RBQ licence: how to start in renovation in Quebec (without studying or paying for your own)

Want to be your own boss in renovation in Quebec? Work at your own pace, pick your contracts, keep your profits, with no boss looking over your shoulder? That's a great goal. But between you and that dream, there's almost always the same wall: the RBQ licence.

Good news: back in 2009, I got my RBQ licence and started Beau-frère à louer. So I know both paths by heart — the long, expensive one where you do everything yourself, and the much faster one where you start right now under our licence. Here are both, laid out honestly, so you can choose with full knowledge of what's involved.

What is an RBQ licence, and why does it stop so many people?

The Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) requires a licence to carry out most construction and renovation work for pay. Without an RBQ licence, you can't legally bid, you can't invoice as a contractor, and you can't insure your work properly. It's the number-one barrier for anyone who wants to break into the trade in Quebec.

To grant you a contractor's licence, the RBQ has to be satisfied that you have the skills. It offers three ways to assess your professional competencies:

• Passing the RBQ exams (project management and carrying out the work);
• Recognition of a diploma recognized in your field;
• Recognition of experience and prior learning, in certain cases.

For the vast majority of people starting out, it's the exam route — the longest and most demanding one.

The traditional path, step by step

Here's what the "I'll do it all myself" method actually requires to get your RBQ licence and launch your renovation business:

1. Take a course to prepare for the RBQ exams

You can prepare for the exams through public or private training. Public training is often cheaper but less flexible; private training (online or in person) is faster and better targeted at the exams, but costs more. Either way, expect to spend several hundred to a few thousand dollars, plus weeks of studying on top of your life and your current job.

2. Pass the contractor exams

You have to book your dates and pass the RBQ exams: site safety management, project and business management, administrative management, plus the part specific to your trade (specialized or general contractor). Fail one, and you redo it — more time and more money.

3. Complete the legal steps to start your business

Registering the business, accounting, liability insurance, signing up with the CNESST, a licence bond… Before you even land your first contract, you're stacking up fixed costs and paperwork.

4. Pay the fees and bonds

The RBQ charges annual fees and requires a licence bond. On top of that, you've got the startup costs of any new business.

5. Build your marketing and find your first clients

Once the licence is in hand, the real challenge begins: getting your name out there, building a reputation, generating quotes, filling your schedule… from scratch.

The real cost of the traditional path

When you add up the training, the exams, the insurance, the fees, the business startup and the hunt for clients, you're often looking at several months of red tape and thousands of dollars invested before your first real paycheque — with no guarantee of steady work. It's doable (I did it), but it's long, risky, and it discourages a ton of good workers who have all the talent to succeed in the trade.

The Beau-frère à louer way: your independent career, right now, under our licence

What if you could skip the wall entirely?

At Beau-frère à louer, you work under our RBQ licence. No going back to school, no exams to pass, no paying for your own licence. You focus on what you do best — the trade — and we take care of the structure. Here's what you get:

• Full autonomy — you manage your schedule and the way you work, just like running your own shop.
• Zero studying, zero RBQ exams — you start working right now, not six months from now.
• No licence fees or business startup costs — you keep your cash instead of going into debt to get going.
• Clients who come to you — our brand, our marketing and our reputation (4.9/5 across hundreds of reviews) bring you contracts, instead of you chasing after them.
• The support of a team — insurance, guidance, tech tools and specialists around you.

In other words: all the upside of going into business for yourself — the autonomy, the freedom, the income — without the RBQ barriers. You keep the entrepreneur's mindset; we remove the obstacles.

Who is this for?

For the handyman, the renovator, the experienced labourer or the specialist (painter, taper, installer, carpenter…) who:

• has the talent and the trade experience, but doesn't feel like paying and studying for months for an RBQ licence;
• wants to be their own boss without carrying the administrative load and the financial risk alone;
• wants to start earning a living right away, not after a long obstacle course.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need my own RBQ licence to work with you?

No. You work under Beau-frère à louer's RBQ licence. That's exactly what lets you start immediately, with no training or exams.

Do I stay independent?

Yes. You keep control of your schedule and the way you work. You get the perks of being your own boss, without carrying the risks and the paperwork alone.

How much does it cost to come on board?

You don't have to pay for a licence or fund a business startup. Write to us to get the details and see whether the trade is a fit for you.

Ready to start your career in renovation, without the RBQ wall?

You've got the trade in your hands. We've got the licence, the brand and the clients. Together, we build you an independent, well-paying career, starting now.

Discover our career opportunities and join the largest team of handymen in Quebec.