A quote is the only document you will have before handing over money. It should answer all your questions without you having to ask them. Here is what it must contain, and what should worry you if it is missing.
Not just "flooring: $6,500". Rather: "12 mm floating floor, 440 sq ft, at so much per sq ft, installation included". With quantities, you can check the measurement yourself. With unit prices, you can compare two quotes item by item instead of comparing two totals that do not cover the same thing.
This is the section almost nobody reads and that causes most disputes. Are the appliances included? The paint? Debris disposal? The permit? A serious contractor writes what they do not do as clearly as what they do. If the quote says nothing about exclusions, ask for them in writing.
How much up front, how much along the way, how much at the end, and triggered by what. A large deposit before anything starts is a signal. A final payment conditional on complete delivery is your protection. With us, it is 30% at the start of the work and 70% on completion, written on every quote.
In Quebec, a contractor doing construction or renovation work must hold a licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec. The number must appear on their advertising and their documents. You can check it in two minutes on the RBQ website: is the licence valid, in which categories, and does the company have restrictions. Ask for proof of liability insurance as well. Without it, damage at your place or the neighbour's becomes your problem.
Material prices move. A quote without an expiry date can be renegotiated on signing day. Thirty days is a normal period. It gives you time to compare without the price changing in the meantime.
A lump sum with no detail. A deposit of 50% or more before the first hammer swing. No licence number on the document. A "cash" price different from the invoiced price. Pressure to sign today because "the price goes up tomorrow". A verbal quote. None of these signs proves a problem. All of them together describe one.
A complete quote runs several pages and reads clearly. Quantities, unit prices, exclusions, payment, licence, validity. If you have to ask for any of these, note it: that is already information about how the job is going to go.
September 16, 2026
