How to check a heat pump installer’s RBQ licence
Step 1: quick heat-loss estimate →Estimate only: region, floor area, insulation and basement. Final validation afterwards with the full calculator.
Which RBQ licence subclasses cover heat pump installation?
For a wall-mounted or central heat pump eligible for LogisVert, Hydro-Québec requires a licence that combines a forced-air heating or ventilation subclass (15.1, 15.7 or 15.8) and a refrigeration subclass (15.9 or 15.10). Electrical work requires subclass 16 – Électricité (Hydro-Québec, LogisVert).
| Subclass | Titre officiel (RBQ) | What the RBQ definition specifies |
|---|---|---|
| 15.1 | Contractor – Pulsed air heating systems | Work on the heating and cooling appliances of these systems also requires “the appropriate subclass 15.9 or 15.10” (RBQ wording, translated). |
| 15.7 | Contractor – Residential ventilation | One of the subclasses LogisVert accepts with 15.9 or 15.10. |
| 15.8 | Contractor – Ventilation | One of the subclasses LogisVert accepts with 15.9 or 15.10. |
| 15.9 | Contractor – Small refrigeration systems | Air-conditioning systems “with a cooling capacity not exceeding 20 kW”; appliances of a forced-air system “with a capacity not exceeding 40 kW”, if the company also holds 15.1, 15.1.1, 15.7 or 15.8 (RBQ wording, translated). |
| 15.10 | Contractor – Refrigeration | “Any refrigeration system, including air-conditioning systems”; appliances of a forced-air system if the company also holds 15.1, 15.1.1, 15.7 or 15.8 (RBQ wording, translated). |
| 16.0 | Contractor – Electrical | Construction work on an electrical installation “reserved exclusively for the electrical contractor” (RBQ wording, translated). |
For 15.9, the 20 kW limit is about 68,000 BTU/h and the 40 kW limit about 136,000 BTU/h (site conversion: 1 kW = 3,412 BTU/h). Hydro-Québec writes “16 – Électricité”; the RBQ list writes “16.0” (list of subclasses).
Turnkey service: the company must hold all these subclasses, unless it holds a general contractor licence 1.2 (small buildings) or 1.3 (all buildings) that lets it subcontract to a qualified contractor (Hydro-Québec). In that case, check the subcontractor’s licence too.
How do you look up an installer in the RBQ register?
Ask the company for its licence number and enter it in the RBQ licence holder register; the register also lets you search for a contractor by name (RBQ). The number has 10 digits, usually written “Licence RBQ: XXXX-XXXX-XX” in the header or footer of the invoice (Hydro-Québec).
- Write down the exact company name and licence number shown on the quote.
- Open the RBQ licence holder register and search by number.
- Compare the record with the quote (see the list below).
- Search again when you sign: the register only shows valid licences (RBQ).
What should you check on the company’s record?
The register record shows, among other things, the company’s name and contact details, its Québec enterprise number, the licence number, its classes and subclasses, the association or company providing its security bond, and pending claims or compensation paid (RBQ).
- Licence in the register : the register contains every holder of a valid licence (RBQ).
- Subclasses : those in the table above, depending on the planned work; the company must hold the subclasses the contract requires (RBQ).
- Same name : the contractor’s name on the contract must match the name of the company that holds the licence (RBQ).
- Claims : the register shows bond claims and compensation paid over the last 5 years; according to the RBQ, they indicate the contractor did not honour the contract or repay the client (RBQ).
- Dossier d’entreprise : registration, address, creation date and directors in the Registraire des entreprises du Québec (enterprise register); formal notices and Office interventions in the OPC’s merchant lookup tool (Se renseigner sur un commerçant) de l’OPC (RBQ).
- Corporation : for heat pumps, LogisVert also requires the company to be a member of the corporation for its trade (Hydro-Québec). The OPC advises never to rely on a seller’s claims about RBQ licences or membership in the Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec or the Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec, and to check directly with those organizations (OPC).
What is the licence security bond for?
A licensed company provides a licence security bond, an amount meant to compensate its clients for losses, according to set criteria and amounts (RBQ). To use it, the RBQ describes four steps: try to reach an agreement with the contractor, send a formal notice (mise en demeure), try to obtain a court judgment, then file a claim against the bond; your chances of compensation drop sharply without a judgment (RBQ, knowing your recourses).
Quels signaux d’alarme doivent vous faire reculer ?
- Heat pump sales at your door that you didn’t ask for : a door-to-door merchant is not allowed to solicit you to sell a heating or air-conditioning appliance such as a heat pump, nor the related warranty or maintenance (OPC).
- “On behalf of Hydro-Québec” : Hydro-Québec does not partner with any company to sell heat pumps and does no telephone or door-to-door solicitation (Hydro-Québec).
- Free inspection by an “advisor” after an online form: according to the OPC, this often turns out to be a salesperson; these merchants can charge up to three or four times the normal value of the contract (OPC).
- Promises of big savings or rebates, or very high-interest financing offered on the spot (RBQ).
- Pressure to sign or pay a deposit : ne signez jamais sous pression (RBQ) and compare several offers before paying any deposit (OPC).
- Unqualified subcontractors : the RBQ lists work done by unqualified or unauthorized subcontractors among the fraud warning signs (RBQ).
If a contract was signed at your home following a solicitation, the rules on door-to-door sales give you the right to cancel it within 10 days, even if the work has been done (OPC).
Where does this check fit in choosing a heat pump?
Check the licence before signing, at the same time as the model: low-temperature capacity, AHRI number and LogisVert eligibility are explained in the guide How to evaluate a heat pump yourself. For LogisVert, the invoice must show the RBQ licence number of the company that did the installation (Hydro-Québec).
Frequently asked questions
Can a company holding only subclass 15.10 install a central heat pump?
According to the RBQ definition, subclass 15.10 covers work on the heating and cooling appliances of a forced-air system “provided the contractor also holds the appropriate subclass 15.1, 15.1.1, 15.7 or 15.8” (RBQ wording, translated). For LogisVert, Hydro-Québec also requires a combination of both subclass families.
Must the RBQ licence number appear on the invoice?
For a LogisVert application, yes: the invoice must show the RBQ licence number of the company that did the installation. The number has 10 digits, usually written “Licence RBQ: XXXX-XXXX-XX”.
What if the company doesn’t appear in the register?
Don’t sign. The register contains every holder of a valid licence. Ask for the exact number and search again. If work was done without a licence, the RBQ accepts complaints about unlicensed work.
Sources
- RBQ, Checking a contractor’s licence (French) and RBQ licence holder register. Checked October 22, 2026.
- RBQ, Choosing a contractor for your renovations (French) (licence, security bond, claims, door-to-door sellers, warning signs). Checked October 22, 2026.
- RBQ, List of subclasses (French) : definitions of 15.1, 15.7, 15.8, 15.9, 15.10 and 16.0. Checked October 22, 2026.
- RBQ, Knowing your recourses (French). Checked October 22, 2026.
- Hydro-Québec, LogisVert program, residential customers (required licences, licence number on the invoice) and Fraud prevention (French). Checked October 22, 2026.
- Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC), Door-to-door sellers (French), Attention aux commerçants qui usent de tactiques illégales (merchants using illegal tactics, in French) (April 18, 2024) and merchant lookup tool (Se renseigner sur un commerçant). Checked October 22, 2026.
- Québec.ca, Search for a business in the enterprise register (French). Checked October 22, 2026.
See also: how to evaluate a heat pump · the 2026–2027 rebates · all tools.