Starting a Cleaning Business in Quebec in 2026: The Decree, the Joint Committee and the Real Costs
Starting a cleaning business in Quebec takes little capital: a corporation for $497 all-in, some basic equipment and a first contract are enough. The real barrier is regulatory: as soon as your first employee is assigned to a "public building," a decree imposes a sector minimum wage, a joint committee and a monthly report. This guide covers what most guides ignore.
When you register, you will declare a CAE code with the Registrar: 9741 is the most common for building housekeeping and janitorial services; the 9726 to 9729 and 9952 to 9959 series may also fit depending on your offering. See our CAE code lookup tool.
An Easy Sector to Enter? Yes — Until Your First Employee
Cleaning is one of the least capital-intensive sectors: no provincial professional permit for routine maintenance, and modest starting equipment. But it is also one of the few sectors in Quebec governed by a collective agreement decree (décret de convention collective): working conditions imposed by regulation on every business, unionized or not.
Two decrees coexist: the one for the Montreal region (CQLR, c. D-2, r. 15) and the one for the Quebec City region (CQLR, c. D-2, r. 16). Each applies to "any maintenance work performed for others" within the territory defined in its Schedule I — if you have any doubt about your territory, call the joint committee rather than guess. A single employee assigned to covered work is enough to become an "employer bound by the decree" within the meaning of the decree.
"Public Building": A Much Broader Definition Than You Think
The common assumption — "I do commercial work, not public work, so the decree doesn't apply to me" — is wrong. "Public building" does not mean a government building: the definition covers nearly every type of building where cleaning services are sold. In practice, only a single-family private residence escapes it.
The definition includes, among others: offices, stores and shopping centres, restaurants, bars, hotels, schools, daycares, clinics, hospitals, arenas, factories, warehouses — and, crucially, "a house with several apartments or dwelling units," with no minimum number of units. Cleaning the common areas of a rental building is work covered by the decree.
The text provides a few exclusions — hotel rooms, a resident superintendent (Montreal decree), the owner side of private seniors' residences, among others. As for post-construction cleaning, the text does not settle the boundary with construction work: confirm this case with the joint committee before making it part of your offering.
Decree Rates in 2026: Montreal and the Quebec City Region
The minimum wage for your first employee is not Quebec's general minimum wage: it is the decree rate, considerably higher — $23.25/h in the Montreal region since March 4, 2026, $23.83 as of November 1, 2026. In the Quebec City region, the rates currently in effect date from November 1, 2025.
| Class of work | Montreal — since March 4, 2026 | Montreal — as of Nov. 1, 2026 | Quebec City region — since Nov. 1, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A (heavy work) | $23.25 | $23.83 | $21.62 |
| B (light work) | $23.25 | $23.83 | $21.57 |
| C (work at heights) | $23.90 | $24.49 | $22.23 |
Beyond the base rate, keep in mind:
- Night premium (Montreal decree): $0.25/h since March 4, 2026, $0.50 as of November 1, 2026 (for a shift falling mostly between midnight and 8 a.m.);
- Mandatory group RRSP in both regions: $0.20 per hour paid, remitted to the joint committee;
- Standard 40-hour week, overtime at +50%, a 4-hour minimum if called back in (Montreal decree);
- In Montreal, future increases are already scheduled through November 2030 (classes A/B reaching $26.63); for the Quebec City region, no further increase has been published in the text to date.
The Montreal joint committee (CPEEP) and the one for the Quebec City region both require a monthly report due by the 15th of the month, with a levy of 0.5% of payroll from the employer and 0.5% from the employee, plus RRSP contributions; their inspectors check hour registers and claim any wage shortfalls.
Solo Operator or Employer: The Line That Changes Everything
This is the pivot point of the business model. A tradesperson who works alone escapes the decree under three cumulative conditions: operating alone, contracting directly with the building's owner, tenant or manager, and performing the work alone or with immediate family. If even one condition is missing, the full regime applies.
The flip side is the sector's number-one trap: a solo tradesperson who subcontracts for another cleaning company is not excluded — they are treated as an employee of that company within the meaning of the Act respecting collective agreement decrees. Many startups begin exactly this way: an established company hands you buildings, you bill them — and the decree applies, rates, levies and monthly report included. The contracting party is, moreover, jointly and severally liable with its subcontractors for the decree's monetary obligations.
