Construction equipment rental in Quebec: how to choose a rental company

Before you call: define exactly what you need

A rental company gives a better answer when the request is specific. Have these five pieces of information ready before you pick up the phone:

• The type and size of equipment: capacity, reach, working height, weight.
• The start and end dates, with some slack if the job could slip.
• The job site address and its access constraints: narrow street, soft ground, overhead clearance.
• Whether you need an operator, training, or the equipment alone.
• Transport: does the rental company deliver, or are you picking up the machine yourself?

Eight criteria for comparing rental companies

The rental rate is only one line of your cost: add transport, fuel and any extra fees when you set your price. In SubmitX, the quote is a draft prepared with the help of AI: you add these costs and approve it before it goes out.

What the rules say, in broad strokes

These rules, summarized to help you ask the right questions, are no substitute for legal advice or for the CNESST (Quebec's workplace health and safety board).

The rental company must supply safe equipment

The CNESST guide on machine safety cites section 63 of the Act respecting occupational health and safety: no one may manufacture, supply, sell, lease, distribute or install equipment unless it is safe and complies with the standards prescribed by regulation. Renting is therefore covered. Once the machine is in service, its modification, use, maintenance and repair are the employer's responsibility.

On a job site: check before and during use

The Safety Code for the construction industry (CSTC) requires a lifting device to be checked, repaired and adjusted by a competent person before its initial use following a purchase, rental or loan, then inspected every day it is used by the operator, according to the manufacturer's instructions (s. 2.15.1). A vehicle or piece of equipment powered by anything other than manual energy must be checked by an experienced person before its first use on the job site, then every day it is used (s. 3.10.1).

Aerial lifts and elevating work platforms

For a mobile elevating work platform, the operator must be trained and familiarized on site with the specific equipment, including where the manufacturer's manuals are kept and what each safety device does (s. 2.15.17). The CSTC also requires the operating manual to be kept on the personnel lifting device and its owner to keep a log of inspections and repairs (s. 2.15.12). Ask to see both.

The rental contract

The Civil Code of Québec defines leasing as the contract by which one person provides another with the enjoyment of a movable or immovable property for a certain time, in return for rent (art. 1851). The lessor must deliver the property in a good state of repair in all respects (art. 1854). The lessee must use the property with prudence and diligence (art. 1855) and is liable for losses unless they prove that the losses are not due to their fault or that of the persons they allow to use it (art. 1862).

Checklist before you sign

1. Walk around the machine with the rental company and take dated photos: body, hoses, tracks or tires, warning lights, leaks.
2. Have the hour meter reading and fuel level at handover written into the contract.
3. Ask for the manufacturer's manual and the safety instructions, and know where they are kept.
4. Do a pre-departure inspection and an operating test before you leave the yard.
5. Spell out who pays for normal wear and tear and for damage caused by use.
6. Ask your broker what your policy covers for rented equipment.
7. Agree on the duration, the extension procedure and a number to call if the job slips.
8. Keep a copy of the contract, the photos and all written exchanges.

A word on transport. The Highway Safety Code prohibits the owner or lessee of an oversize or overweight vehicle from allowing it on the road without a special travel permit issued by the Minister of Transport (s. 463). A vehicle or combination of vehicles is oversize or overweight when its axle load, its total loaded mass (including the load) or one of its dimensions does not meet the regulatory standards (s. 462). A machine on a trailer can therefore make the whole combination oversize or overweight: ask who handles transport and permits, and confirm with Transports Québec.

What rental companies gain by presenting themselves well

For a rental company, the profile first answers one question: do you have what I need, close to my job site? A clear presentation cuts down on calls that are just to check, and attracts requests that are a good fit.

• The categories of equipment rented (lifting, earthmoving, compaction, tools, generators), with the main brands and capacities.
• The delivery area, the transport terms and who handles permits.
• Rental with or without an operator, and the demonstration or training available.
• Opening hours, return hours and breakdown support.
• A direct contact for availability requests.

Also say what you don't do: a rental company that makes clear it does not rent heavy machinery avoids calls, and the contractor saves time. For a shop's other services, see the article on equipment sales and repair.

Where SubmitX Network fits in

SubmitX Network is a directory of construction profiles in Quebec, searchable by region, trade and radius. Its "equipment" profile type covers rental, sales, repair and maintenance. No SubmitX software account is required.

Today, the network is closed: only the waitlist is active, and none of Quebec's 17 administrative regions is open. For a rental company, the wait is a chance to prepare the profile described above. Signing up is free for now, and SubmitX sells neither contact details nor customer leads. Join the waitlist for equipment rental and sales companies.