The quality watchdog in residential construction says he can inspect all new homes with his current team … of around 15 auditors. At the same time, voices are being raised to ask Quebec to step up and make monitoring on construction sites compulsory to better protect consumers.
Residential Construction Guarantee (GCR) expects to have visited 60% of construction sites this year, 80% in 2022 and 100% in 2023, according to its plan presented on Friday, as part of an event bringing together the stakeholders of the ‘industry.
“Yes, yes yes,” said its Chairman and CEO, Daniel Laplante, questioned more than once on the issue on the sidelines of the event. We don’t go there in a haphazard way. We have 18 inspectors. We have support staff. ”
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
The CEO of GCR, Daniel Laplante
According to the leader of GCR, this number could climb to 21 people. According to a presentation dating from September, there were 15 inspectors within the non-profit organization to cover the entire territory of Quebec.
In 2020, the organization had registered more than 14,000 homes. To inspect all of these sites on a single occasion, each inspector would have to perform four checks daily – which does not take into account related tasks such as writing reports and unforeseen events such as absences due to illness – while working 220 days in a year.
Inspections can take up to two hours, Laplante said. I do not have time [exact] on your mind. It’s very computerized too.
Daniel Laplante, CEO of GCR
GCR, which started out in 2015 and got off to a rough start, monitors single-family homes, apartment buildings as well as constructions with four or less stacked private units.
Consult the text “GCR: difficult beginnings”
The organization must visit all sites subject to its mandate from 2023. At what stage of construction will the contractors be visited by representatives of the organization? Which will be monitored more closely?
These questions are difficult to answer precisely. GCR will make these decisions based on its ranking of contractors based on a quality rating. This system is used to determine the cost and frequency of inspections for each.
“The inspection is systematic,” says Mr. Laplante. What is not systematic is at what stage. Sometimes we will do it at the time of the foundation. It will be when we close the walls at other times. It is a selection process based on risk management. ”
GCR will conduct two types of inspections: a “full” one of up to approximately 470 points and one that looks at areas that are the subject of frequent consumer complaints.
Consult the text “A guard dog that lacks bite”
Even more
Industry and consumer interests have praised GCR’s efforts, but most are calling for more. Many believe that Quebec should be inspired by provinces like Ontario and Alberta, where the activities of a construction site can be interrupted if irregularities are discovered.
“We go from the great darkness at a time when there is a police, somewhere, who will perhaps land on a site,” said Yves Jolicœur, secretary general of the Regroupement des managers et co-owner du Québec (RGCQ). The GCR, if it discovers a deficiency, does not have the coercive power to force the contractor to correct the deficiency, unlike site supervision. ”
Marc-André Harnois, general manager of the Consumers Association for Quality in Construction (ACQC), also said he expected the increase in the frequency of GCR inspections to pave the way for increased surveillance. Construction sites.
The Association de la construction du Québec (ACQ) represents more than 18,000 contractors who, in particular, erect buildings that are not under the scrutiny of the GCR. Its spokesperson, Guillaume Houle, wants that to change.
What we heard today is very good, but we believe that Quebec is ripe for a new form of inspection. We believe that there should be mandatory inspections for all buildings in Quebec.
Guillaume Houle, ACQ spokesperson
The ACQ claims to carry out “on average” eight inspections per project “at various important stages” of the site.
On the side of the Association of Construction and Housing Professionals of Quebec (APCHQ), President and CEO Luc Bélanger has been more cautious. The GCR program is going in “the right direction”, but with regard to the calls for site supervision, Mr. Bernier explained that there had to be coordination.
“Because it can be difficult for a contractor who has to wait for the arrival of an inspector to close a wall,” he observed. ”
Industry representatives will have the opportunity to present their arguments on December 2, during a meeting with Mr.me Laforest.
As of September 29, there were approximately 2,800 accredited contractors (AA-ABCDN ratings)
- AA: 404 (14%)
- A: 487 (17%)
- B: 276 (10%)
- C: 164 (5.8%)
- D: 2 (0.1%)
- Unlisted: 1,483 (52.7%)
With the collaboration of Marie-Ève Fournier and Hugo Joncas, Press