HVAC photo marketing in Quebec

The Quebec market and its buyers

Quebec's fuel mix is unlike anywhere else in Canada. Statistics Canada reported that 70% of Quebec households used electricity for primary heating in 2023, compared with 5% for natural gas and 4% for wood.

Buyer settings to plan for:

• Montréal, Laval and Longueuil: plexes and older multi-unit buildings with shared walls, outdoor stairs and balconies. Outdoor units on balconies or wall brackets are common subjects; neighbours' windows often appear behind them.
• Québec City and Lévis: older housing stock and cold winters; heat pumps in snow are persuasive.
• Gatineau: directly across the river from Ottawa, so some competitors on the map may be Ontario companies; French captions help a local company stand apart.
• Sherbrooke, Saguenay and the regions: longer, colder seasons, with wood and dual-energy systems in the mix.

Language: French at every step

Under the Charter of the French Language as amended by Bill 96, the OQLF explains that French must be clearly predominant in commercial advertising, and that website and social media content for Quebec customers must be available in French. We summarise; we don't give legal advice.

For a photo programme, that means:

• a French version of the consent question, written naturally rather than translated word for word
• French captions and alt text for every published project, with any English version alongside, not instead
• French descriptions on Google profile photos aimed at Quebec customers
• a check on vehicle lettering and uniform text before they are featured heavily, since signage rules have their own requirements

Build French in from day one. Translating a 40-project gallery afterwards is slow and error-prone.

Privacy in Quebec

Quebec has its own private-sector privacy law, which the Privacy Commissioner of Canada notes applies within the province. The ask-first, record-the-answer routine in our consent workflow suits it, but a Quebec privacy lawyer should review your wording and record-keeping.

Regulators to know

The Régie du bâtiment du Québec licenses contractors and oversees building safety, including gas, plumbing and pressure equipment. Construction workers need CCQ competency certification, and the CNESST covers workplace health and safety. If you mention your RBQ licence in marketing, link to the RBQ so customers can check. We don't advise on compliance.

Programmes worth knowing, as of October 2026

• Hydro-Québec's LogisVert offers grants for ENERGY STAR heat pumps, with higher amounts for cold-climate units, up to $6,700. Hydro-Québec says requests are being processed normally while a federal heat pump rebate is expected in 2027.
• Since October 1, 2026, Rénoclimat no longer requires the evaluation before work starts, and its aid limits were revised.
• Chauffez vert, the former oil and propane replacement aid, stopped taking applications after 2026-03-31.

Confirm details with the administrator, and keep amounts on one dated French and English page.

How we approach a Quebec photo programme

1. Write the shot lists and field guide in French for French-speaking crews.
2. Frame balcony and plex exteriors tightly to avoid neighbours' windows and civic numbers.
3. Plan bilingual captions, alt text and Google profile descriptions into the schedule.
4. Build heat pump and electric-furnace galleries first, using our before-and-after format.

French deliverables add to scope, so raise them early; see pricing. Call, text or email with your city and a few recent jobs.