Construction work in a school or a school board, a college, a childcare centre, a public health and social services establishment, a non-profit organization not registered with the Canada Revenue Agency, a housing co-operative.

Only volunteer work for maintenance and repairs is permitted. (Not to be confused with renovation*)

The maintenance of a building is defined as preventive actions performed to keep the building in good condition – to conserve it. By repair is meant a remedial act that is made necessary due to deterioration – that is, to return to good condition a building that has been damaged or has deteriorated.

The types of work that maybe performed by volunteers are the following:

Interior and exterior painting
Work concerning interior surfaces, such as covering and finishing of floors, walls, and ceilings, as well as similar or related work
Non-structural work in wood or plastic, such as finish carpentry, as well as similar or related work
Work concerning interior doors and windows, as well as similar or related work
Work concerning marble, granite, ceramics, terrazzo, and similar materials, as well as similar or related work
Work concerning cupboards and counters, as well as similar or related work

Examples of permitted work:

Painting an existing wall for redecoration
Placing drywall in part of a wall to repair a hole
Changing a broken ceramic tile
Sanding and varnishing an existing wood floor

Outside of these types of work, it is not permitted to employ volunteers.

* Renovation: to improve, to upgrade.

Seuls les travaux bénévoles d’entretien ou de réparation sont permis. (Ne pas confondre avec rénovation*)

L’entretien d’un immeuble vise un acte préventif qui y est posé afin de le maintenir en bon état, de le conserver. Par réparation, on entend un acte curatif qui est rendu nécessaire à cause d’une détérioration, c’est-à-dire de remettre en bon état un immeuble qui a été endommagé ou qui s’est détérioré.

Les travaux permis par des bénévoles sont les suivants :

Peinture intérieure et extérieure ;
Travaux qui concernent les surfaces intérieures tels les revêtements de sol, de mur et de plafond, et leur finition, ainsi que les travaux similaires ou connexes ;
Travaux non structuraux en bois ou plastique, telle la menuiserie de finition, ainsi que les travaux similaires ou connexes ;
Travaux qui concernent les portes et les fenêtres intérieures, ainsi que les travaux similaires ou connexes ;
Travaux qui concernent le marbre, le granit, la céramique, le terrazzo et autres matériaux similaires, ainsi que les travaux similaires ou connexes ;
Travaux qui concernent les armoires et les comptoirs, ainsi que les travaux similaires ou connexes.

EXEMPLES DE TRAVAUX PERMIS :

Peinturer un mur existant pour le rafraîchir ;
Poser du gypse sur une partie de mur pour réparer un trou ;
Changer une tuile de céramique brisée ;
Sabler et vernir un plancher de bois existant.

En dehors de ces travaux, l’emploi de bénévoles n’est pas permis.

* Des travaux de rénovation visent à améliorer, à moderniser un bâtiment.

Attention

We are publishing this information to help you find out if the regulatory standards governing volunteer work apply to your construction project. If you cannot find an answer to your question here, you may contact the CCQ. Note that this information is only a summary and it is possible that your project will require a more detailed analysis for a decision to be made.

The articles pertaining to volunteer work in Act R-20 do not modify any other laws used to regulate construction sites (licences, insurance, health and safety, etc.). To learn more about these, visit RBQ and CNESST.

We would also like to inform you that under Act R-20 the CCQ has the power to inspect construction sites to ensure that they comply with the law. In addition, the CCQ may require any person concerned to provide information or documents related to the construction work.

Finally, for people to be considered volunteers, the work must be performed without constraint or obligation, and not for pay or other compensation.