Can our Quebec website be in English only?

Not if it serves Quebec customers. Under the Charter of the French Language, as amended by Bill 96, content aimed at Quebec customers must be available in French, and French must lead in commercial advertising. Other languages can appear alongside. Check the OQLF's guidance for your situation.

Does advertising construction work in Quebec require a licence?

The RBQ lists placing advertisements among the activities of a building contractor that can require a licence. If you advertise construction services in Quebec, confirm your licence and subclasses with the RBQ before you launch.

Do you write French content?

We plan French-first content for Quebec firms and have it written and reviewed for Quebec readers. Machine translation alone is not good enough for construction buyers.

Construction Marketing in Quebec

Quebec is a large, distinct construction market, and the first thing that changes is language. Advertising and websites aimed at Quebec customers must be available in French, with French leading. The second is visibility: buyers can check a contractor's licence, labour in the construction industry is organised through its own commission, and public owners publish tenders through a single provincial system. A Quebec marketing plan has to be built for Quebec from the start, not translated at the end.

Quebec's construction markets

Greater Montréal. Montréal, Laval and Longueuil hold the largest residential, renovation, institutional and commercial market, with heavy competition in French and English search.
Québec City and Lévis. A government and institutional owner base, plus suburban residential growth.
Gatineau. Closely tied to Ottawa, with buyers and owners on both sides of the river.
Sherbrooke and Saguenay. Regional centres with active residential, institutional and industrial building.

Climate and building seasons

Away from the St. Lawrence lowlands especially, Quebec winters run long, cold and snowy, which squeezes exterior work into a shorter window.

Planning happens in winter. Homeowner campaigns should run from January for spring and summer projects.
Renovation is a major market, with interior work continuing through winter.
Content about winter construction, building envelope and schedule realism answers questions Quebec buyers ask.

Licensing, labour, warranty and language bodies to know

We link these for reference. Confirm your obligations directly.

RBQ, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec, explains who needs a licence for construction work; it lists advertising among the activities that can require one. Its choosing a contractor page shows homeowners how to check a licence.
CCQ, the Commission de la construction du Québec, covers the construction industry's workforce and competency certification.
GCR accredits new-home builders and inspects newly built homes. New-home builders should mention their accreditation accurately and link it.
OQLF for French-language obligations on advertising, signage and websites.
CNESST for workplace health and safety.
SEAO, Quebec's electronic tendering system for public contracts.

Programs relevant to renovators, as of October 2026

As of October 2026, the province's Rénoclimat program for energy-efficient renovation changed on 2026-10-01: the pre-work evaluation became optional and new caps apply. Renovators doing insulation, windows or air sealing may find it relevant. Rules shift often, so confirm current terms with the program before using it in marketing.

The local business mix

Renovation contractors, a very large share of Quebec's residential market.
New-home builders and condo developers around Montréal, Québec City and Gatineau.
Institutional and commercial GCs serving health, education and government owners.
Industrial builders in manufacturing and resource regions.

Example: a renovation firm on Montréal's South Shore

A renovation contractor based in Longueuil, working on kitchens, basements and extensions, could approach its marketing this way:

A French-first website with full project pages, and an English version for anglophone clients in some neighbourhoods.
Search campaigns in French, targeted to the South Shore municipalities it serves, with separate English campaigns only where volume justifies it.
RBQ licence shown clearly in the footer and on the contact page, so homeowners checking on the RBQ site find a match.
Reviews requested in French at the end of each project.

Copying a Toronto playbook into Quebec usually fails on language alone. Building the plan in French from the start avoids rework.

How we would market a Quebec construction firm

French first. Website, Google profile, ads and project pages written in French for Quebec readers, with English alongside if useful.
Show the licence. Display your RBQ licence number where buyers expect it and point to the RBQ's public check.
Monitor SEAO. A weekly review paired with a current capability statement keeps public owners in view. See the B2B pipeline service.
Build local project pages for Montréal suburbs and regions separately; see builder SEO.

See the areas overview, or contact us about Quebec.

Construction marketing in Quebec