Do our booking page and review messages need to be in French?

The OQLF says website and social media content aimed at Quebec customers must be available in French; other languages can appear too. Booking pages and automated messages are part of how you deal with customers, so we build French versions from the start. Confirm details with the OQLF or an adviser.

Can you work with us in French?

This site is in English, and our materials are written in English. We set up French-language templates and booking pages for your customers, and we'll tell you on the first call how we'd handle French-language review and translation.

Does Quebec have its own privacy law?

Yes. Quebec is one of three provinces with its own private-sector privacy law. We build access controls and consent records into your systems, and recommend confirming your obligations with an adviser.

Going Digital for Trades in Quebec

Quebec is the province where a digital setup built for the rest of Canada most often falls short. Customer-facing content has to work in French, contractor licensing through the RBQ is broad, and Hydro-Québec's programs shape a lot of residential heating work. We help Quebec trades set up CRM, booking, invoicing and review systems that fit those realities. We're a marketing and business consulting service, not a contractor, and we don't give legal advice.

The Quebec market for going digital

Montréal, Laval and Longueuil form the dense core, with Québec City and Lévis facing each other across the river, Gatineau tied to the Ottawa market, and Sherbrooke and Saguenay anchoring their regions. Many trades businesses serve a French-speaking customer base almost exclusively, while some in Montréal and Gatineau work in both languages.

The usual digital gap: a strong reputation built on referrals, a phone that rings constantly, and quotes typed up in the evening. A CRM with lead capture and same-day digital quotes shorten the time from first call to signed job.

French language in your systems

Bill 96 strengthened the Charter of the French Language, and the result for a trades business is straightforward: your ads and signs must give French clear priority, and the OQLF expects anything on your website or social accounts aimed at Quebec customers to exist in French. Another language can sit alongside it. A further change took effect in June 2025: an English-only trademark or business name displayed outside your premises now needs French wording with it.

For a digital setup, we treat French as the default for Quebec-facing pieces:

booking page, service descriptions and confirmations
quote and invoice templates
appointment reminders and payment reminders
review request messages

We don't advise on language compliance; the OQLF and your adviser can confirm what applies to you.

Seasonality and climate

Heating runs for much of the year in Quebec, and the season gets longer the further you move from the St. Lawrence valley. Statistics Canada's 2023 survey found electricity was the main heating energy for 70% of Quebec households, far above any other province, with natural gas at 5% and wood at 4%. Heat pump and electrical work therefore loom large in residential demand.

Regulators to know

We link and summarize only.

The Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) licenses contractors. According to the RBQ's page on work requiring a licence, anyone doing construction work for others generally needs a licence with the right subclasses. Put your RBQ number on quotes, invoices and your booking page.
The CNESST handles workplace health, safety and compensation.
The CCQ handles competency certification for construction-industry workers.
The Office de la protection du consommateur covers consumer protection, and the Registraire des entreprises holds business registrations.

Programs that affect your paperwork (as of October 2026)

Hydro-Québec's LogisVert program offers grants for ENERGY STAR and cold-climate heat pumps, geothermal systems and other measures. Hydro-Québec notes the federal heat pump rebate expected in 2027 and says LogisVert requests are being processed as usual. Quebec also revised Rénoclimat as of October 1, 2026: homeowners can now skip the pre-work evaluation, and the aid limits are different. Chauffez vert stopped accepting applications after March 31, 2026.

Each program has its own documentation. Rebate-ready job checklists and invoice templates, in French, reduce errors. Confirm current rules with each administrator.

How we'd approach a Quebec trades business

French-first templates for every customer-facing message.
RBQ number on every quote, invoice and booking page.
Rebate checklists attached to eligible jobs.
Privacy controls, since Quebec has its own private-sector privacy law per the federal summary.

Compare provinces on our areas page, see pricing, or call, text or email.

Taking a Quebec trades business off paper