Using the worksheets in Quebec

The Quebec market

Montréal, Laval and Longueuil form the largest market, with Québec City, Gatineau, Sherbrooke, Lévis and Saguenay as major centres. Gatineau is a special case: many businesses there compete with Ottawa-based firms advertising across the river, and those firms must follow Quebec's language rules for Quebec customers too.

On the job value worksheet, the many duplexes, triplexes and older multi-unit buildings in Montréal often bring a distinct row: multi-unit jobs with different margins and decision-makers from single-family homes.

The French-language requirement

Quebec's Charter of the French Language, strengthened by Bill 96, says French has to dominate clearly in commercial advertising and on public signs. Since June 1, 2025, non-French trademarks or business names shown outside premises must come with French terms. Your website and social media, where they speak to Quebec customers, need a French version; English can sit alongside it. The OQLF's business guidance is the place to check details.

For the worksheets, this means:

• Ad budget: separate French campaigns, with French ad copy written for Quebec searchers rather than translated word for word.
• ROI worksheet: translation, French website pages and bilingual profile content are marketing costs. Add them to the channel they serve.
• SEO checklist: line 22 asks whether your site is available in French for Quebec customers. Here, that line is not optional.
• Vehicle signage: wraps count as marketing, and the same language rules apply.

Climate and the heating mix

Quebec has cold, snowy winters and a long heating season, harsher outside the St. Lawrence lowlands. According to Statistics Canada, about 70% of Quebec households relied mainly on electricity for heat in 2023, with natural gas around 5% and wood around 4%.

That electric majority matters. Gas furnace work is a much smaller row on the job value sheet than in Ontario, while heat pumps, electrical panel upgrades and electric heating service are larger. Seasonal weights for heating trades are heavy from November to March. Snow and ice also bring roof and gutter work late in winter.

Regulators to know

• The RBQ licenses contractors and covers building safety, including electrical, gas, plumbing and pressure equipment. If you do construction work for clients, expect to need an RBQ licence carrying the subclasses that match that work.
• The CCQ handles competency certification for construction-industry workers.
• CNESST covers workplace health and safety, and the OPC handles consumer protection.

Customers in Quebec often look for an RBQ licence number. Showing it is worth scoring on the SEO checklist.

Programs that change what customers pay

As of October 2026:

• LogisVert, run by Hydro-Québec, offers grants for ENERGY STAR and cold-climate heat pumps (up to $6,700), geothermal systems and other measures. Hydro-Québec has said it is handling LogisVert requests as usual, even with a federal heat pump rebate on the way for 2027.
• Rénoclimat has new rules from October 1, 2026, including revised caps and an evaluation before work that homeowners may now skip.
• Chauffez vert closed to applications after March 31, 2026, so remove it from any old ads or pages.

Confirm current details with the administrator before using any of them.

How we would approach Quebec

We would put French first: a properly written French site and campaigns, not an afterthought. Then the usual order: job value by type, tracking, and a budget weighted for a long winter. For businesses near the Ontario border, two sets of campaigns with separate tracking keep the ROI sheet honest.

Trades.Tools is a marketing and business consulting service, not a contractor, and nothing here is legal advice on language law. For help with your Quebec numbers, contact us.