How to become a builder-renovator in Quebec and what is the salary?

Becoming a builder-renovator in Quebec does not require a diploma: it requires the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) contractor licence. The licence is held by the business, and someone in the business must act as its guarantor (répondant).

Pathway (RBQ, "All the steps for obtaining a licence", consulted October 18, 2026):

• Choose the subclass(es): a general contractor licence covers 11 subclasses, including 1.1.1 and 1.1.2 (new residential buildings covered by a warranty plan, classes I and II), 1.2 (small buildings) and 1.3 (buildings of all kinds). These codes describe the type of work, not a level of experience.
• Qualify a guarantor in the four qualification domains: administration, job-site safety management, project and site management, and execution of construction work — through the RBQ exams ($105.27 per exam), a recognized training program, or a professional file ($877.49 per qualification domain).
• Exams: administration 3 h, job-site safety management 1 h 30, project and site management 3 h, plus one 3-hour execution exam per Schedule I or II subclass; passing grade 60% (RBQ, "Information sheet on the exam — general information", updated November 2019).
• Provide the required financial guarantees: licence surety of $40,000 for Schedule I subclasses ($20,000 for Schedules II and III) and, for 1.1.1 and 1.1.2, membership in the new residential building warranty plan. Issuance fees: $1,291.69 (general licence) or $849.41 (specialized licence); annual maintenance: $989.81 or $547.53.

Training: the RBQ requires no DEP. The carpentry-joinery DEP (program 5319, 1,350 hours) is one of the sector's programs (CCQ work-study pathway table; inforoutefpt lists an approximate duration of 13 months).

Salary: no official survey breaks earnings down by licence subclass. Published data for the Construction managers (NOC 70010) occupational group, which includes the "general contractor" job title, give an hourly wage of $29.00 (low), $45.67 (median) and $73.56 (high) (average of 2023 to 2025 wages, Gouvernement du Québec).

Sources: RBQ, Toutes les étapes à suivre pour obtenir une licence; RBQ, Tarification pour l'entrepreneur de construction (2026); RBQ, Liste des sous-catégories de licence; RBQ, Fiche d'information sur l'examen; Gouvernement du Québec, Directeurs/directrices de la construction (NOC 70010); Inforoute FPT, program 5319 — consulted October 18, 2026.