Available
Pilotiko for masonry contractors
A repointing job sold in February still needs a start date, a scaffold and a journeyman when the brick thaws in April.
Pilotiko helps a Quebec masonry contractor turn quotes signed over the winter into realistic weeks of work, book scaffolding and the wet saw without double-booking, suggest the mason with the right qualification, and draft detailed quotes that a person reviews before anything is sent to the homeowner.
In short
- Repointing, chimney and brick veneer quotes become dated job blocks, visible per crew.
- Scaffolds, saws and lifts are booked as resources: the same scaffold is never promised to two facades.
- RBQ subclasses 4.1 and 4.2 and CNESST silica rules remain your obligations; Pilotiko helps you make them visible.
- The quotes agent writes a draft; you edit it and decide when it goes out.
Why is a mason's season decided in winter?
Homeowners shop for brick work during the cold months, but most facades can only be redone once the frost is out.
From December to March, the calls are about spalled bricks, crumbling joints under the windows, a rusted lintel pushing the veneer out, or a chimney crown letting water in. Those calls turn into estimate visits and quotes. The outside work waits until mortar can be laid without a heated enclosure.
Then spring brings everything at once: the January signatures, the owners who discover frost damage in April, and general contractors who need brick veneer to close in a new house. Fall is a second, shorter wave: chimneys to fix before heating season and facades to finish before the first snow.
The challenge isn't finding work. It's promising dates that a crew of two or three can actually keep, with one set of scaffolding and a shared wet saw.
| Period | Main work | What the office has to settle |
|---|---|---|
| December to March | Estimates, quotes, some indoor work (fireplaces, brick partitions) | A realistic start date on every signed quote |
| April to June | Repointing, brick and lintel replacement, veneer on new homes | Job order and scaffold bookings |
| July and August | Large facade jobs, retaining walls, chimneys | Rain and heat delays |
| September to November | Chimney repairs before heating season, work to finish before frost | What slides to next spring, and who must be told |
Which licence and rules apply to masonry in Quebec?
The Régie du bâtiment du Québec lists two masonry subclasses: 4.1, Contractor – Masonry structures, and 4.2, Contractor – Non-structural masonry, marble and ceramics [1]. According to the RBQ's detailed description, 4.2 covers chimney rebuilding of all kinds, non-structural low walls and restoring masonry surfaces by sandblasting or pressure washing [2].
The RBQ also flags a common trap: simply cleaning a facade needs no licence, but resurfacing done ahead of masonry or painting work does [2]. A company selling "wash, then repoint" needs the right subclass.
On the labour side, the Commission de la construction du Québec uses bricklayer-mason as its example: three apprenticeship periods totalling 6,000 hours, with a 900-hour DEP that earns 1,350 hours of credit [3]. Whether each crew member is an apprentice or a journeyman matters when you assign them.
The CNESST points out that quartz is found in brick, mortar and concrete, and that sawing, grinding and drilling expose workers to crystalline silica. Since April 28, 2024, the permissible value for quartz is 0.05 mg/m³, and the CNESST stops work when required measures are missing [4].
| Requirement | Source | How Pilotiko helps |
|---|---|---|
| Subclass 4.1 or 4.2 depending on the work | RBQ [1] | Licence number and subclasses shown on your hosted website |
| Licence needed for resurfacing before masonry work | RBQ [2] | Each service linked to the right subclass in your catalogue |
| 6,000-hour apprenticeship in three periods | CCQ [3] | Apprentice or journeyman status recorded as a skill |
| Dust control when sawing and grinding | CNESST [4] | Wet saw or dust extractor booked with the job that needs it |
How does Pilotiko fit a brick and stone company?
The Home services template sets up an office where each kind of work has a room. Quotes collects the winter estimate requests; Workshop and Warehouse track salvaged brick, tinted mortar and ordered lintels; Vans and fleet holds the trailer and dump truck; Management sees what is waiting on a decision.
