Starting your own business after the refrigeration DEP in Quebec: complete guide

You're finishing your refrigeration DEP and wondering whether to go solo or join a big shop. It's a fair question. Here are the concrete steps if you choose to go on your own, based on the reality of the 2026 Quebec market.

1. Before you launch: certifications

Your DEP gives you the right to work as a technician, but to bill in your own name, you need a few more papers:

• CCQ competency card if you work in a regulated sector (commercial-industrial)
• Environment Canada card to handle halocarbons (refrigerants) — mandatory
• RBQ licence with the right subcategories (typically 15.10 for refrigeration, 15.9 for AC/HVAC)
• Surety bond required by the RBQ (typically $10,000 to $20,000)

Many young techs forget that the RBQ licence with HVAC/refrigeration subcategory is mandatory. Without it, you can't sign a contract or invoice in your own name legally. Allow 6 to 10 weeks to get your licence.

2. Legal structure

Three options to start:

Self-employed (sole proprietorship)

The simplest. No incorporation, you invoice in your own name. Register with the Quebec Enterprise Registrar (REQ) and obtain a NEQ (Quebec business number). Cost: ~$37.

Registered business (trade name)

You file a business name different from your own. Same obligations as a sole proprietorship.

Corporation (incorporated — Inc.)

More legal protection but more accounting. Worth considering if you plan to exceed $100,000 in revenue quickly or want to hire employees.

Most young techs start as self-employed in year one, then incorporate when revenue climbs above $80,000.

3. Taxes: GST and QST

You don't have to register for GST/QST until you hit $30,000 in annual revenue. But if you're aiming higher, do it right away: you can recover the GST/QST paid on your tools, your truck, and your refrigerant. See our complete GST/QST invoicing guide.

4. Insurance

Three minimum coverages:

• Professional liability (~$1,000 to $1,500/year for $2M coverage)
• Commercial vehicle insurance (different from personal)
• CSST/CNESST mandatory for your employees (and strongly recommended for yourself)

5. Minimum starting equipment

• Equipped truck or van ($15,000 to $30,000 used)
• Basic tools (gauges, vacuum pump, scale, torch, thermometer, etc. — ~$3,000 to $5,000)
• Electronic leak detector ($300 to $800)
• Refrigerant cylinders (budget $1,000 to start)
• Business phone + unlimited data plan

6. Digital tools (often overlooked)

The most common mistake young techs make: using Excel + paper + text messages to run their business. It works for the first 2-3 months, then you start losing track.

Invest from day one in:

• QuickBooks Online for accounting (~$30/month)
• A Quebec field service app ($50 to $70/month) covering quotes, GST/QST invoices, photos, signatures, preventive maintenance scheduling. See how to choose.
• An accountant or bookkeeper for filing your returns (~$600 to $1,200/year)

7. First customers

Where do young techs in Quebec get their first contracts? In order of frequency:

1. Referrals from former colleagues / employers — they pass along jobs that are too small for them
2. Family and friends — your mother-in-law's AC, your dad's neighbour's heat pump
3. Subcontracting for larger companies (AIRA+, Bouchard, etc.) — you handle their overflow
4. Facebook Marketplace + local groups — effective for residential
5. Google Business Profile + Yellow Pages (slow at first, powerful after 6-12 months)

8. The trap to avoid: underbilling

Many young techs charge too low to "win the customer." Result: they burn out at $40/h while the market pays $75 to $110/h.

Study local rates in your area (Montreal, Quebec City, Saguenay, Sherbrooke have significant gaps). Ask 2-3 local companies for a quote on a simple job, see what they charge, and position yourself 10-15% below at the start, not 40%.

Currently in the DEP?

FrigoTechPro is free for all refrigeration DEP students in Quebec — technical Bible, calculators, P-T charts, diagrams, cohort calendar. When you launch your own business after the DEP, you keep using the same app — quotes, GST/QST invoices, photos, signatures, maintenance scheduling. Create your free student account.