How Much Does a Plumber Cost in Manitoba?
Plumber cost in Manitoba in 2026: Winnipeg hourly rates from three published sources, emergency premiums, Winnipeg permit fees, and voluntary certification in Manitoba.
How Much Does a Plumber Cost in Quebec?
Plumber cost in Quebec in 2026: Montreal hourly rates, the CMMTQ reference rates effective April 26, 2026, CCQ competency certificates and CMMTQ contractor licences, and GST and QST on the invoice.
Applies in: Quebec
Quebec is the one province where the most-quoted hourly figure is not a market price at all. The Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec, the CMMTQ, publishes reference hourly rates, and those rates are widely repeated without the warning that travels with them: they are a calculation model, not a mandatory price and not an observed average. This guide keeps the reference rates and the Montreal market prices in separate columns, because mixing them up is how a Quebec homeowner overpays or under-budgets. In 2026, Montreal residential work is published at $79 to $140 an hour, and the CMMTQ light residential reference rate is $123.70 an hour.
This guide is in English. Quebec licensing bodies publish much of their material in French, and the body names below are given with their French names and initials, as the RBQ English pages present them.
For the countrywide picture, read how much a plumber costs in Canada. This page stays inside Quebec.
Quebec hourly rates in 2026
| Work and source | Rate |
|---|---|
| Montreal standard residential, firm guide | $110–$125/hr |
| Montreal light residential, firm guide | $79–$112/hr |
| Montreal heavy residential, firm guide | $115–$140/hr |
| Montreal commercial, firm guide | $118–$140/hr |
| Montreal industrial and institutional, firm guide | $124–$156/hr |
| Montreal, RenoQuotes | $79–$129/hr |
| Quebec City, UrbanTasker | $80–$140/hr |
| Emergency, Montreal, firm guide | $150–$200/hr |
| Emergency, Montreal, UrbanTasker | $160–$270/hr |
Montreal prices below Toronto and Vancouver on the firm guide's own comparison: Toronto $100 to $180, Vancouver $100 to $170, Calgary $90 to $150, Montreal $79 to $140, and rural areas $60 to $100. RenoQuotes agrees on the direction, putting Montreal at $79 to $129 against Toronto at $90 to $140 and Vancouver at $90 to $130. Quebec City runs a step below Montreal in the UrbanTasker table. Do not carry a Montreal rate into Quebec City or into a smaller centre and expect it to hold, and do not carry a rural rate into Montreal.
The CMMTQ reference rates, read correctly
The CMMTQ schedule effective April 26, 2026, presents the following amounts for a journeyperson pipefitter working alone:
| Construction sector | Regular reference rate | Premium in schedule | Premium reference rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light residential | $123.70/hr | Time and a half | $157.98/hr |
| Heavy residential | $127.88/hr | Double time | $199.82/hr |
| Institutional and commercial | $132.23/hr | Double time | $206.70/hr |
| Industrial | $139.09/hr | Double time | $218.91/hr |
Three warnings travel with these figures, and all three are stated on the page that reproduces the schedule. First, the amounts are neither mandatory rates nor averages observed in Montreal. Second, the contractor and customer may agree to other rates, and the CMMTQ does not regulate the price of its members' services or materials. Third, the reference rates exclude materials, supplies, specialized equipment, taxes, and travel fees. The schedule is based in part on wages, benefits, certain contributions, a hypothetical company with three employees, a truck, basic tools, and an assumed profit. Its value is explanatory: it shows why a worker's wage differs from the amount billed by a company. It is not a quote for your job, and the premium column does not mean a residential emergency is automatically billed at the same multiplier. Confirm the company's rules, schedule, construction sector, and job conditions before the service call.
The service call, Quebec style
In Quebec, the invoice is commonly built from more pieces than the hourly rate, and the pieces must be confirmed one by one. Travel or service-call fees may take the form of a fixed amount, billed travel time, or a minimum service-call charge, and travel is not automatically included in the hourly rate. Labour may be calculated hourly, by a fraction of an hour, according to a minimum billable amount, or at a flat rate. The presence of a second worker may change the calculation. Parts, materials, and supplies may be added to labour, and a camera, locating device, high-pressure cleaning equipment, or pump is not necessarily part of the basic tools and may be billed separately or included in a flat price.
