# Pilotiko for painting contractors

> Quebec painting company? Price interiors and exteriors fast, schedule crews between coats and keep summer for exteriors. Free 30-day trial of Pilotiko.

Updated on October 15, 2026 · https://app.pilotiko.com/en/solutions/painting

Pilotiko helps a Quebec painting company produce detailed quotes by room or by wall quickly, keep summer for exteriors, spread crews across several jobs while coats dry, and book scaffolding and lifts without double-booking, with human approval before anything goes to the customer.

## In short
- RBQ subclass 9 covers interior and exterior painting; you can show it on your website.
- Quotes are prepared by room, surface and number of coats, then reviewed before sending.
- A job can be split into visits (primer, first coat, finish) placed in the calendar.
- Scaffolding and lifts are booked as shared resources.

## Do you need an RBQ licence to paint in Quebec?

Yes: the Régie du bâtiment du Québec states that interior or exterior painting requires subclass 9, finishing work.

The RBQ's FAQ (in French) is explicit: interior or exterior painting requires subclass 9, finishing work, even for a contractor who only does renovation [1]. The subclass is listed in Schedule III as Contractor – Interior finishing [2].

Many small painting outfits start with students in the summer, which is exactly when customers wonder whether a licence exists. Showing your licence number and subclass on the website Pilotiko hosts answers the question before the call.

## When are painting companies swamped?

Exteriors are painted in the warm season, when weather allows, and every rainy day pushes back a facade. Interiors run all year, with two heavy periods: moving season around July 1, when landlords repaint between tenants, and fall, before the holidays.

Commercial work has its own rhythm: offices, shops and buildings often want evenings or weekends so occupants aren't disturbed. One crew can finish a facade at 4 p.m. and start an office at 6 p.m. Without visibility on each person's load, fatigue and mistakes follow.

| Period | Main work | Scheduling constraint |
|---|---|---|
| January to April | Interiors, commercial, exterior quotes | Sell summer before it starts |
| May to September | Facades, balconies, fences, units between tenants | Rain and drying time |
| Late June and July | Empty units between leases | Short windows set by the landlord |
| October to December | Interiors before the holidays, touch-ups | Customers at home |

## How do you plan around coats and drying time?

A paint job isn't one visit: primer, first coat, second coat, touch-ups. In Pilotiko, you can split the work into separate jobs, each with its duration, crew and address. Between two visits to the same customer, the crew can work elsewhere; the calendar shows it, and a painter is never booked in two places at once.

Scaffolding, scissor lifts and the trailer are booked with the job. The CNESST says the best way to prevent falls is to work from the ground when possible, otherwise to use an elevating platform or scaffolding; a ladder is an access route or a workstation for short tasks of less than an hour [3]. Booking the right equipment also keeps a crew from falling back on a ladder because no lift was free.

Scheduling shows open slots for in-home estimates, which customers can book online.

## Example: how many units can a crew of 4 repaint in July?

**Example: 4 painters, 4 weeks around July 1**

Assumptions: 4 painters at 40 hours, 10% travel (units clustered in one neighbourhood), and an empty two-bedroom apartment repainted (walls and ceilings, 2 coats) in about 32 person-hours.

- Available hours (4 × 40 h × 4 wk) : 640 h
- − travel and purchasing (10%) : − 64 h
- = painting hours : 576 h
- ÷ 32 h per unit : 18 units
- **= About 18 empty units over the month, 4 to 5 a week**

## What do the AI agents do for a painter?

The quotes agent drafts from your rates: rooms or facades, surfaces, number of coats, prep (scraping, patching, primer), paint supplied or not. You adjust the price and send it. Nothing goes to the customer without a person.

The content feature can draft a post on the best season to repaint a balcony, for your approval. For the approval rules, see the AI agents page.

## Which objections do painting customers raise?

- "Why two coats?" A line-by-line quote shows what each coat covers.
- "It's raining, are you still coming?" A same-day move to a real free slot keeps their trust.
- "The landlord wants it done by June 30." Weekly workload tells you right away whether it's possible.

## What's planned for later?

> Coming soon: automatic quote follow-ups by email, Google Ads and Meta Ads management, and prospecting property managers. Confirmations and reminders are being commissioned, with nothing sent yet. Today, Pilotiko prepares and shows; your team follows up.

## Which trades work alongside painters?

Units between tenants also involve [movers](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/solutions/moving) and [commercial cleaning](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/solutions/commercial-cleaning) crews. Heavier work falls under [renovation](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/solutions/renovation).

To be found in spring: the [Quebec local SEO](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/guides/local-seo-quebec) guide and the [Google Business Profile](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/guides/complete-google-business-profile) guide. A detailed [quote](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/glossary/quote) defends your price.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which RBQ subclass does a painter need?

Subclass 9, finishing work. The Régie du bâtiment du Québec states it's required for interior or exterior painting.

### Can a painter work from a ladder all day?

The CNESST says a ladder is an access route or a workstation for short tasks of less than an hour. Otherwise it recommends working from the ground, or from an elevating platform or scaffolding.

### Does Pilotiko handle several visits to the same customer?

Yes. Each visit (primer, coat, touch-ups) can be its own job with its crew and duration, and the calendar prevents overlaps.

### Can customers book an estimate online?

Yes. Create an in-home estimate service with its duration, and the customer picks a free slot with your estimator.

### Does the quotes agent calculate paint quantities?

It drafts from your rates and the surfaces you provide. The calculation rules stay yours, and you review before sending.

## Sources

1. Régie du bâtiment du Québec, « Foire aux questions : licence », https://www.rbq.gouv.qc.ca/foire-aux-questions-faq/constructeur-proprietaire/licence/ (accessed on 2026-10-15)
2. Régie du bâtiment du Québec, « Specialized contractor's licence subclasses », https://www.rbq.gouv.qc.ca/en/licence/determining-your-licence-subclasses/specialized-contractor/specialized-contractors-licence-subclasses/ (accessed on 2026-10-15)
3. CNESST, « Ladder falls », https://www.cnesst.gouv.qc.ca/en/prevention-securite/identifier-corriger-risques/liste-informations-prevention/chute-partir-dune-echelle (accessed on 2026-10-15)