Spring is peak renovation season. And it can also be the season for nasty surprises.
In 2024, more than 1,986 complaints were filed against construction and home renovation contractors in Quebec, according to Protégez-Vous. Excessive deposits, unfinished work, unlicensed contractors — bad experiences are common and expensive.
The good news? Most of these situations can be avoided by following a few simple steps. Here’s how to find a trustworthy contractor — and how tools like Neat can simplify the entire process.
In Quebec, any contractor carrying out residential renovation work is legally required to hold a license from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ), Quebec’s building authority.
All contractors performing residential renovation work in Quebec must hold a valid RBQ license and the subclasses required for the specific work being performed. — Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ)
By hiring a licensed contractor, you’re protected by a financial guarantee. The RBQ registry shows all claims filed against a contractor’s surety bond and the compensation paid to previous clients since 2014.
A contractor without an RBQ license — or whose subclasses don’t cover your project — is a serious legal and financial risk.
The RBQ license is your starting point — but it’s not the only check to run.
According to the RBQ and the Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC), Quebec’s consumer protection office, you should also:
The problem: doing all of this manually takes time.
Today, tools like Neat simplify the process. You can browse complete profiles with experience, certifications, and real homeowner reviews, which lets you validate a professional in minutes instead of hours.
The OPC has a search tool that shows whether a merchant has received formal consumer notices or been the subject of office interventions. It takes a few minutes — and can save you from a lot of grief.
According to CAA-Québec, a leading Quebec consumer advocacy organization, you should get at least three written, detailed quotes before choosing a contractor. This lets you compare prices, materials, and terms objectively.
A solid written quote should include:
Contacting contractors one by one can be slow and frustrating. With Neat, you describe your project once and receive multiple offers from interested contractors, making it easy to compare without having to track each one down separately.
A normal deposit ranges from 10% to 20% of the total contract value. A higher amount may signal that the contractor has cash flow problems. — CAA-Québec / Association des consommateurs pour la qualité dans la construction (ACQC)
According to the OPC, if the contract states that work will begin more than two months after signing, the contractor must hold the deposit in a trust account until work actually starts.
The law also protects you through the legal warranty under Quebec’s Civil Code: the contractor is liable for construction defects for five years after the work is completed.
In January 2026, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) issued an alert about rising fraudulent renovation schemes in Quebec. The most common patterns:
Other common mistakes to avoid:
Golden rule: Keep all communications in writing (email, text) and photograph key stages of the work as it progresses.
Browse verified contractor profiles in your area on Neat — certifications, reviews, and project history visible before you reach out.
Every step in this guide comes down to one thing: giving you control, speed, and transparency to make the right call. That’s exactly what Neat is built for.
The traditional process — search, call, explain your project, wait — is slow, repetitive, and inefficient.
Neat gives you a simpler way:
You can also browse contractor profiles in your area directly and contact whichever one you trust most.
You compare. You choose. You decide.
The quality and quantity of offers you receive depends directly on how well you describe your project. The more detail you provide, the faster and more accurate the process. For best results, always include:
This cuts down on unnecessary back-and-forth and gets you connected with the right professional faster.
Choosing a contractor doesn’t have to be complicated.
Always follow these principles: verify, compare, and take your time to decide.
And if you use tools that simplify the process, you can do it faster, with more transparency and better results.
Post your project on Neat — local contractors respond directly. Compare offers and pick the most competitive one. It’s free!
Prefer to search yourself? Browse available contractor profiles in your area on Neat and contact the one you trust most directly.
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