What is the CCQ and who does it apply to?
The Commission de la construction du Québec administers the Act respecting labour relations, vocational training and workforce management in the construction industry (the R-20 Act). It covers 4 sectors:
- Residential: single-family homes, condos, apartments (fewer than 6 units: light residential sector)
- Institutional and commercial: schools, hospitals, offices, stores
- Industrial: plants, refineries, industrial facilities
- Civil engineering and roadwork: roads, bridges, sewers, water mains
If you carry out construction work in one of these sectors with employees, you are a CCQ employer. That includes electricians, plumbers, carpenter-joiners, painters, roofers, tile setters, sheet metal workers, equipment operators and many other trades.
⚠️ Important: According to the CCQ, a late monthly report triggers penalties of 7%, 11% or 20% depending on how late it is, plus daily interest. See our CCQ monthly report guide.
CCQ employer obligations in 2026
As a CCQ employer, you must:
- Register with the CCQ before hiring your first construction worker
- Pay CCQ hourly rates based on the sector, the trade and the level (journeyman, or apprentice in 1 to 5 periods of 2,000 hours depending on the trade)
- Contribute to fringe benefits: pension plan and insurance, paid per hour worked, plus leave pay of 13% of wages (vacation, statutory holidays, sick leave)
- File the CCQ monthly report (hours, wages and contributions for each employee)
- Keep workers' reference records up to date
- Post the hourly rates on the job site
2026 CCQ hourly rates: overview by sector
| Trade | Journeyman, light residential ($/h) | Journeyman, institutional-commercial ($/h) | Apprentice final period, IC (≈ $/h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrician | 47.85 | 50.79 | 43.17 |
| Plumber (pipefitter) | 47.85 | 50.79 | 43.17 |
| Carpenter-joiner | 45.76 | 50.16 | 42.64 |
| Painter | 42.81 | 47.39 | 40.28 |
| Roofer | 47.85 | 51.20 | 43.52 |
| Tile setter | 46.59 | 50.12 | 42.60 |
Official rates in effect since April 26, 2026, read on October 1, 2026 in the CCQ wage rate tool. Excludes the 13% leave pay and fringe benefits. The final-period apprentice rate (85%) is calculated using the official scale. Rates vary by trade and sector, not by region. See the full 2026 CCQ rate table.
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The costliest CCQ payroll mistakes
- Wrong hourly rate: using the residential rate for institutional work (for example, journeyman painter: $42.81/h in light residential versus $47.39/h in IC)
- Apprentice level miscalculated: an apprentice moves to the next period every 2,000 accumulated hours, not with years of employment
- Forgotten fringe benefits: the 13% leave pay (vacation 6%, statutory holidays 5.5%, sick leave 1.5%), pension ($5.21/h for a journeyman) and insurance ($2.93 to $3.693/h depending on the trade and sector) are added on top of the base rate
- Late filing: the CCQ monthly report must be sent, with payment, no later than the 15th day of the month following the period covered
- Undeclared work: CCQ inspectors check building permits to identify active job sites
How SubmitX automates CCQ payroll
GPS punch-in on the job site
Workers punch in and out from their phone with geolocation. SubmitX automatically calculates hours per worker, per job site and per trade.
2026 CCQ rates applied automatically
SubmitX applies the right rate based on the sector (residential / IC / industrial / civil engineering), the trade and each worker's level, updated automatically with every collective agreement.
Fringe benefit calculations
Vacation, statutory holidays, pension, health insurance: everything is calculated automatically and built into the total labour cost of each project.
Monthly CCQ report ready to review
SubmitX calculates CCQ payroll from timesheets and groups hours by employee and by period, ready to carry over to your monthly report. Submission to the CCQ is done through its online service or through an authorized provider.
Integration with accounting
CCQ payroll data in SubmitX is synced directly with the accounting module. Your actual labour costs are added automatically to each project's results, so you know exactly what your real margin is on every contract.
Export to QuickBooks (Online or Desktop) is available in one click, with no double entry.
Calculate your crew's true CCQ cost
Official 2026 rates, fringe benefits and employer contributions: the SubmitX CCQ calculator is free.
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