Reducing Construction Costs

Resolution #77: Reducing Construction Costs (Official French version)

The construction sector represents about 15% of Québec GDP. Not less than twenty-six construction trades (with mandatory certification and unionization) are described, accredited and regulated by the Commission de la construction du Québec.

The number and categories of trades and the regulations that oversee their activities have the effect of increasing the labour shortage of skilled workers (since most tradesmen have only one trade) and impeding productivity. Tradesmen must hold many work certificates to be able to accomplish relatively simple or similar tasks to those they have already been trained for (a plumber that can't plug an electric cord, an electrician can't move a ladder or a piece of furniture, a carpenter can't pour a small quantity of cement, etc.).

This lack of flexibility forces general contractors to hire a multitude of specialised trade workers who exercise only one trade or many subcontractors companies who will be limited to working only on a small portion of a specific construction project. Construction projects or sites become much more cumbersome and difficult to manage for employers.

A CPQ government will end this segregation between Québec tradesmen in the construction industry.

The number of trades with mandatory certification recognized by law will be reduced and others will be regrouped to allow for greater trade flexibility and versatility.

A CPQ government will align Québec rules with the standards in Ontario (which has six trades).

This reform will increase the productivity of the construction by $600 million a year for the benefit of the Québec economy.