One Montreal firm guide puts service-call fees at $95 to $150, with most companies charging $110 to $130, and states that many plumbers apply the fee toward the total if repairs proceed. GST and QST are added to taxable amounts when they are not already included. No tax rate is stated in this guide, because no tax rate was verified on a page; ask whether the quote is tax-inclusive and confirm both taxes on the invoice. Before authorizing work, verify the legal name of the company, the scope and exclusions, the flat price or hourly rate including the minimum charge, travel and equipment fees, parts included or billed separately, time-related surcharges, taxes, payment terms, price validity, the procedure for authorizing additional work, and the warranties on parts and labour.
Licensing in Quebec: CCQ, CMMTQ, and RBQ
Quebec licensing confuses newcomers because three bodies divide the work, and no single card covers everything.
The worker. Competency certificates are issued to construction workers, and they are mandatory for workers who carry out, generally on behalf of an employer, work that falls within occupations regulated by the Commission de la construction du Québec. The federal Job Bank lists trade certification for plumbers as compulsory in Quebec. The route is a four- to five-year apprenticeship program, or a combination of over five years of work experience in the trade and some high school, college, or industry courses, with a Red Seal endorsement available on successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
The company. The RBQ licence is issued to persons who manage a construction company and concerns the company's right to carry out construction work or have it carried out. The RBQ states plainly that its mandate does not include issuing contractor licences in electricity and plumbing, or issuing qualification cards or certificates of qualification. The CMMTQ has the authority to issue licences to contractors specialized in building services, more specifically plumbing and heating, conditional on a stringent qualification process. Contractors specializing in plumbing, heating, oil burners, or natural gas burners, subclasses 15.1 to 15.5, must contact the CMMTQ, which evaluates members' qualifications for obtaining a licence. A competency certificate is not the same thing as a licence, and asking for one does not prove the other.
For renovation, repair, and maintenance of a residence, the CCQ notes that the construction industry labour relations act, Act R-20, does not apply in the same way, and a homeowner may hire the contractors of choice, but must make sure they hold the appropriate licences, with the RBQ as the source of information on licences and the CMMTQ as the contact for plumbing and heating work. Check both credentials, and check the company's CMMTQ membership, before signing.
Permits in Quebec
Major plumbing work, such as water heater installations, gas line modifications, or whole-house repiping, requires municipal permits and inspections in Montreal, according to the Montreal firm guide, which puts permit costs at $50 to $300 depending on project scope. Treat that range as one firm's published estimate, not a municipal fee schedule, because no Montreal fee schedule was verified. Permit rules and fees are municipal in Quebec, so confirm the requirement and the fee with your borough or municipality before budgeting, and have your plumber apply where a permit is needed. Keep the permit and inspection record with your house documents.
What common jobs cost in Montreal
The Montreal firm guide publishes the following 2026 Montreal prices. They are one firm's prices, not a survey, and Quebec City and smaller centres should price lower.
| Job, Montreal firm guide 2026 | Typical price (CAD) |
|---|---|
| Simple sink or toilet clog | $150–$250 |
| Main drain line cleaning | $180–$500 |
| Hydro-jetting | $350–$680 |
| Camera inspection | $160–$250 |
| Faucet repair | $150–$280 |
| Complete toilet installation, standard fixture included | $400–$700 |
| Tank water heater installation, 40 to 50 gallon | $800–$1,500 |
| Tankless water heater installation | $1,300–$3,600 |
| Sump pump installation | $850–$2,300 |
| Sewer line replacement | $3,000–$15,000+ |
Winter changes the work in Montreal as it does elsewhere in Canada. Frozen pipe thawing is published at $250 to $600 in the same guide, and frozen pipes are common in Montreal winters. If a pipe freezes, do not force it with an open flame, and call before it bursts, because a thaw is cheaper than a flood.