In concrete terms, if you're starting out solo:
- Aim for a direct contract with the end client and document it in writing — this is your proof of exclusion;
- Be wary of "turnkey contracts" offered by other cleaning companies: this is the classic setup for a deemed employee;
- In the Quebec City region, the exclusion is slightly narrower (family living with you) — if in any doubt, call the joint committee.
The Revenu Québec Attestation: Sector-Specific Oversight
Since January 1, 2021, the sector has been subject to a specific tax measure targeting about 14,000 businesses: the Revenu Québec attestation for maintenance contracts. Its stated goal: to counter undeclared work, shell companies and accommodation billing — cleaning is a sector explicitly under watch.
The regime covers contracts between a maintenance company and a subcontractor, at every level, as soon as a contract is for an indefinite term (regardless of value) or reaches $10,000 before taxes per calendar year between the same parties — who then remain covered regardless of the amounts afterward.
The obligations are documentary and automatic:
- The subcontractor holds the attestation on a continuous basis (valid until the end of the 3 months following the month of issue, with automatic renewal available) and provides a copy at the start of the work;
- The maintenance company verifies it online and reports the amounts billed by each subcontractor every quarter (April 30, July 31, October 31, January 31);
- Automatic quarterly penalties: $350 to $2,850 for the maintenance company, $175 to $950 for the subcontractor, doubled on a repeat offence within 3 years; franchisors and franchisees are expressly covered;
- Amounts paid to a self-employed worker go in Box O (code RD) of the RL-1 slip, with no threshold: every link in the billing chain is tracked.
Your Real Cost Base: Don't Bid Blind
The sector's second fatal mistake, after misclassified status: bidding below your fully loaded cost. An hour at the decree rate does not cost $23.25: with mandatory charges, plan on roughly $28 to $30 per loaded hour in the Montreal region, before overhead and profit.
The math for a class A/B hour in Montreal from March 2026: $23.25 in wages, plus roughly 16.96% in payroll taxes (the official estimate used in the decree's regulatory impact analysis), plus the joint committee's 0.5% levy, the $0.20/h RRSP contribution and vacation pay. And the market generally pays the decree minimum: your serious competitors have the same floor.
On the other side, prices published by commercial sources — for information purposes only — range from $30 to $50/h, or $0.15 to $0.30 per square foot per visit. There is room for margin, but every bid must start from the loaded cost: a $26/h contract with a decree-rate employee is a loss from day one.
Cleaning Franchise or Incorporated Independent?
Franchises sell an accelerated start: supplied clients and support, in exchange for an entry fee and royalties. The published figures — never guaranteed — give a sense of scale: an initial investment of about $4,000 with Jan-Pro (based on a directory listing that has since been taken down); plans starting at about $14,000 with Jani-King, plus recommended working capital, with an initial billing volume guaranteed by contract.
Before signing, two points: a franchise exempts you from nothing — Revenu Québec expressly covers franchisors and franchisees under the attestation regime, and the decree applies to their employees like anyone else's; and an incorporated independent keeps 100% of their billings, with no royalties, for an entry cost (incorporation at $497, insurance, equipment) that is generally lower than franchise fees — but with no clientele supplied.
Our guide When Should You Incorporate in Quebec? quantifies the trade-off; our comparison of legal business structures positions the corporation against the self-employed worker.
The Steps to Get Started, in Order
Build the structure before signing your first sizeable contract: the corporation, taxes, qualifying your market against the decree, then your first employee's registrations, the attestation and insurance. Each step is simpler once the previous one is done.
- Incorporate your corporation. It separates your personal assets from contract risk and lends credibility to your bids. Plan on $397 in government fees if you do it yourself, or $497 all-in with Incorp-Québec ($697 with an official name, tax registrations and express service) — details in our cost guide and our incorporation steps. Then plan for a business bank account, a minute book and the annual update with the Enterprise Register ($106 in annual rights).
- Register for GST/QST. Mandatory once you exceed $30,000 in taxable supplies over four quarters, and nearly unavoidable in B2B — and QST registration is central to the attestation regime. See our guide to tax numbers and our GST/QST calculator.
- Qualify your market against the decree. Covered building types, territory (Schedule I of each decree): if in any doubt, a call to the joint committee beats a retroactive surprise.
- Prepare for your first employee. CNESST registration within 60 days of the first day worked (possible as early as 30 days before), Revenu Québec and CRA source deductions, registration with the joint committee and a first report on the 15th of the following month, pay at the decree rate with premiums and the RRSP.
