For painting and finishing work, the business must hold an RBQ contractor licence that includes the right subcategory (9). Here is which one, and what it does, or doesn't, tell you about the business.
RBQ subcategory (official title, in French): 9.0 Entrepreneur en travaux de finition.
Includes, for example: painting, plaster, interior finishing.
A general contractor (subcategory 1.2, 1.3) may also do this work when it is part of a building construction or renovation project.
The business's qualifications and solvency were checked before its licence was issued. Under certain conditions, its bond may also compensate you for a lost deposit, unfinished work or defects found within a year of completion.
Official sources: Building Act, s. 46 · Building Act, s. 7 · Regulation respecting the professional qualification of contractors and owner-builders, s. 6
The RBQ grants this subcategory without the business having to show experience in carrying out this work. The licence is valid, but ask for examples of past work and references.
The RBQ grants subcategory 9 without assessing the contractor's experience in this work, and about 83% of contractors hold it. A list by town would include almost every contractor, specialist or not, so we don't publish one. To find a specialist, ask for references for similar jobs and photos of recent work.
A summary of public data and the law, not legal advice.