# Pilotiko for plumbing companies

> Quebec plumbing company? Sort water-damage emergencies from planned jobs, fill the calendar without conflicts and draft quotes for review. Free 30-day trial.

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

Pilotiko helps a Quebec plumbing company separate emergencies (water damage, sewer backups, no hot water) from planned work, offer real open slots online, propose the right plumber based on calendar and workload, and draft quotes that a person reviews before anything goes to the customer.

## In short
- Calls are sorted into emergencies and planned work, each in its own room of the virtual office.
- Online booking only shows genuinely free slots; one plumber can never be booked in two places at once.
- The quotes agent prepares a draft; nothing reaches the customer without your approval.
- Your RBQ subclass 15.5 licence and CMMTQ membership stay your responsibility; Pilotiko helps you display them.

## When does a Quebec plumber's schedule overflow?

It follows the weather and the clock: deep cold, spring thaw, and the late-afternoon rush when people get home and find the leak.

In January and February, frozen pipes in outside walls, garages and cottages fill the voicemail by 7 a.m. Spring thaw and heavy rain bring sewer backups, sump pumps that won't start and backwater valves nobody has checked in years. Summer is project season: bathroom remodels, water softeners, pool hook-ups. Fall brings water heaters that quit at the first real cold snap and outdoor shut-offs to close.

Within a day, the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. window is for planned work. The spike comes between 4 and 7 p.m. That is when a shop without clear dispatch promises three "I'll come by tonight" visits it can't keep.

| Period | Main calls | What to protect in the calendar |
|---|---|---|
| January to March | Frozen pipes, blocked drains, water heaters | An emergency block every morning |
| April and May | Backups, sump pumps, backwater valves | Two-hour slots for inspections |
| June to August | Bathroom remodels, softeners, outdoor faucets | Full project days |
| September to December | Water heaters, outdoor shut-offs, under-sink leaks | Fast water-heater replacements |

## What licences does a plumbing contractor need in Quebec?

The Régie du bâtiment du Québec lists plumbing as subclass 15.5, Contractor – Plumbing, in Schedule II, the higher-risk specialties [1]. The Office de la protection du consommateur tells homeowners to make sure the plumber is licensed by one of the professional corporations recognized by the RBQ [3]; for plumbing, that is the Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec (CMMTQ).

The CMMTQ invites the public to check that a contractor is a member and holds the required licence subclasses in its member directory [2]. It also recommends a detailed written quote: total cost with taxes and materials, description and length of the work, hourly rates, warranty on parts and labour, how long the offer is valid, schedule and payment terms, plus any travel or tool fees [2].

| Requirement or expectation | Source | What Pilotiko does |
|---|---|---|
| Subclass 15.5, Contractor – Plumbing | RBQ  | Licence number shown on your hosted website |
| CMMTQ membership, searchable in its directory | CMMTQ  | A link to the directory on your About page |
| Detailed written quote | CMMTQ  | Draft from the quotes agent, reviewed by you |
| Pay by instalments, keep a final 10–15% until the end | OPC  | Payment steps written into the quote |

## How does Pilotiko organize a plumbing office?

The Home services template creates the rooms a plumber actually uses: **Dispatch**, **Quotes**, **Workshop**, **Warehouse** for spare parts, **Vans and fleet**, **Accounting** and **Management**. A water-damage call lights up in Dispatch; a bathroom quote waiting for your sign-off shows in Quotes.

Online booking only offers free slots, buffer included. A job ties together the customer, the service, the plumber, the address and, if needed, a resource such as the inspection camera or the pipe thawer. If the camera is booked in Laval at 10 a.m., it won't be promised in Longueuil at the same time.

For assignment, Pilotiko ranks plumbers by skills, free hours and workload after the job. A skills mismatch (an apprentice on a gas hook-up, for example) is refused unless a manager explicitly overrides it. AI agents prepare; you approve.

## How many jobs can a crew of 4 plumbers handle?

**Example: 4 plumbers on the South Shore, one week in November**

Assumptions: 4 plumbers at 40 hours, 25% of time lost to driving and supplier runs, and a job mix whose durations are rough benchmarks, not standards.

- Paid hours (4 × 40 h) : 160 h
- − driving and supplier runs (25%) : − 40 h
- = hours on site : 120 h
- 8 water heater swaps × 3 h : 24 h
- 20 drain or leak calls × 1.5 h : 30 h
- 2 bathroom projects × 24 h : 48 h
- Left for unplanned emergencies : 18 h, about 12 calls
- **= About 42 planned jobs, with room for a dozen emergencies**

## What objections do customers raise?

- "Why a travel charge?" The CMMTQ recommends listing travel or tool fees in the quote [2]; put them on the service so every draft includes them.
- "Can you come now?" Dispatch sees at a glance who is closest to finishing instead of calling three techs.
- "I want the same plumber as last time." The customer history keeps the name, and assignment suggests that plumber when free.

## What isn't available yet?

> Coming soon: route optimisation between calls, an AI receptionist for night calls, and automatic email or text sending. Confirmations and reminders are being commissioned: the code exists, but nothing is sent yet. Today, assignment accounts for calendars and workload, not driving distance.

## Where to go next?

Related trades have their own pages: [heating and air conditioning](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/solutions/hvac), [electrical](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/solutions/electrical) and [renovation](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/solutions/renovation). Plans are on the [pricing](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/pricing) page.

Further reading: how [dispatch](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/glossary/dispatch) works, what makes a good [quote](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/glossary/quote), and our guide to [reducing missed appointments](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/guides/reduce-no-shows).

## Frequently asked questions

### Does a plumber need an RBQ licence in Quebec?

Yes. Plumbing is subclass 15.5 at the Régie du bâtiment du Québec. The licence is issued through a professional corporation recognized by the RBQ, which for plumbing is the CMMTQ.

### How can a customer check that a plumber is in good standing?

The CMMTQ keeps a public member directory showing membership and licence subclasses. Showing your licence number on your website saves the customer that search.

### Can Pilotiko tell an emergency from planned work?

Yes, through the service selected and the room where the call lands. A backup or a flood goes into an emergency block; a bathroom remodel goes through Quotes first.

### Can customers book a water heater replacement online?

Yes, if you open that service to online booking. They only see genuinely free slots of the right length, and the job lands in the chosen plumber's calendar.

### Does Pilotiko send quotes to customers?

Not on its own. The quotes agent drafts from your services and prices; a person reviews and sends. Automatic email sending isn't available yet.

## Sources

1. 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)
2. Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec, « Avant de confier vos travaux à un entrepreneur, que devez-vous vérifier? », https://www.cmmtq.org/services-au-public/avant-de-confier-vos-travaux-a-un-entrepreneur--que-devez-vous-verifier-- (accessed on 2026-10-15)
3. Office de la protection du consommateur, « Before hiring an electrician or a plumber », https://www.opc.gouv.qc.ca/en/consumer/good-service/housing-renovation/home-renovations/shopping-advice/before-hiring-electrician-or-plumber (accessed on 2026-10-15)