- Get your Revenu Québec attestation through Mon dossier pour les entreprises (My Account for businesses) as soon as you take on or hand out subcontracting work (indefinite term or $10,000 or more per year), with automatic renewal.
- Get insured and get qualified. $2 million in liability coverage is the market standard (no amount is imposed by law); schools and daycares require background checks. At an average of ten employees, pay equity requirements also kick in (initial exercise within 4 years).
For an overview of our packages, see our page online incorporation in Quebec.
Your cleaning business incorporated for $497, government fees included
A form of about 20 minutes, articles prepared and verified, filed directly with the Registrar of Enterprises, with the right activity codes declared.
The Costly Pitfalls
- Paying the general minimum wage instead of the decree rate. The sector minimum in Montreal is $23.25/h ($23.83 as of November 2026). The joint committee inspects and claims shortfalls — and the contracting party is jointly and severally liable for its subcontractor's obligations.
- The "false self-employment" chain. A tradesperson subcontracting for a cleaning company is treated as an employee, fees paid to self-employed workers appear on the RL-1 slip (Box O, no threshold), and quarterly filings track every invoice: exactly the scheme the 2021 measure targets.
- Assuming "residential" means "outside the decree." Multi-unit residential buildings are public buildings; only a single-family private home and a few specific cases (a resident superintendent, among others) fall outside the scope.
- Neglecting the Revenu Québec attestation. Automatic quarterly penalties ($350 to $2,850 for the maintenance company, doubled on a repeat offence), even if your taxes are otherwise in order.
- Registering late with the CNESST and bidding under cost. Late registration means retroactive premiums and charges for the years missed. And any bid below the loaded cost (roughly $28 to $30/h in Montreal) is a loss-making contract signed in advance.
FAQ — Cleaning Business in Quebec
I clean private homes: does the decree apply to me?
No. A single-family private residence is not a "public building" for purposes of the decree. But as soon as you maintain the common areas of a multi-unit residential building, an office or a business using employees, the decree can apply.
I work alone, with no employees: am I subject to the decree?
No, if you contract directly with the owner, the tenant or the manager and work alone or with immediate family. Yes — as a deemed employee — if you are a subcontractor for another cleaning company: the sector's most common trap.
What is the minimum wage for my first employee in the Montreal region in 2026?
$23.25/h (classes A and B) and $23.90/h (class C) since March 4, 2026, then $23.83 and $24.49 as of November 1, 2026, plus the night premium ($0.25, then $0.50) and the mandatory group RRSP of $0.20 per hour paid.
And in the Quebec City region?
Decree D-2, r. 16 sets rates of $21.62 (class A), $21.57 (class B) and $22.23 (class C) since November 1, 2025, plus the group RRSP of $0.20/h. No further increase has been published in the text to date.
What is the joint committee (comité paritaire)?
The body responsible for enforcing the decree in its region: employer registration, a monthly report due by the 15th of the month, a 0.5% levy on the employer and 0.5% on the employee, collection of the group RRSP, inspections and wage claims.
Do I need a Revenu Québec attestation?
Yes, as soon as a maintenance subcontracting agreement is for an indefinite term or reaches $10,000 per calendar year between the same parties. The subcontractor holds it on a continuous basis and provides a copy; the contracting party verifies it online and reports the amounts billed every quarter.
How much does it cost to incorporate a cleaning business in 2026?
At minimum, $397 in government fees if you do it yourself. With Incorp-Québec, $497 all-in (government fees, articles, initial declaration, numbered company) or $697 with an official name, GST/QST registrations and source deductions, and express service. After that, $106 in annual rights payable to the Registrar.
Cleaning franchise or independent business?
Published entry costs: about $4,000 in initial investment with Jan-Pro (based on a directory listing that has since been taken down), about $14,000 and up with Jani-King, in exchange for initial clients and support. No regulatory exemption: the decree and the attestation also apply to franchisees. The incorporated independent keeps 100% of their billings.
Incorp-Québec is an incorporation document preparation service: our role is to prepare and file your articles of incorporation. Decree rates and scope evolve over time; if you have any doubt about whether you are covered — territory, building type, post-construction cleaning — call the joint committee for your region: it is the body mandated to enforce the decree.
Ready to start on solid ground?
A corporation for $497 all-in, including the $397 government fee, with a numbered company and initial REQ declaration included. You know the decree and your real cost base — all that's left is to set up the structure.