Checking a contractor before you sign: RBQ licence, CMMTQ and CMEQ

In Quebec, the company that installs your heat pump, solar panels or battery must hold a licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ). But a valid licence isn't enough: it also needs the right subclass, sometimes membership in a professional corporation and, if you are counting on LogisVert or Rénoclimat, a few more conditions. The rules described here are those in force in October 2026.

This guide completes our series on heat pumps and LogisVert, solar panels and home batteries. If you are still deciding on the system itself, start with our plan for eco-friendly home heating.

The RBQ licence: what it's for and who issues it

According to the RBQ, hiring a licensed company means dealing with a business that offers licence security (a bond), that has passed the Régie's verifications and whose guarantor or guarantors passed their professional competency evaluation.

The licence is not always issued by the Régie itself: two corporations issue it to their members. Either way, it appears in the same registry, with the same type of number.

The CMMTQ: plumbing and heating

The Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec (CMMTQ, the corporation of master pipe-mechanics) issues the licence of the plumbing and heating contractors who are its members. Subclasses 15.1 to 15.5 (pulsed air heating, natural gas and oil burners, hydronic heating, plumbing) are reserved for its members. The refrigeration subclasses, 15.9 and 15.10, are not: a refrigeration company that installs heat pumps can hold a licence issued by the Régie without being a CMMTQ member. To check membership, the CMMTQ has a member directory on its website.

The CMEQ: electrical work

The Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec (CMEQ, the corporation of master electricians) issues the subclass 16 licence, which allows electrical work in Quebec, and master electricians must be members. Its "Trouver un entrepreneur" (find a contractor) directory lets you look up a member.

Checking an RBQ licence yourself: the repertory and open data

First, ask the company for its licence number: ten digits, in the form 1234-5678-90. Then look it up in the Licence holders' repertory on the RBQ website. The Régie advises checking three things.

• The name. The contractor's name on the contract must match the name of the company that holds the licence.
• The subclasses. The licence must cover the work set out in the contract (see below).
• Claims. The repertory shows the number of licence security claims made against the company, and the compensation paid, over the past five years. A claim means the contractor did not honour a contract: the RBQ urges caution.

Open data: every active licence in one file

The RBQ also publishes the list of all active licences on Données Québec, updated daily and free to reuse (CC BY 4.0 licence). A company that doesn't appear in it has no active licence under that name. For each licence, the file shows, among other things:

• the type of licence, its status and its date of issue;
• the authorized classes and subclasses;
• whether the licence is subject to a restriction (yes or no), with its dates;
• who provides the security, the amount of the bond and the date of the next annual fee payment;
• the "mandataire", that is, the body that issued the licence: the Régie, the CMEQ or the CMMTQ;
• the Quebec enterprise number (NEQ), the address, the phone number and the other names used.

If the Restriction column says "Oui" (yes), ask the company or the RBQ for an explanation before you sign.

How our directory uses this data

Écodici's directory starts from the same public data. We only list a company if we found its active licence in the RBQ open data. For the heat pump category, the licence must also include 15.9 or 15.10, and the listing flags a missing 15.1, 15.7 or 15.8, which LogisVert requires; for solar panels, it flags a missing 16.0, or a missing 11.2 and 13.5; for batteries, the company must advertise residential battery installation. The rest of the listing (contact details, regions served, services, brands) comes mostly from the company's website. These basic listings are free and unsponsored: nobody pays to be in them. They are labelled “Unverified partner”, since Écodici has not checked these companies' files.

Alongside them, verified partners pay a yearly listing fee, and their listing says so. Their file is checked by hand: business registration, licences, insurance, green practices, past work and references. Either way, check the repertory again when you sign, since a licence's status can change. Companies are sorted by region in our directories of heat pump, solar panel and home battery installers.

The subclasses to look for, by type of work

The licence must also cover the work. The RBQ divides it into subclasses; for our three projects, here are the ones that matter, with their official titles.

Subclass 15.9 has limits: 20 kW of cooling capacity for an air conditioning system and 40 kW for heating and air conditioning appliances, with refrigerants in groups A1 or A2. Subclass 15.10 covers any refrigeration system. If the company only holds 15.9, ask it to confirm that the proposed unit falls within these limits.

One more thing: if the company selling the heat pump or the panels doesn't hold 16.0, the electrical connection will be handed to an electrician. Ask for their name and check their licence too: the RBQ lists work done by unqualified or unauthorized subcontractors among its warning signs.

NEQ, licence security and insurance: complete the file

With the NEQ, look the company up in the Registre des entreprises du Québec, the Quebec enterprise register. You'll see, among other things, whether it is registered, its address, its creation date, the names of its officers, the other names it uses and whether its declarations are up to date. According to the RBQ, a contractor who works alone may not have a file there. LogisVert and Rénoclimat, however, require the company doing the work to be listed.

Also check the "Get information about a merchant" tool of the Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC), Quebec's consumer protection office: it shows, among other things, whether the company has received formal notices from consumers.

Licence security lets a client who suffered a loss claim compensation, but the amount is limited: $20,000 for a specialized contractor and $40,000 for a general contractor. It is not insurance. So ask for proof of valid civil liability insurance: the insurer's name, the policy number and the expiry date. The CMMTQ itself advises its future members to take out certain insurance, such as liability insurance.

