Written by the Construction AIM team, a general contractor holding an RBQ licence
Two quotes for the same work can look very different, simply because they do not cover the same things. Knowing how to read a general contractor’s quote means spotting what is included, what is excluded, how extras will be handled and how payments are spread out. Here are the sections to review before you sign.
First: check who is making you an offer
The quote must clearly identify the company: legal name, Quebec enterprise number (NEQ) and Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) licence number. The RBQ also requires contractors to display their licence number on their identification and promotional materials.
The Licence Holder Register on the RBQ website lets you confirm that a licence is valid. It also shows the categories and subcategories held, the organization that provides the surety (a mandatory financial guarantee meant to compensate a client who has suffered a loss), any claims, and restrictions on public contracts. Check that the subcategories match the planned work.
Scope of work: what is included
A good quote describes the work precisely, not just with a heading. For foundation waterproofing, for example: excavation of the perimeter, type of French drain, thickness of stone, drainage membrane, sump pit, backfill. The RBQ recommends a contract with a precise and detailed description of the work and a schedule.
Watch for three things:
- QuantitiesAre they firm or estimated, to be confirmed by site measurements?
- Reference documentsIs the quote based on plans, specifications or an engineer’s report? Which ones, and dated when?
- MaterialsType, brand or « equivalent », thickness, applicable standard.
Technical and administrative exclusions
This is often the most revealing section. Technical exclusions cover what is not part of the work or cannot be assessed during the visit, for example:
- landscaping and full restoration of the grounds;
- interior work not described;
- hidden conditions: contaminated, frozen or waterlogged soil, rock, water table, unstable old foundations;
- structural reinforcement, as long as the engineer’s signed and sealed plans have not been received.
Administrative exclusions concern costs and steps outside the job site: municipal permits, unforeseen municipal requirements, traffic signage fees. A quote that looks lower sometimes simply excludes more things.
Terms: validity, access and unforeseen conditions
- ValidityThe offer states a period, for example 30 days or a few months. Under the Civil Code of Québec, an offer with a set deadline is irrevocable until that deadline expires; after that, it can be revised.
- Access and logisticsSite access, parking, debris disposal: who takes care of it?
- Hidden conditionsHow will problems discovered once the walls are opened or the ground is excavated be handled?
- Fixed price or estimateIn a fixed-price contract, the agreed price does not change, even if the work costs more or less than expected, unless otherwise agreed. If the price was given as an estimate, the contractor must justify any increase, and the client pays it only if it results from work or expenses that could not have been foreseen.
Extras, change orders and change directives
An extra is work that is not in the accepted quote: one more crack to repair, something discovered during the work, a change requested by the client.
The standard contracts of the Canadian Construction Documents Committee (CCDC) distinguish between two tools:
- the change order, a written agreement that sets the price of a change and, if needed, the adjustment to the contract time;
- the change directive, issued by the consultant when a change must be carried out before the price is agreed, with the price set later. It cannot change the contract time without an agreement.
On job sites, other terms are also used. Whatever the term, the rule to insist on is the same: a description of the work, a price or a calculation method, the effect on the schedule, and a signature before the work is done.
Progress payments and the 10% holdback
Under the Civil Code of Québec, the client is not required to pay the price before the work is accepted; progress payments therefore come from the contract, which must specify their stages.
The holdback is a portion of each payment kept until the acceptance or the completion of the work. In private contracts, it is not imposed by law: it comes from the contract, and 10% is a common rate. For public contracts covered by the prompt payment regulation, in force since September 8, 2025, a public body may withhold up to 10% as a performance guarantee.
- 10%common holdback rate in private contracts
- 30 daysafter the end of the work, to register a notice of legal hypothec
The Civil Code also allows the client to withhold:
- an amount sufficient to cover apparent defects or poor workmanship noted at acceptance, until they are corrected;
- an amount sufficient to cover the claims of subcontractors and suppliers who have given notice of their contract, until the contractor provides a release.
Why? Because of the legal construction hypothec. It exists without having to be published, in favour of contractors, subcontractors, workers, material suppliers, architects and engineers, and it secures the increase in value given to the building. For those who did not contract with the owner, it covers only the work done after written notice of their contract (workers are exempt from this notice). It lasts 30 days after the end of the work; to preserve it, the creditor must register a notice before that period expires.
Comparing two general contractor quotes
- Put the inclusions side by side, line by line.
- List the exclusions and what they leave you to do.
- Check whether quantities are firm or estimated.
- Compare how extras and hidden conditions are handled.
- Read the payment terms, the holdback and the warranty.
- Confirm the RBQ licence and ask for the certificates.
How Construction AIM works
- Site visit and visual and technical assessment before any quote.
- Detailed quote: work included, technical and administrative exclusions, terms and schedule. Municipal permits are excluded from our quotes; they are generally obtained by the client, and we coordinate the process with them.
- Coordination with the engineer hired by the client when signed and sealed plans are required.
- Extras: any extra or change is subject to your prior written approval.
- Progress payments tied to the work completed; for commercial projects, a 10% holdback is released at acceptance.
- Compliance: RBQ licence, CNESST compliance, wages at CCQ rates, and a written warranty based on the type of work.
Frequently asked questions
Is a quote a contract?
A quote is an offer. Once accepted and signed, it forms the contract along with its terms. With us, no work starts before signing.
Why are municipal permits excluded?
Requirements and timelines vary by municipality and borough, and the permit is generally obtained by the client. We exclude it from our quotes and coordinate the process with you.
What happens if a hidden problem is discovered?
Conditions that could not be seen during the visit are not covered by the base price. We give you a description and a price, and nothing is done without your written approval.
What is a release (quittance)?
It is a document in which a subcontractor or supplier confirms that they have been paid. It helps the owner release the amounts held back while limiting the risk of a legal hypothec on the building.
How do you set your prices?
Our prices are based on the current wage rates of the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ), set by the collective agreements for the sector concerned (residential, institutional and commercial, industrial), plus the materials and equipment specific to each job. Every quote is free, detailed and prepared after a site visit.
Let’s talk about your project
Want a clear quote, with inclusions and exclusions in writing? We prepare it free of charge after a site visit, in Montreal, on the North Shore, including Laval, and on the South Shore.
Do you manage a building or sit on the board of a condo syndicate? See our services for condo syndicates and property managers.
Scope of this guide. This content is general in nature. It does not replace a site visit or the opinion of an engineer or another professional about a specific building. The scope, price and conditions of any work are set out only in a written quote.