Construction Supervision
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Construction Supervision
Supervision plan, inspections at key stages and a certificate of compliance with the Construction Code, signed by an engineer. We take on the supervision obligation created by Bill 76 for your projects, and we supervise the structural work we have designed.
Contractors, owner-builders, developers, condominium syndicates and architects: a team available on site in Montreal, on the South Shore, on the North Shore and across Quebec, clear visit reports, and a certificate accepted by the Régie du bâtiment, the City, the insurer and the lender.
- Bill 76 (2024)Supervision of the work by a professional, mandatory for the building categories set by regulation
- 3 key stagesAt least three inspections at key stages, under a supervision plan drawn up before the work begins
- Certificate of complianceA signed and sealed document certifying that the inspected work complies with the Construction Code
I
Six types of construction supervision assignments
Construction supervision means checking at the right moment, before the work is covered up, that what is being built matches the plans and the Code. These are the six types of assignment we carry out for contractors, owner-builders and project owners.
Supervision plan
Before the first shovel hits the ground: identifying the key stages (foundations, structure, envelope, concealed elements), the checks to perform at each, the documents to produce and the schedule. The plan becomes the shared roadmap for the contractor and the supervisor.
Inspections at key stages
Visits scheduled before the work is concealed: footings and foundation walls before backfilling, reinforcing steel before the pour, framing before close-in, structural elements before finishing. Findings photographed, non-conformities flagged on site, and a visit report within the agreed time.
Certificate of compliance (Bill 76)
At the end of the work, the signed and sealed certificate confirming that the inspected work complies with the Construction Code, required of the project owner and verifiable by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec. One simple rule: we only certify what we have seen.
Supervision of structural work
For projects we designed or whose plans we review: checking reinforcing steel, anchors, beams, columns and connections, answering site questions, issuing change directives and a final certificate of compliance with the sealed plans.
Owner-builder projects
An owner who builds or renovates on their own has the same obligations as a contractor. We support them from the permit to the certificate: supervision plan, advice before each stage, inspection visits and a final report for the City, the insurer and the lender.
Final inspection and deficiency follow-up
Final inspection visit, deficiency list, verification of corrections and a final notice of compliance for the owner, the condominium syndicate, the insurer or the lender. A complete, organized close-out file protects everyone.
II
What Bill 76 changes for your projects
An Act mainly to improve the quality of construction and public safety (Bill 76), passed by the National Assembly in November 2024, creates an obligation to have construction work supervised by a professional for certain categories of buildings. Its details are set by regulation of the Régie du bâtiment du Québec.
In practice, the project owner (contractor or owner-builder) must enter into a contract with an architect, an engineer or a person recognized by the Régie to draw up a supervision plan, have the work inspected at no fewer than three key stages and obtain, at the end of the work, a certificate of compliance with the Construction Code.
A first draft regulation, published in May 2026 for comment, targets residential buildings that are not covered by the Regulation respecting the guarantee plan for new residential buildings. Other building categories will follow. The law provides for fines for non-compliance, from $500 to $10,000 depending on whether the offender is an individual or a business.
- Supervision plan: drawn up before the work begins, it sets the key stages, the checks to perform and the documents to produce.
- Inspections: at least three, carried out by the retained professional before the work is concealed.
- Certificate of compliance: issued by the professional at the end of the work; to be kept and sent to the Régie when the regulation requires it.
- Timeline: phased in by regulation. Projects that are already well supervised have nothing to change; the others need to get organized now.
We follow publications from the Régie du bâtiment and the Ordre des ingénieurs, and we update this page at each regulatory step.
III
The situations that call for supervision
A legal obligation, a third-party requirement or simple prudence: four situations come up in nearly all of our supervision assignments.
- Plan
You're starting a project covered by Bill 76
A rental building, a plex, a residential building outside the guarantee plan: you need a supervision plan, inspections at the key stages and the certificate. We build the visits into your schedule so that supervision doesn't hold up the project.
- Protect
You're building or renovating yourself
An owner-builder carries the same responsibilities as a contractor, without day-to-day site experience. A supervisor who comes by before each critical stage avoids costly rework and provides the documents the City, the insurer and the lender will ask for.
- Finance
The lender, the insurer or the City requires professional follow-up
Progress draws tied to progress reports, a builder's risk insurance policy, a permit condition: our visit reports and notices of compliance with the plans meet these requirements, with dated photos and precise findings.
- Correct
A project going off track
A foundation poured without inspection, missing reinforcing steel, a beam modified on site, a contractor who no longer answers: we observe, we document, we issue correction directives and we verify that they are carried out before issuing any certificate at all.
IV
Our approach, from the plan to the certificate
Effective supervision is decided before the project starts: when the stages are agreed in advance, nobody waits for the supervisor and nothing is covered up without being seen.