A job ties together the customer, the address, the service ("repoint a facade" or "rebuild chimney above the roofline"), the masons and the resources. If the scaffold is up in Saint-Hyacinthe until Thursday, it won't show as free for Granby on Wednesday. The buffer between bookings leaves time to strip it down and move it.
For assignment, you record skills such as "journeyman bricklayer", "stone cutting" or "lift operation". Pilotiko ranks people by those skills, free hours and workload after the job. An apprentice alone on a chimney rebuild is refused unless a manager knowingly overrides it.
The quotes agent drafts from your services and prices: area, bricks to replace, joint depth to rake out, access and scaffolding. Nothing reaches the customer until you've read it. See how human approval works.
How many weeks of work do your signed quotes add up to?
How do you answer homeowners' objections?
- "All that for a few joints?" A quote that spells out area, rake-out depth and scaffolding holds up better than a lump sum. The quotes agent's draft carries those lines every time.
- "Can you just wash the brick?" Yes, and no licence is needed for cleaning alone; done before repointing, it becomes resurfacing and needs one [2]. Write that into the service description once.
- "When can you start?" A week-by-week order book lets you give a date instead of "sometime in spring".
- "The new mortar won't match." Note the chosen sample in the customer record; it follows the quote all the way to the job.
What doesn't Pilotiko do for masons yet?
Where to start, and which trades do you work alongside?
Set up your services with their usual length, add your masons and their skills, add scaffolds as resources, then open online booking for estimate visits. A complete Google profile and a website showing your licence help homeowners choose you. It's also worth making the difference between an estimate and a quote clear.
Your jobs often overlap with roofing around chimneys, chimney sweeping when a flue needs work, renovation on additions and entrances, and building inspection, which often reveals the cracks. Plans are on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Which RBQ licence does masonry work require?
It depends on the work. Structural masonry and exterior brick veneer fall under subclass 4.1. Non-structural masonry, ceramics and chimney rebuilding fall under 4.2, which 4.1 includes.
Do you need a licence to clean a brick facade?
Not for cleaning alone, according to the RBQ. Resurfacing done before masonry or painting work, however, does require a licence. Make it clear on the quote whether it's cleaning only or surface preparation.
How long is the bricklayer-mason apprenticeship?
The CCQ describes three apprenticeship periods totalling 6,000 hours. A 900-hour DEP earns 1,350 hours of credit thanks to a 50% bonus.
What CNESST rules apply to cutting brick?
Brick and mortar contain quartz, a form of crystalline silica. On a construction site, sawing, grinding and drilling require dust controls and suitable respiratory protection. Since April 28, 2024, the permissible value for quartz is 0.05 mg/m³.
Can Pilotiko stop us from promising the same scaffold to two customers?
Yes. Scaffolding is set up as a bookable resource tied to the job for its full length. While it's booked, it won't show as available for another address.
Can homeowners book an estimate visit themselves?
Yes, if you open that service online. They only see the estimator's genuinely free slots, at the length you set. Automatic email or text confirmations are being commissioned and aren't sent yet.
Sources
- Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Specialized contractor's licence subclasses (accessed on October 15, 2026).
- Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Sous-catégorie 4.2 – Entrepreneur en travaux de maçonnerie non structurale, marbre et céramique (accessed on October 15, 2026).
- Commission de la construction du Québec, Training: a priority for the industry (accessed on October 15, 2026).
- CNESST, Crystalline silica (accessed on October 15, 2026).
Read next
How to automate a service business in Quebec: the complete guide
Bookings, dispatch, follow-up, reminders, Law 25 and CASL: what a Quebec service business can automate, what should stay human, and where to start.
Pilotiko for roofing contractors
Quebec roofer? Fill the short installation season, reschedule fast when it rains and assign crews trained for work at height. Free 30-day trial of Pilotiko.
Pilotiko for chimney sweeping companies
Quebec chimney sweep? Spread the fall rush into spring, offer real open slots online and keep each chimney's history on the customer record. Free 30-day trial.
Pilotiko for renovation contractors
Quebec renovation contractor? Track every quote to signature, schedule crews, subs and equipment without double-booking. Free 30-day trial of Pilotiko.