Do we need a French website to launch in Quebec?

For customers in Quebec, yes. The OQLF explains that websites and social media content aimed at Quebec customers must be available in French, and that French must be clearly predominant in commercial advertising. Other languages can also appear. Budget for professional French content from the start, not a machine translation.

Can an out-of-province HVAC company work in Quebec?

Anyone carrying out construction work for others in Quebec generally needs an RBQ licence with the right subclasses, and construction workers need CCQ competency certification. These are significant steps. Contact the RBQ and CCQ directly well before any launch date.

Are furnaces or heat pumps the main product in Quebec?

Heat pumps, for most residential launches. About 70% of Quebec households heat mainly with electricity, so the core sale is usually a heat pump added to or replacing electric baseboards or an electric furnace. Gas furnace work is a much smaller segment.

Should we wait for the federal heat pump rebate?

The national rebate announced on 2026-10-08 isn't open yet, and federal and Hydro-Québec pages say it launches in 2027. Hydro-Québec says LogisVert requests are being processed normally in the meantime. Market what is open now, dated, and update when the federal program's details are published.

Launching an HVAC Brand in Montréal and Quebec

Quebec is the one Canadian province where an HVAC launch changes almost everything at once. The main product shifts from gas furnaces to heat pumps, because most homes heat with electricity. The licensing path runs through the Régie du bâtiment du Québec and the Commission de la construction du Québec. And the marketing itself has to be in French. None of this makes Quebec a bad market; it makes it one that needs its own plan rather than a translated copy of another province's.

The metros

Montréal's metro area dwarfs every other market in the province, but Quebec's other cities are substantial in their own right. The City of Montréal had 1,762,949 residents in the 2021 Census, the Montréal agglomeration 2,004,265, and the wider metro area 4,291,732, according to Statistics Canada.

Beyond Montréal, the main launch candidates are Québec City, Laval, Gatineau, Longueuil, Sherbrooke, Lévis and Saguenay. Laval and Longueuil sit beside Montréal and can be part of a Montréal-area launch. Gatineau is across the river from Ottawa, which matters to Ontario companies thinking of crossing: the market is close, but the province, the licensing and the language rules are different.

Fuel mix and season

Electric heat dominates, so the heat pump is the centre of the business. Statistics Canada's 2023 survey found electricity was the main heating energy in roughly 70% of Quebec homes, against about 5% for gas and 4% for wood.

For a sizing sheet, that means the large segment is homes with electric baseboards or electric furnaces that could add or switch to a heat pump. The gas segment is small. Our market sizing guide shows how to model each segment separately.

Winters are cold and snowy with a long heating season, especially outside the St. Lawrence lowlands. Heat pumps also provide cooling, so a well-positioned Quebec launch can sell a single system for both seasons.

Regulators and language rules

Licensing and language are the two biggest launch tasks in Quebec, and both should start early. This is orientation only; get advice from the bodies themselves.

The Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) licenses contractors. Anyone who carries out construction work for others generally needs an RBQ licence with the right subclasses.
Your technicians' competency cards come from the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ), which certifies construction-industry workers.
CNESST covers workplace health and safety.
The OQLF sets out French-language requirements. Since Bill 96 amended the Charter of the French Language, a launch's ads need French in the clearly dominant position, and its website and social accounts must offer French to Quebec customers.

For the marketing plan, that means French-first pages, ads, Google Business Profile content and review replies, written by someone fluent in Quebec French.

Programs as of October 2026

Quebec has active heat pump grants, and a federal program on the way. Hydro-Québec's LogisVert program offers grants for ENERGY STAR heat pumps, calculated per 1,000 BTU/h of capacity at -8°C, with higher amounts for cold-climate units, up to $6,700. Hydro-Québec notes the federal heat pump rebate expected in 2027 and says LogisVert requests are being handled normally.

Rénoclimat changed on 2026-10-01, making the pre-retrofit evaluation optional and setting new caps. Chauffez vert, the oil and propane replacement program, stopped accepting applications after 2026-03-31. A Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program agreement for Quebec was announced on 2026-06-29. Confirm every program with its administrator before marketing it.

How we would approach a Quebec launch

Start licensing and certification first. RBQ and CCQ steps can take longer than everything else.
Decide on a Quebec brand. A French-first brand or a French version of your existing one, chosen with the OQLF rules in mind.
Lead with heat pumps for electric-heated homes, with LogisVert content dated and checked.
Write in French from the start. Pages, ads and profile content created in French, not translated at the end.
Follow the launch sequence once the paperwork is in hand.

Our launch website service can build a French-first site. The results from our HVAC work, including BoilerPart.ca with 2,000+ programmatic pages and 180% organic traffic growth, are on the results page.

Launching an HVAC brand in Quebec