Finding a construction subcontractor in Quebec: check before you hire

Start by describing the work package

A good choice of subcontractor starts before the first call. Put in writing what you are handing over: the trade, the work included and excluded, the job site address, the target dates, who supplies materials and equipment, and the date by which the package must be finished so it does not hold up the other trades.

This description also serves for the licence check. The RBQ reminds contractors that anyone who performs work, or has work performed, must hold the right licence subcategories and make sure their subcontractor holds theirs too. So before you search, identify the subcategories that match your work package: our guide to subcategories and bonding will help you sort it out.

Then set your selection criteria, so you compare every candidate on the same basis:

• Licence and subcategories suited to the work in the package.
• Real availability on the target dates and crew size.
• References from similar jobs that you can actually reach.
• A complete compliance file: Revenu Québec, CNESST, insurance.
• A clear, detailed quote that can be compared with the others.
• Speed and candour of their answers.

The checks to make before you sign

Four bodies leave a verifiable record. Better to rely on them than on a candidate's word, however friendly they may be.

For Revenu Québec, the timeline is precise: you must obtain the copy of the attestation between the date of the quote and the end of the seventh day after work begins, then check its authenticity no later than the tenth day. Also check that the name and address on it match the company you are contracting with and that the validity period has not expired. These obligations apply at every level of subcontracting.

The details of each document, how long it is valid and how to request it are in our article on a subcontractor's documents. To read a licence record correctly, see how to check an RBQ licence in the registry.

Eight questions to ask on the first call

1. What is your RBQ licence number and for which subcategories? Is the name on the licence the one that will sign the contract?
2. How many people, including you, would work on my site, and on which dates?
3. Can you send me your Revenu Québec attestation and your proof of CNESST compliance?
4. What liability insurance do you hold? With which insurer, under which policy number, and until what date?
5. Do you have employees? If so, are you registered with the CCQ and does each of them hold a competency certificate?
6. Will part of the package be handed to someone else? To whom?
7. Can you give me two or three references from similar jobs?
8. What is included and excluded from your price, and on what schedule do you want to be paid?

Write the answers down. A serious candidate answers directly: hesitation about the licence or the attestations is already information. For workers' certificates, see our guide on the CCQ competency card.

Common mistakes, and how to avoid them

• Checking only once. A licence can be suspended, cancelled or restricted after you sign your first contract. The RBQ offers a newsletter on these updates: subscribe to it.
• Accepting a copy without checking it. For the Revenu Québec attestation, checking its authenticity in My Account for businesses is a legal obligation, not a courtesy.
• Reading the licence number without reading the subcategories. A valid licence may not cover your work.
• Forgetting the chain. If your subcontractor hands part of the package to someone else, Revenu Québec's obligations apply at every level, and the CNESST calculates your share of liability on the labour cost of the contract, subcontracted portions included. Ask who will do what.
• Agreeing verbally. The RBQ asks that any verbal agreement be put in writing: a detailed contract, a schedule, payment terms.
• Comparing prices without comparing what they include. A price gap can be explained by an exclusion you did not see.

Where to look for candidates

The usual leads are referrals from peers and past jobs, member directories of associations or professional corporations (for example the "Find a contractor" tool of the CMEQ for electrical work), the bidders on the calls for tenders you follow, and matchmaking platforms. None of these sources replaces your own checks: the RBQ also notes, for clients, that agencies that put you in touch with contractors often offer no additional protection if something goes wrong.

To understand what a good company listing should contain when you compare candidates, read our article on construction contractor directories.

Where SubmitX Network fits in

SubmitX Network is a construction network for Quebec: a directory of profiles (companies, subcontractors, suppliers, equipment, partners) searchable by region, trade and radius. It is closed for now. Quebec's 17 administrative regions are on a waiting list, and none is open yet: they open one by one, once there are enough profiles for a first search to return results. No SubmitX account is required, and signing up is free.

For anyone looking for a subcontractor, the benefit will be faster shortlisting. A profile's RBQ licence number is compared with the public registry of active licences: a number that exists is shown as "found in the registry", and the "verified" label only appears if the sign-up email is the company's email in the registry or an address on its domain. This is neither an RBQ approval nor a quality guarantee: the checks described above still need to be done.

You can join the waiting list and prepare your profile now; you will be notified when your region opens. Once the package is awarded, the SubmitX software helps you coordinate it with its projects, its Gantt chart and its e-signature: see the features.