LogisVert and Rénoclimat: what they require from the contractor

The two main assistance programs set their own conditions. If the company doesn't meet them, the work is not eligible, even if it is well done.

LogisVert (Hydro-Québec)

• Heat pump. The company doing the work must be listed with the Registraire des entreprises du Québec, hold the appropriate RBQ licences for the work and be a member of the professional body associated with its sector. On its LogisVert page, Hydro-Québec spells out the subclass combination: 15.1, 15.7 or 15.8, with 15.9 or 15.10. The guide doesn't name the professional body: ask the company which one, then check its membership.
• Solar panels. The same conditions apply. The subclasses Hydro-Québec asks for: 11.2 or 13.5 for the installation, and 16 for the electrical work. The application to connect to the grid must have been made by a master electrician, and Hydro-Québec must have given its final authorization. Hydro-Québec also strongly recommends a contractor with professional experience, ideally backed by a recognized certification such as NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners).
• Invoice. It must show the company's RBQ licence number and its GST and QST numbers.
• Battery. Storage equipment is not eligible for LogisVert.

Above all, the LogisVert guide is clear: it's up to you to make sure the equipment is eligible and that any company you hire meets the requirements. Hydro-Québec is not responsible for the choice of company or for the installation work. The grant is paid to the owner, on an application filed no later than nine months after the measure is implemented, and it cannot exceed 100% of the purchase and installation costs before taxes (40% for solar).

Rénoclimat (Government of Quebec)

The new version of Rénoclimat, in effect since October 1, 2026, offers, among other things, up to $4,000 for a fixed battery and up to $1,000 for connecting a backup power source, except in a secondary residence. According to the participant guide, the work must be done by one or more contractors:

• one of whose companies is registered with the Registraire des entreprises du Québec;
• holding RBQ licences whose class and subclasses exactly match the work;
• who are members of the professional order responsible for the field, where applicable;
• who are not listed in the Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics, the register of companies barred from public contracts.

Connecting a backup power source must be done by a master electrician holding an RBQ 16.0 licence that is valid at the time of the work. The contractor personally fills out and signs a certificate of compliance form, and the expenses must have been paid to the contractor. All the details are in our home battery guide. For other energy-saving renovations, see how to improve your home's energy efficiency.

Contracts, deposits and door-to-door sales: your rights and the warning signs

The RBQ suggests asking at least three contractors for a quote and comparing materials, schedules, prices, payment terms and guarantees. Then insist on a written contract: all verbal agreements should be recorded in writing. As for money, the OPC suggests paying for renovation-type work in instalments as it progresses and keeping a final payment of 10% to 15% of the total cost for the end.

Door to door: prohibited for heat pumps

A seller who knocks on your door, or who calls or writes to you in order to come to your home, and who has you sign there is making an itinerant sale. Barring exceptions, including one for an evaluation, an itinerant merchant may not enter into a contract for a heating or air conditioning appliance, such as a heat pump, or for insulation or decontamination. Credit and long-term lease agreements are also prohibited in itinerant sales, with a few exceptions, such as credit from a bank or a caisse (credit union).

Solar panels and batteries are not on that list, but the itinerant sales rules apply. The seller must hold an OPC permit for any sale over $100 and is required to give you the permit number. During the 10 days after you receive your copy of the contract, you can cancel, the merchant may not provide any of the services in the contract and generally may not require or accept any payment or deposit, unless they have already given you the item. The permit comes with a security deposit that can be used to compensate you, but it does not attest to the seller's honesty.

Warning signs

Be wary if:

• someone contacts you without your asking, by phone, at your door or on social media;
• you are pressured to sign: the OPC recommends never signing a contract on the spot, and the RBQ, never signing anything under pressure;
• you are promised major savings or a "guaranteed rebate". The seller does not grant the rebate: for LogisVert, it's up to you to check your eligibility, and you apply once the equipment is installed. Run your own estimate with our heat pump, solar or home battery calculators;
• you are pushed toward financing from a private firm at very high interest rates;
• a free inspection turns up problems that supposedly need urgent repairs;
• several different companies are involved in the transaction;
• after the work, someone calls back to sell you services or accessories presented as necessary to keep your warranty;
• the company has no licence number to give you, or the name on the contract doesn't match the one in the repertory.

When in doubt, call the RBQ, the relevant corporation or the OPC before you sign, not after. And for good buying habits in general, read how to become a responsible consumer.

Sources

• Choosing a contractor, Régie du bâtiment du Québec, 2026.
• Specialized contractor's licence – Subclasses (with the subclass descriptions for 15.9, 15.10 and 16.0, in French), Régie du bâtiment du Québec, 2026.
• Liste des licences actives de la Régie du bâtiment du Québec (list of active RBQ licences, dataset and data description; in French), Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Données Québec, 2026.
• Devenir un entrepreneur en mécanique du bâtiment (becoming a building mechanics contractor; in French), Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec, 2026.
• Attention : licence obligatoire (a licence is mandatory; in French), Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec, 2026.
• Consumer Tips: Before Purchasing From an Itinerant Salesperson, Office de la protection du consommateur, 2025.
• LogisVert Efficient Homes Program: Participant's guide for residential customers, version 1.10, Hydro-Québec, 2026.
• Rénoclimat : guide du participant (participant guide; in French), ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs, 2026.