Do I need a French website to market my trade in Quebec?

Yes. In the OQLF's summary, any website or social media content aimed at Quebec customers needs a French version, although English can appear beside it. French must also be clearly predominant in commercial advertising. Confirm your obligations with the OQLF.

Should I show my RBQ licence number in my marketing?

Customers are told to check for one. Anyone who carries out construction work for others must hold an RBQ licence with the right subclasses unless exempted, so a visible licence number is a strong trust signal. Check with the RBQ on how it must be shown.

Is translating my English site into French enough?

Usually not. Quebec customers search with their own words for trades and jobs, so a word-for-word translation misses many of them. We plan Quebec campaigns French-first, starting from the search terms people in your area actually use.

Marketing for Trades Businesses in Quebec

Marketing a trades business in Quebec is different from anywhere else in Canada, and the difference starts with language. French must be clearly predominant in commercial advertising, and websites and social content for Quebec customers must be available in French. Add RBQ licensing, CCQ certification and a heating market dominated by electricity, and you have a province where copied English campaigns tend to fail.

Quebec's trades markets

Montréal and Québec City lead the province, with Laval, Longueuil, Gatineau and Sherbrooke the other big markets a trades company is likely to target.

Greater Montréal (Montréal, Laval, Longueuil) is one of the largest and most crowded trades markets in Canada. Neighbourhood targeting and French-first search terms matter.
Québec City and Lévis form a second large market, with strongly French-language search behaviour.
Gatineau sits across the river from Ottawa, so many businesses serve both provinces, and their marketing has to work under two sets of rules.
Sherbrooke, Saguenay and the regions behave like regional markets, where reputation and a well-kept Google profile go a long way.

Language rules that shape marketing

As summarised from the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF), under the Charter of the French Language as amended by Bill 96:

French must be clearly predominant in public signage and commercial advertising.
From 2025-06-01, a business name or trademark in another language that can be seen from outside your premises needs French wording alongside it.
A website or social account aimed at Quebec customers needs a French version, though English can sit beside it.

For trades, this touches vehicle wraps, yard signs, ads, Google Business Profile descriptions, websites and social posts. We summarise only; confirm your obligations with the OQLF. In practice, we plan Quebec marketing French-first, starting from the words Quebec customers actually type into Google.

Climate and seasonality

Quebec crews work through deep snow and a long heating season, and the further you get from the St. Lawrence lowlands, the longer it lasts.

Heating, electrical and plumbing trades see winter peaks; with electricity as the dominant heating fuel, electricians and heat pump installers carry a large share of heating work.
Roofing and snow-related work (ice damming, snow load, eavestrough damage) peaks in winter and early spring.
Exterior trades need to book their season during late winter, before the thaw.

Quebec heats with electricity: seven homes in ten relied on it for their main system in 2023, per Statistics Canada, while gas (5%) and wood (4%) were small by comparison.

Regulators and certification to know

Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) handles contractor licensing and building safety, including electrical, gas, plumbing, pressure equipment and more. Unless an exemption applies, doing construction work for someone else, or arranging for it to be done, requires an RBQ licence carrying the correct subclasses. A general contractor who uses an unlicensed subcontractor can be prosecuted. See work requiring a licence and the RBQ's advice to homeowners on choosing a contractor.
Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ): workers in the construction industry need CCQ competency certification.
CNESST for workplace health and safety, and the Office de la protection du consommateur for consumer protection.

Customers are told to check the RBQ licence. Make it easy to find.

Energy programs, as of October 2026

LogisVert (Hydro-Québec) offers grants for ENERGY STAR heat pumps, up to $6,700, plus geothermal systems and other measures. Hydro-Québec says it is still handling LogisVert requests as usual, even with a federal heat pump rebate expected in 2027.
Rénoclimat supports insulation, airtightness, windows and other work. From 2026-10-01 the pre-retrofit evaluation is optional and new caps apply.
Chauffez vert is closed; applications were not accepted after 2026-03-31. Remove it from any old ads or pages.

These programs matter to heat pump installers, electricians, insulation contractors and window and door companies. Confirm terms with the administrator before advertising them.

How we approach marketing trades in Quebec

French first, written for Quebec search habits, with English as a secondary option where your customers want it.
RBQ licence visible on the site, profile and ads.
Separate Gatineau planning for businesses serving both Quebec and Ontario.
Program pages kept current, especially after changes like Rénoclimat's in October 2026.

See websites, local SEO or contact us.

Marketing trades businesses in Quebec