Does my heating company name have to be in French?

Quebec's Charter of the French Language requires French to be clearly predominant in public signage and commercial advertising, and since June 2025 non-French names visible outside premises must be accompanied by French terms. The details matter, so read the OQLF guidance or ask the office before you order signage.

Do I need an RBQ licence?

Very likely, if you do work for clients. The RBQ explains that doing construction work for others, or having it done, generally calls for a licence with the correct subclasses, with some exemptions. Which subclasses apply to heating work is a question for the RBQ itself; we only link to it.

Can my website be English only for Quebec customers?

No. Content aimed at Quebec customers must be available in French, though other languages may also appear. We plan Quebec launch sites as French-first, with English as an option if you want it.

Starting a Heating Company in Quebec

Starting a heating company in Quebec is different enough from the rest of Canada that most generic advice doesn't apply. Electricity heats most homes, so heat pumps and electric systems sit at the centre of the market. The RBQ licensing system and CCQ competency cards shape who can do what. And the Charter of the French Language affects your company name, your van, your website and your ads. Getting these right from the start costs far less than redoing them later.

We help with naming, branding and launch marketing, and we plan Quebec launches around French-first requirements from the first conversation. Licensing and language compliance are between you and the Quebec authorities linked below.

Quebec's heating market for a newcomer

Electricity dominates. Statistics Canada reports that in 2023, 70% of Quebec households used electricity for primary heating, with natural gas at 5% and wood at 4%. That shapes what a new company sells:

Heat pumps: central and wall-mounted units, often added to electric baseboards or electric furnaces, and supported by the grants described below.
Electric furnaces and boilers: service and replacement in older homes.
Gas and wood niches: smaller, but less crowded, in specific regions.

The largest communities are Montréal, Québec City, Laval, Gatineau, Longueuil, Sherbrooke, Lévis and Saguenay. Gatineau companies often market across the river into Ottawa too, which means juggling two provinces' licensing systems and two language contexts; plan that deliberately.

Climate and seasonality

Quebec winters are cold and snowy, with a long heating season that's longer still outside the St. Lawrence lowlands. Heating failures in January are urgent, while heat pump installations are often planned in spring, summer and early autumn.

For a new company, that suggests a two-part year: build heat pump consultations and installations in the warmer months, and be fully reachable for repair and service calls once the cold arrives.

Authorities to look up before you open

Confirm your obligations directly with each:

Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ): contractor licensing and building safety, including gas, plumbing and pressure equipment. Start with its page on work requiring a licence.
Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ): the competency cards your installers may need on construction-industry jobs.
CNESST: workplace health and safety and workers' compensation.
Registraire des entreprises du Québec: business registration.
Office de la protection du consommateur: consumer protection.
Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF): French-language obligations for businesses.

The French-first brand

This is where Quebec launches go wrong most often, so it deserves its own plan. As summarised from the OQLF, French must be clearly predominant on public signs and in commercial advertising, names visible outside premises that aren't in French need accompanying French terms, and websites and social content for Quebec customers must be available in French.

Practically, that means:

Choose a name that works in French, or plan the French descriptive terms that will accompany it, before you order a van wrap.
Write the website in French first. Don't publish a machine translation.
Make ads, Google profile descriptions and review replies French-first too.

Our naming and brand service builds this in. For the rules themselves, rely on the OQLF.

Programs your customers will ask about

As of October 2026, Hydro-Québec's LogisVert program offers grants for qualifying ENERGY STAR and cold-climate heat pumps, geothermal systems and other measures. Hydro-Québec notes that a federal heat pump rebate is coming in 2027 and says LogisVert requests are still being processed normally. The provincial Chauffez vert aid for replacing oil or propane systems stopped accepting applications after 31 March 2026.

Customers will ask about these, often before they ask about price. A dated, French-first programs page that links to the official sources helps a new company look informed. Tell customers to confirm eligibility with the administrator.

How we'd launch a new heating company in Quebec

Settle the name and French terms first, with the OQLF guidance in hand.
Build a French-first launch website focused on heat pumps and electric systems if that's your work.
Set up the Google profile in French and reply to reviews in the customer's language.
Run French-language paid search limited to your service area.

See the areas overview for other provinces, or our FAQ for how we work with clients.

Starting a heating company in Quebec