An obligation and a register open to all
In Quebec, a construction contractor must hold a licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ, Quebec's building authority). The Régie keeps a public register of licence holders on its website.
Each licence has a number, which is used to find the company in the register. When choosing a roofer, this check comes first. Experience and the quality of the quote are assessed afterward.
What you gain
A contractor without a licence works outside the framework set for their trade. Nothing justifies handing them your roof.
The licence also tells you who you are dealing with. A specific company commits, under a specific name, at a known address. If a disagreement arises later, you know who to turn to.
The search, step by step
- Get two pieces of information from the roofer: their licence number and the legal name of their company, letter for letter.
- Go to the RBQ website, to the page of the register of licence holders.
- Run the search with the number or the name.
- Open the company's record.
- Put the quote next to it and compare.
Three lines to read on the record
- The name. It should be the same on the record, on the quote and, later, on the contract.
- The status. The licence should be in force on the day you sign.
- The work allowed. Roofing should appear in what the licence authorizes.
The line on work allowed needs some attention: a licence is divided into subcategories. Hydro-Québec, for example, requires an RBQ licence in subcategory 7.0 for its LogisVert program (Hydro-Québec's home energy efficiency program), which covers roof insulation among other things. If you do not know which subcategory to look for on your own job, the Régie answers this question, on its website or by phone.
When a line does not match, ask the roofer to explain. A vague answer can be checked with the RBQ.
Two tricks the register exposes
Someone else's number. A company without a licence prints on its papers the number of a company that has one. As soon as you compare the names, the record and the quote no longer tell the same story.
Yesterday's licence. The company did have a licence, but no longer does. Its business card and lettering have not changed for all that. What counts is what the register shows on the day you look.
Where the licence stops
A record in good standing establishes that the company has the right to do the work. It says nothing about how meticulous the installers are, whether they keep to the dates, or how used they are to a roof like yours. These qualities are judged at the roof visit, in the written quote and through past jobs.
Frequently asked questions
The licence number is not written anywhere on the quote. Is that a bad sign?
Not necessarily, but ask for it right away. The licence number usually appears on the quote, then on the contract and the invoice. A company in good standing gives it to you within a minute.
My search gives no results. What should I do?
Run it again, checking each digit of the number and the spelling of the name. If the company still cannot be found, sign nothing and pay nothing. The RBQ can confirm the situation for you.
I checked in the spring and I am signing in the fall. Do I need to check again?
Yes. A licence's status can change within a few months. Run the search again just before signing or handing over a deposit.
Official sources, consulted on October 9, 2026: