Anyone wishing to start a construction company must take the right steps to be able to operate on construction job sites in Québec in full compliance with the regulations in force.

Some of the required steps are:

• Registering your company, as needed, with the Registraire des entreprises du Québec  (REQ), and when doing so, choosing the right legal status based on the kind of work your company does.
• Registering with Revenu Québec for the GST/TVH and QST.
• Registering with the CNESST .
• Obtaining a contractor licence and passing any required exams. This license will be issued by one of the following organizations, as the case may be:
  
  
  • The Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ), except when the license must be issued by the CMEQ or the CMMTQ:
    
    
    • The Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec (CMEQ) for electrical companies.
    • The Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec (CMMTQ) for plumbing-heating companies.
• Registering the company with the CCQ, regardless of whether construction work is to be carried out with or without employees, using the form Registration of a company.
  
  

Companies can have different status, namely employer or independent contractor. The criteria for determining the status of a company are specified in Act R-20.

The Portail entreprise du gouvernement du Québec (Québec government business portal) provides additional information for contractors on the business start-up process.

Registering a construction company with the CCQ requires the following information:

• Québec business number associated with the legal status of the company, where applicable.
• Number of the license issued by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ), the Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec (CMEQ) or the Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec (CMMTQ) and its category number.
• Contact information (name, address, telephone, fax and other) for the company and the directors or partners.
• Contact information of the accountant who does the books and produces the company’s monthly reports, where applicable.

All that an employer needs to do is to fill out the Registration of a Company form. There is a $350 fee.

Once registration is complete, the new employer can sign up for the CCQ’s online services. The employer can also consult the Guide for employers at any time.

Contribution to the Association des entrepreneurs en construction du Québec (AECQ)

When they register with the CCQ, employers automatically become members of the Association des entrepreneurs en construction du Québec (AECQ). For 2027, the basic annual contribution to the AECQ is $245, plus taxes.  

Invoicing of the basic annual contribution to the AECQ

The basic annual contribution is invoiced for the coming year as a function of the hours declared by the employer during the reference year, which is the current year. 

Here are the different scenarios:

• For employers that declared at least one hour worked during one of the monthly periods from January to October of the reference year, the annual contribution for the coming year is added automatically to the invoice for the monthly report for October of the current year, with or without activity.
  • Example: An employer declared hours worked during the monthly period of March 2026 but no hours for the other periods from January to October 2026. The basic annual contribution to the AECQ for 2027 will therefore be invoiced when the employer submits the monthly report for October 2026. 
• For employers that did not declare hours worked during the monthly periods from January to October of the reference year, the annual contribution for the next year will be added automatically to the invoice for the first monthly report with activity submitted during the reference year, or to the invoice linked to the amendment of a monthly report with activity for the reference year.
  • Example: An employer did not declare hours for the monthly periods from January to October 2026. However, the employer declares hours for the monthly period of November 2026. The basic annual contribution to the AECQ for 2027 will therefore be invoiced when the employer submits the monthly report for November 2026. 
  • Example: An employer did not declare hours for the monthly periods from January to December 2026. However, in March 2027, the employer amends the monthly report for June 2026 by adding hours declared. The basic annual contribution to the AECQ for 2027 will therefore be invoiced when the employer submits the amended monthly report for June 2026. 
• For new employers, the annual contribution for the year to come will be invoiced on the first monthly report submitted during the reference year in which at least one hour worked was reported.

Hourly contribution to the AECQ

In addition to the basic annual contribution, employers must pay an hourly contribution to the AECQ equivalent to $0.03 per hour worked, plus taxes. This contribution is invoiced when each monthly report is produced. The minimum hourly contribution to the AECQ is $5 per month, plus taxes. It is a compulsory contribution that must be paid even if no activity is declared during a monthly period.