ASAgent Santé#hospital ADSQAgent de sécurité QuébecThe security guard's notebook AAAgent Ambulancier#paramedic APAgent Policier#police
Firefighter at the City of Québec: $52,114 to $101,587 a year in 2026Lieutenant at the City of Québec: $111,744 in 2026Captain at the City of Québec: $121,903 in 2026Firefighter in Montreal: $50,808 to $88,367 a year (2023)Lieutenant in Montreal: $97,202 (2023)Captain in Montreal: $106,041 (2023)SOPFEU forest firefighter: $27.16 an hour in the first yearFirefighter in Quebec, median wage: $40.17 an hourPart-time firefighter in L'Assomption: $24.88 an hour (2025)Part-time firefighter in La Matapédia: $19.28 to $28.56 an hourFirefighter at the City of Québec: $52,114 to $101,587 a year in 2026Lieutenant at the City of Québec: $111,744 in 2026Captain at the City of Québec: $121,903 in 2026Firefighter in Montreal: $50,808 to $88,367 a year (2023)Lieutenant in Montreal: $97,202 (2023)Captain in Montreal: $106,041 (2023)SOPFEU forest firefighter: $27.16 an hour in the first yearFirefighter in Quebec, median wage: $40.17 an hourPart-time firefighter in L'Assomption: $24.88 an hour (2025)Part-time firefighter in La Matapédia: $19.28 to $28.56 an hour
After a fire

Fire damage restoration: cleanup, rebuilding and jobs after a fire

What a fire and water damage restoration company does in Quebec, who chooses it, the RBQ licence to check, the rules for asbestos and the jobs in the field.

· Lire en français

Once the firefighter has left, fire damage restoration begins: securing, drying, cleaning, demolishing, then rebuilding. In Quebec, the Chambre de l'assurance de dommages writes that you are free to choose the contractor who will do the repairs. This text is for the insured and for anyone, woman or man, looking for a job in this field.

What a restoration company does

Québec.ca, in its job profile updated on June 19, 2026, writes that disaster restoration technicians restore property or buildings damaged during a loss. The work generally follows this order.

  • Emergency measures, to keep the damage from getting worse
  • Securing: doors locked, windows boarded up, damaged parts covered
  • Drying and removing water-soaked materials
  • Cleaning soot, dust and odours
  • Demolishing the parts that cannot be saved, then rebuilding

The definition of a loss, the insurance claim and the claims adjuster's job are covered in other articles on the site.

The first steps after a fire

The Québec.ca page Incendie à la maison, updated on August 26, 2026, explains what to do. The fire department gives you a document called remise de propriété, and you must follow what it says.

  • Inform your municipality, your insurer and the financial institution that granted the mortgage
  • Make an inventory of the damage, with photos or videos
  • Throw away materials soaked by the water used to put out the fire, such as drywall and glass wool

Who chooses the contractor

The Chambre de l'assurance de dommages answers in its page Quoi faire, étape par étape: you are free to choose the contractor or to do the repairs yourself. The insurer can suggest its suppliers, but the decision is yours.

The same page sets out three precautions. Do not make any permanent repair before talking to your insurer. Review the quotes and confirm the amounts allowed before authorizing the work. You are not required to sign the assignment of claim, which allows the insurer to pay the contractor directly.

The Régie du bâtiment licence

The Office de la protection du consommateur says so in a notice dated September 9, 2024: for demolition or rebuilding work, the company must hold a contractor's licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ), Quebec's building authority.

The Registre des détenteurs de licence, on the RBQ website, lets you check a company.

The licence comes with a $40,000 bond for a general contractor and $20,000 for a specialized contractor. It is used to compensate the client for deposits paid, unfinished work, poor workmanship or defects discovered within 12 months after the work ends.

Asbestos and mould: the CNESST rules

Subdivision 3.23 of the Code de sécurité pour les travaux de construction (chapter S-2.1, r. 4), up to date as of June 1, 2026, applies to any construction site where work may release asbestos dust. A material contains asbestos once its concentration reaches 0.1% (section 3.23.0.1). The employer identifies the types of asbestos present before starting the work (section 3.23.3). These materials are removed before any demolition (section 3.23.3.2).

For mould, the CNESST (Quebec's labour standards and workplace safety board) asks that abnormally damp materials be dried, cleaned, thrown away or replaced without delay.

Your consumer rights

The Office de la protection du consommateur asks for a detailed written contract for any restoration, renovation, demolition or rebuilding work.

A merchant who solicits you at home must hold an itinerant merchant permit from the Office. You can then cancel the contract, at no cost and without explanation, within 10 days. The Office specifies that this right does not exist for all renovation contracts.

This text summarizes public documents. It is not legal advice.

Working in fire damage restoration

According to Québec.ca, a disaster restoration technician needs no specific training. The general construction site health and safety training certificate is required and a class 5 driver's licence is usually required.

Québec.ca classifies this job among specialized cleaners (NOC 65311). No official source publishes the pay specific to restoration, nor that of the labourer or the project manager.

SourceLowMedianHigh
Québec.ca, average from 2023 to 2025$17.00$22.00$30.00
Job Bank, 2023-2024 period$16.67$21.00$26.00

Hourly wage of specialized cleaners in Quebec. Québec.ca, job profile updated on June 19, 2026. Job Bank, wages updated on November 19, 2025.

The Commission de la construction du Québec competency card depends on the site. Section 19 of Act R-20, up to date as of August 12, 2026, excludes maintenance, repair, renovation and modification of a dwelling done for a natural person who lives in it. The Commission wrote on June 15, 2017, that a house completely demolished, foundations included, then rebuilt falls under the Act: the workers there hold a competency certificate.

Further reading

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Frequently asked questions

What should you do after a loss?

Québec.ca asks you to inform your municipality, your insurer and your mortgage lender, then to make an inventory of the damage with photos or videos. Do not make any permanent repair before talking to your insurer.

What is post-loss cleaning?

It is restoring the premises and property damaged by a fire, a flood or contamination, according to the Québec.ca job profile.

What is the average rate for cleaning after a loss?

No official source publishes an average rate. The Chambre de l'assurance de dommages asks you to review the quotes and confirm the amounts allowed before authorizing the work.

What is the best restoration company in Montreal?

There is no official ranking and this site recommends none. The RBQ's Registre des détenteurs de licence shows whether a company holds a valid licence and which subcategories it covers.

What product is recommended for cleaning after a loss?

Québec.ca says to clean dust and soot with soapy water, wearing gloves. Heavily soiled textiles go to a cleaning specialist.

What training do you need to work in fire damage restoration?

Québec.ca requires no specific training for a disaster restoration technician. The general construction site health and safety training certificate is required.

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