Frequently asked questions
Data, coverage, outreach rules and plans. Another question? bonjour@leschantierspro.ca.
Is LesChantiersPro open yet?
We are in early access: you join a waitlist by email, and access opens in waves. Early-access members will get the weekly email digest, in English or French. The dashboard, daily alerts (Longueuil), AI features (Pro and Team) and CSV export will be available at launch.
Where do the permits come from?
From open data published by the cities: the City of Montréal's “Permis de construction, transformation et démolition” dataset (CC-BY 4.0 licence) and the City of Longueuil's building permit registry. We pass them on as published, with nothing added.
Which areas do you cover?
All 19 boroughs of the City of Montréal (including Pierrefonds-Roxboro and L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève) and the City of Longueuil (Longueuil, Saint-Hubert, Greenfield Park and Le Moyne sectors). Laval, the island's independent cities (Pointe-Claire, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Kirkland, Beaconsfield, Westmount, etc.) and Vaudreuil are not covered at this time.
How often do new permits arrive?
Montréal publishes its permits once a week, with about a one-week delay after issuance. Longueuil publishes almost daily. The weekly email digest is the core of the service on every plan. The “daily” alerts on Pro and Team (available at launch) will therefore be daily for Longueuil and weekly for Montréal.
Do alerts include the homeowner's name or phone number?
No, never. An alert contains the work address as published, the borough or sector, the issue date, the permit type, the matched trade(s) and the work description. For Longueuil, when published, the declared value of work and the listed contractor's business name. We add no names, phone numbers or emails.
Can I email or text homeowners?
No. A public permit is not consent under Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). Don't email or text homeowners; addressed mail and door-knocking are fine. If you make phone calls, CRTC telemarketing rules and the National Do Not Call List apply.
Can I see the value of the work?
In Longueuil, yes, when the City publishes a declared value of at least $1,000. The City of Montréal does not publish the value of work in its open data.
What does the AI agent on Pro and Team do?
It will be available at launch, on the Pro and Team plans only (Solo uses keyword matching). It does three things. Plain-language search: describe what you want in one sentence. AI-ranked permits, with the reason for each pick. Refine your results: “More like this”, “Not relevant”, or an instruction like “skip commercial”. AI features use only published permit fields: never a homeowner's name or any other personal information. The AI can be wrong, so the full permit description is always included for you to judge.
How is a permit matched to my trade?
Automatic rules read the permit type and the work description. One permit can match several trades (e.g. roofing and windows). The rules can occasionally be wrong, so the full description is always included for you to judge.
How will the free trial work?
It starts when your access opens: 14 days free on the Pro plan, no credit card. After that, pick the plan that fits, or stop there. To save your spot, join the waitlist.
Are summaries available in English?
Yes. You choose English or French summaries. The work description stays in French, since that is the language the cities publish it in.
Is a permit a guaranteed job?
No. A permit means a project is approved, not that the owner is still looking for a contractor. Because data arrives a few days after issuance, some owners will already have chosen. The advantage is showing up with a targeted offer before competitors who don't watch permits.
What about the postcard add-on?
It's coming. It will be an optional add-on to send addressed postcards to the job sites in your alerts. Pricing will be announced at launch.
Get to the job sites in your area first.
Join the early-access waitlist. Tell us your trades and areas: every week you'll get the new permits that matter to you, and nothing else. 14 days free on the Pro plan once your access opens, AI features included, no credit card.