Keeping the bill down in Quebec
Compare equivalent scope, not hourly rates alone: one proposal may look cheaper because it excludes travel, a fixture, specialized equipment, or finishing, while another includes those items in a flat rate. Bring each offer back to the same scope, then compare the expected total, the billing method, the diagnosis, parts availability and schedule, warranties, and the company's identity, CMMTQ membership, and licence for the work. Get at least three detailed quotes for non-emergency work, schedule routine work during business hours, and bundle several small jobs into one service call so the trip charge is spread across them.
Related guides
- How much does a plumber cost in Canada: the national picture, hourly bands by city, service-call models, and common job ranges across the country.
- Plumber cost in Alberta: Calgary and Edmonton rates, compulsory certification, the dual plumber and gasfitter ticket, and the GST-only invoice.
- Plumber cost in British Columbia: Vancouver versus Interior rates, SkilledTradesBC credentials, and Vancouver permit fees.
- How to become a plumber apprentice in Quebec: the Quebec apprenticeship and competency certificate route, if you are entering the trade rather than hiring one.
Plumber prices in Quebec (2026)
| Montreal, standard residential | $110–$125/hr |
|---|---|
| Montreal, all residential work | $79–$140/hr |
| CMMTQ reference, light residential | $123.70/hr |
| CMMTQ reference, heavy residential | $127.88/hr |
| CMMTQ reference, institutional and commercial | $132.23/hr |
| Montreal service call | $95–$150 |
| Emergency hourly, Montreal | $150–$200/hr |
Prices in Canadian dollars, before tax. The CMMTQ figures are reference rates, not mandatory rates and not observed averages; they exclude materials, supplies, specialized equipment, taxes, and travel fees. GST and QST are added to taxable amounts.
Hiring a plumber in Quebec, step by step
- Separate the two credentialsThe worker holds a CCQ competency certificate; the company holds a contractor licence, and plumbing contractor licences are issued by the CMMTQ, not by the RBQ
- Ask which CMMTQ reference sector appliesLight residential, heavy residential, institutional and commercial, or industrial: the reference rate differs by sector, and the contractor and customer may agree to other rates
- Pin down travel and the minimum chargeTravel is not automatically included in the hourly rate in Quebec, and there is no uniform amount across Greater Montreal; confirm the method before the visit
- Get the estimate in writingWork, materials, price details, payment terms, and schedule in writing, with taxes, transportation, tools, and equipment shown, as the consumer protection office and the CMMTQ recommend
Questions people ask
How much does a plumber cost per hour in Quebec?
Two different kinds of figure answer this question in Quebec, and they must not be mixed up. For observed Montreal market pricing, one Montreal firm guide puts standard residential work at $110 to $125 an hour, light residential work at $79 to $112, heavy residential work at $115 to $140, and all residential work together at $79 to $140. RenoQuotes puts Montreal at $79 to $129 an hour and Quebec province at the same $79 to $129. For the CMMTQ reference calculation, the schedule effective April 26, 2026, gives $123.70 an hour for light residential, $127.88 for heavy residential, $132.23 for institutional and commercial, and $139.09 for industrial work, for a journeyperson pipefitter working alone. Those reference rates are neither mandatory rates nor averages observed in Montreal, and they exclude materials, supplies, specialized equipment, taxes, and travel fees.
What is the CMMTQ reference rate, and is it the price I will pay?
No. The Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec, the CMMTQ, publishes reference hourly rates to help the public understand pricing. The schedule effective April 26, 2026, is a calculation model for a journeyperson pipefitter working alone, based in part on wages, benefits, certain contributions, a hypothetical company with three employees, a truck, basic tools, and an assumed profit. The CMMTQ states that the contractor and customer may agree to other rates and that it does not regulate the price of its members' services or materials. Use the reference rates to understand why a billed hourly figure is far above a worker's wage, not as a quote. Always confirm the contractor's own rate, minimum charge, and travel method before the service call.
Does a plumber need a licence in Quebec?
