Quebec intends to tighten the screws on construction contractors

Photo: Valérian Mazataud Le Devoir A construction site near Place des Arts

Isabelle Porter in Quebec City

Published at 1:03 p.m. Updated at 5:37 p.m.

• Quebec City

The Quebec government plans to monitor construction contractors more closely. With Bill 76, it opens the door to increased and tighter inspections and fines, in addition to imposing new training on them.

“This is a bill that will allow us to build better,” summarized Labour Minister Jean Boulet at a press conference on Wednesday.

The future law would require three inspections on each construction site, including one just before the walls are closed, a “crucial step” to detect defects in the electricity and plumbing.

“To carry out these inspections, contractors will have to sign a contract with an engineer, an architect, a person or an organization that will be determined by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec [RBQ],” specified Mr. Boulet.

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Why act now? Since 2019, the proportion of inspections during which defects were discovered has increased from 42% to 59%, reports the minister.

It is unclear which categories of buildings will be affected for now, but we know that condominiums will be affected.

New fines, mandatory training

The government would also create a new system of fines for delinquent contractors, $500 for individuals and $1,500 for businesses.

There are 53,000 RBQ contractor licence holders in Quebec.

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The RBQ would also impose new mandatory training on them, including concepts of administration, safety, and project and site management. Once again, it will be up to the RBQ to specify its content within two years of the law being passed.

Another addition: the Régie will introduce a new mediation mechanism applicable during conflicts between builders and insurers, in addition to existing arbitrations.

These new measures come as the government seeks to boost the construction industry.

When asked whether this is not counterproductive, Minister Boulet denies it. It costs on average 8 to 15 times more to correct errors in a construction project after the fact than during the construction site, he argues.

From the outset, “the delays caused by mandatory monitoring would be negligible,” he indicated.

The construction sector generated $66 billion in investments in Quebec in 2023, according to data put forward by the minister.

This is the second bill in the construction sector presented by Mr. Boulet since the re-election of the Coalition avenir Québec. The previous one aimed in particular to give more flexibility to the industry to stimulate construction.