FAQs

Housing

The contractor I signed a contract with did his work badly. Do I have any recourse?

It is first of all essential that you try to reach an agreement with him in order to resolve the problem in a friendly manner. If he refuses to cooperate, you will have to send him a formal notice, by registered mail, notifying him of the problems that have occurred and giving him a reasonable time to remedy them. If the contractor does not act according to your expectations within a time period set by you, you can initiate proceedings at Small Claims Court (if the amount in question is $7000 or less) or at Quebec Court (if the amount is between $7000 and $70,000).

In such a situation, it is also advisable to lodge a complaint with the Régie du batiment du Québec. The Régie will have you fill out a form to which you will append the formal notice together with a document proving that you retained the services of the contractor (the invoice or the contract). Note: A complaint lodged with the Régie du batiment could be taken into consideration against the contractor when he applies for a renewal of his licence.

In addition, if the work is covered by a guarantee plan, send the administrator of the plan a copy of the letter you sent to the contractor. If the contractor does not give you satisfaction within the allowed time, inform the administrator of this (always in writing). This will start the grievance settlement process. It is very important to verify and respect the times specified in the guarantee plan to ensure that the protection clauses apply.