Quebec splits the answer in two, and both parts matter. Trade certification for plumbers is compulsory in Quebec under the federal Job Bank listing. The worker's credential is a competency certificate, issued through the Commission de la construction du Québec, the CCQ, and competency certificates are mandatory for workers carrying out work in occupations regulated by the CCQ. The company's credential is a contractor licence. The Régie du bâtiment du Québec, the RBQ, states that its mandate does not include issuing contractor licences in plumbing, and that the CMMTQ has the authority to issue licences to contractors specialized in plumbing and heating, conditional on a stringent qualification process. Plumbing contractor subclasses include 15.1 to 15.5. Ask for the worker's competency certificate and the company's CMMTQ licence, and check both.
What is a plumber call-out or service-call fee in Montreal?
One Montreal firm guide puts Montreal service-call fees at $95 to $150, with most companies charging $110 to $130 for standard residential calls, and its own service calls beginning at $129 including travel time and initial assessment. Many plumbers apply the service-call fee toward the total cost if you proceed with repairs. Separately, the CMMTQ reference schedule excludes travel fees, and travel is not automatically included in an hourly rate in Greater Montreal: it may be a fixed amount, billed travel time, or a minimum service-call charge, with no uniform amount. Confirm the method, the minimum billable time, how time is rounded, and whether diagnosis is included, before the visit.
How much does emergency plumbing cost in Quebec?
One Montreal firm guide puts emergency hourly rates at $150 to $200 an hour, with evening service after 6 p.m. adding $50 to $75, night service from midnight to 6 a.m. adding $75 to $100, weekend service adding $75 to $100, and holiday service adding $100 to $150. UrbanTasker puts Montreal emergency work at $160 to $270 an hour and Quebec City at $150 to $260. The CMMTQ reference schedule also shows premium reference rates, $157.98 for light residential at time and a half, and $199.82, $206.70, and $218.91 at double time for the other sectors, but those reproduce the schedule's conditions and do not mean a residential emergency is automatically billed at the same multiplier. The contractor's own rules must be confirmed. If water is actively leaking or sewage is backing up, call now; a slow drip that can be shut off at its own valve usually waits cheaper until morning.
What do common plumbing jobs cost in Quebec?
One Montreal firm guide publishes these Montreal job prices for 2026: simple sink or toilet clog $150 to $250, main drain line cleaning $180 to $500, hydro-jetting $350 to $680, camera inspection $160 to $250, faucet repair $150 to $280, complete toilet installation $400 to $700 including a standard fixture, tank water heater installation $800 to $1,500 for a standard 40 to 50 gallon unit, tankless water heater installation $1,300 to $3,600, and sump pump installation $850 to $2,300. The same guide puts permit costs for major work at $50 to $300 depending on project scope. These are one firm's published Montreal prices, not a province-wide survey. Quebec City prices lower: UrbanTasker puts Quebec City standard work at $80 to $140 an hour against Montreal at $85 to $145.
Sources
- Montreal Plumbing, How Much Does a Plumber Cost in Montreal? Complete 2026 Pricing Guide — Montreal hourly rates $79 to $140, service-call fees $95 to $150, job prices, emergency surcharges, and permit cost estimate $50 to $300.
- SOS Plombiers, 2026 Plumbing Rates: Understanding the Costs — CMMTQ reference schedule effective April 26, 2026: light residential $123.70, heavy residential $127.88, institutional and commercial $132.23, industrial $139.09, with premium rates and exclusions.
- RenoQuotes, Plumbing Costs in Canada: 2026 Guide & Price Breakdown — Montreal $79 to $129 per hour and Quebec $79 to $129.
- UrbanTasker, What is a plumbers hourly rate in Brampton, Ontario? — Montreal $85 to $145 and emergency $160 to $270; Quebec City $80 to $140 and emergency $150 to $260.
- Régie du bâtiment du Québec, What the RBQ does not do — RBQ does not issue contractor licences in plumbing or electricity; CMMTQ plumbing licence authority; CCQ competency certificates.
- Régie du bâtiment du Québec, All the steps for obtaining a licence — subclasses 15.1 to 15.5 via the CMMTQ; competency certificate versus licence.
- Job Bank Canada, Plumber employment requirements — certification compulsory in Quebec; four- to five-year apprenticeship; Red Seal endorsement; date modified 2026-09-24.