- Plan review and supervision planReview of the architectural and structural plans, the permit and the applicable Code requirements. Drafting the supervision plan: key stages, checks, documents expected from the contractor (data sheets, concrete certificates, compaction reports), schedule.
- Kick-off meetingWith the contractor and, where applicable, the architect: who notifies whom, when, and with how much notice, in practice 48 business hours before each stage. We agree on what must never be covered up without inspection.
- Inspection visitsAt each key stage: verification against the plans and the Code, dated photographs, measurements, findings. The visit report is sent within the time agreed in the supervision plan; a non-conformity is flagged on site, before the work moves on.
- Non-conformities and correctionsA written directive, a proposed correction or a request for a solution from the contractor, then a follow-up visit to verify. When the correction requires a calculation, the engineer does it; when it requires the architect, we coordinate.
- Certificate and final fileA signed and sealed certificate of compliance for the inspected work, a notice of compliance with the plans for the structural portion, and an organized close-out file: supervision plan, visit reports, photos, directives, certificates.
V
What you receive
Documents that are useful on site, at the Régie, at the bank and with the insurer, and that still protect you years later.
- A written supervision plan, with the agreed key stages, checks and schedule.
- A report for each visit, within the agreed time: findings, dated photographs, conformities and non-conformities.
- Clear directives and notices of non-conformity, with the expected correction and the planned return visit.
- The certificate of compliance, signed and sealed, for the inspected work, and the notice of compliance with the plans for the structure.
- A complete close-out file, ready for the Régie du bâtiment, the insurer, the lender or the buyer.
Reference framework
- Mandatory supervision
- Bill 76 (2024)
- Certificates of compliance
- RBQ regulation (draft, May 2026)
- Technical requirements
- Construction Code, Chapter I, Building
- Contractor licensing and obligations
- Building Act (CQLR, c. B-1.1)
- Supervision by an engineer
- Engineers Act, ss. 2 and 3
- Builders' liability
- C.C.Q., arts. 2118 to 2121
- Professional practice
- OIQ guidelines
The regulatory framework for Bill 76 is being rolled out in stages. We confirm the requirements that apply to your project before proposing a supervision plan.
VI
FAQ
Who should retain the supervisor: the contractor or the owner?
Bill 76 places the obligation on the project owner, meaning the contractor or the owner-builder, depending on the project. In practice, we contract with one or the other. In every case, the supervisor keeps their professional independence: they certify what they have observed, not what they are asked to certify.
What are the key stages?
The law requires at least three inspections; the regulation sets out the details according to the building category. For a residential building, the typical stages are the foundations before backfilling (footings, walls, drain, waterproofing), the structure before it is closed in (framing, beams, anchors, bracing) and the building envelope or concealed elements before finishing. The supervision plan sets the stages for your project.
How much notice does the supervisor need?
We ask for 48 business hours' notice before each stage, and we plan the visits with the contractor at the kick-off meeting. For a concrete pour or a stage that can't wait, we arrange to be there the same day when the schedule has been shared in advance.
What happens if a non-conformity is found?
It is flagged on site and confirmed in writing in the visit report, along with the expected correction. The contractor corrects it, we check again, and the certificate is issued only once the correction has been verified. The goal isn't to hold up the project, but to keep a defect from being covered up and discovered ten years later.
Does the certificate of compliance cover the whole building?
It covers the work inspected under the supervision plan, measured against the requirements of the Construction Code. Anything covered up without inspection cannot be certified. That is exactly why the plan and the advance notice matter so much. The certificate also doesn't replace the certificates from other trades (electrical, plumbing, gas).
Does this replace the municipal inspection or the guarantee plan?
No. The municipal inspections tied to the permit, the guarantee plan for new residential buildings and the supervision required by Bill 76 are three separate regimes that apply on top of one another. The first draft regulation targets residential buildings that are not covered by the guarantee plan.
How much does construction supervision cost?
We offer a flat fee per stage or an overall flat fee for the project, set according to the number of key stages, the size of the building and the distance. The written service proposal specifies what is included (plan, visits, reports, certificate) and the rate for any additional visit if a return visit is needed.
Next step
A project to supervise, a certificate to obtain?
Send us the plans and the scheduled date for the foundations: we'll propose a supervision plan and a written service proposal.
- Firm
- GC4I Inc., structural engineers
- Office
- 8350 Christophe-Colomb Avenue, Suite 18, Montreal
- Service area
- Montreal, South Shore, North Shore and across Quebec
- contact@gc4i.ca
The provisions cited are those applicable in Quebec when this page was last updated. The regulatory framework for Bill 76 is coming into force gradually; the exact requirements depend on the building category and the regulations in force.