need a licence.
- Choose the legal form of the business (individual, corporation or partnership).
- Register the business with the Registraire des entreprises du Québec (REQ). An individual doing business alone under their own personal name only does not have to.
- Identify the licence subclasses (sous-catégories) that match the work you plan to do.
- Check the criminal record of officers and lenders. The RBQ takes it into account, and it can lead to a refusal.
- Offer the financial guarantees: a licence bond or membership in the Plan de garantie des bâtiments résidentiels neufs (new residential building warranty plan), depending on your subclasses.
- Qualify: exams, a recognized training program or a professional file (dossier professionnel).
- Fill in and send the application form.
The competency card, or competency certificate (certificat de compétence), is for construction workers. The RBQ issues the licence to the people who manage a construction business.
General, specialized or owner-builder
The RBQ exam pages distinguish three licence types. The type you choose determines which exams you sit.
| Licence type | Exams required |
|---|---|
| General or specialized contractor | Administration, safety management, project and site management, plus one execution exam per requested subclass |
| General owner-builder (constructeur-propriétaire) | Safety, project management and execution (no administration) |
| Specialized owner-builder | Safety and execution (no administration, no project management) |
A general licence can also carry specialized subclasses. Annex III subclasses need no execution exam. To choose, read the pages on the general contractor, specialized contractor and owner-builder licences. The full comparison is in the difference between a general and a specialized contractor.
Two exceptions: for plumbing, heating and burners (subclasses 15.1 to 15.5), you go through the Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec. For electricity (subclass 16), it is the Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec.
The three routes: exams, recognized program, exemptions
The guarantor does the qualifying: the person themselves for a sole proprietorship, an officer (dirigeant) for a corporation or partnership. The RBQ recommends that the guarantor be ready to sit the exams when you file the application.
| Route | How it works | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| RBQ exams | You file the application, the RBQ summons you in writing | One exam per domain and per subclass |
| Recognized training program | You attach the pass attestation to the application | Only attestations issued from 2014 are valid |
| Exemption through guarantor experience | Having acted as guarantor in the same field in the 5 years before the application | Provided by section 20 of the regulation |
| Professional file | You show your skills in writing, with a possible interview | Demanding, no priority processing, several months |
The section 20 exemption in the Regulation respecting the professional qualification of contractors and owner-builders (opens in a new tab) (RLRQ, c. B-1.1, r. 9) covers a recognized program, or having been a guarantor in the same field within the previous 5 years. The details are in getting an RBQ licence without an exam. The RBQ lists recognized programs on its page Programmes de formation reconnus (opens in a new tab). According to the RBQ FAQ, you can file a recognized-program attestation without waiting out the 4 months that follow a failure.
The professional file is for people whose training is not in the register or who believe they have enough experience. It requires a list of achievements from the last 10 years and three references. The RBQ says a decision can take several months.
What it costs in 2026
Every amount below is the RBQ’s 2026 fee. Fees are indexed every 1 January and are not taxable.
| Item (2026 fee) | Amount |
|---|---|
| New general licence, 2026 fee ($884.54 duties + $407.15 fees) | $1,291.69 |
| New general licence, priority processing (no exams or professional file), 2026 fee | $1,698.84 |
| New specialized-only licence, 2026 fee | $849.41 |
| Each exam, 2026 fee (retake included) | $105.27 |
| Professional file, 2026 fee (per domain or per subclass) | $877.49 |
| Annual maintenance of a general licence, 2026 fee | $989.81 |
Worked example: a general licence with one subclass and a single guarantor requires four exams (administration, safety, project management, execution). At the 2026 fee, the exams cost $421.08 (4 x $105.27) and the licence $1,291.69, for $1,712.77 in all, before the bond. To run this calculation for your own licence type and subclasses, use the RBQ licence fee calculator.
Financial guarantees come on top. In 2026, the licence bond is $40,000 as soon as one general subclass is involved, including a mixed licence, and $20,000 for specialized-only subclasses. That figure is the amount guaranteed. The RBQ’s bond page does not say what a bond costs. You can get a bond through contractor associations, some insurance companies or most surety companies. There are two exceptions: an owner-builder application does not include the bond, and a licence limited to subclasses 1.1.1 and 1.1.2 does not require one. For those two subclasses the RBQ requires membership in the new residential building warranty plan instead, and both guarantees apply if you add other subclasses.
How long it takes
The RBQ does not publish a total delay from application to licence. It states 60 days to process a complete and compliant application, then summons the guarantor to the exams in writing.
On 1 October 2026, the RBQ said its delays were longer than usual. It was processing regular applications received on 31 August 2026 and priority applications received on 22 September 2026. These dates change, so check the RBQ banner before you plan.
Three things can stretch the timeline:
- an incomplete application (the RBQ contacts you, and you lose time if documents are missing);
- a failure: only one retake is allowed, to be requested within 30 days of the notice you receive. If you fail the retake or do not register for it, you cannot sit that exam again on another application for 4 months;
- a professional file, which can take several months and gets no priority processing.
For the step-by-step detail, read how long it takes to get an RBQ licence.
Income and hourly rate: what official sources say
None of the official sources consulted publishes the income of a general contractor who owns the business.
Job Bank (Government of Canada) publishes a wage for the neighbouring occupation, construction manager (NOC 70010). In Quebec, for the 2023-2024 reference period (updated 19 November 2025), the hourly wage is 30.00 dollars at the low end, 44.00 dollars at the median and 72.12 dollars at the high end. The source is Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey.
That figure describes a salaried manager who plans and directs a construction company’s activities under a general manager or senior manager. It measures neither the income of a contractor who owns the company nor an hourly rate billed to clients. The rate you bill depends on your costs and your contracts, and no official source consulted sets it.
FAQ
How do I become a general contractor in Quebec?
Get an RBQ licence: register the business if needed, choose your subclasses, plan the financial guarantees (licence bond or warranty plan), then have the guarantor qualify through exams, a recognized program, an exemption or a professional file. Then file the application. The RBQ states 60 days of processing for a complete application.
Do I need a diploma to become a general contractor?
The RBQ’s steps talk about assessing the guarantor’s skills and name no specific diploma. The RBQ offers three ways: exams, a recognized training program and the professional file. The regulation adds the guarantor-experience exemption. Passing a recognized program exempts you from some exams.
How much does a general contractor earn in Quebec?
The official sources consulted do not publish the income of a contractor who owns the business. For a salaried construction manager, Job Bank gives a median of 44.00 dollars an hour in Quebec (2023-2024), with a range of 30.00 to 72.12 dollars.
What is a general contractor’s hourly rate?
No official source consulted sets a billing rate. The Job Bank figure is a manager’s wage. Your rate depends on your costs, your contracts and your margin.
What types of contractors are there in Quebec?
The RBQ exam pages distinguish the general contractor, the specialized contractor and the owner-builder (general or specialized). For qualification, electricity and plumbing go through two master corporations.
To prepare for the three management exams before you file, you can gauge your level with the free timed practice exam from RBQexam. RBQexam is not affiliated with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec.
Information current to 1 October 2026. Delays: status published by the RBQ on 1 October 2026, to be rechecked at each update. Fees are the 2026 tariff.