Construction in Quebec will reach 216 million hours in 2025 — what this means for estimators in 2026
The CCQ has just confirmed 216 million hours worked in construction in Quebec in 2025, with an average of 220 million projected until 2030. More than 200,000 workers will be active on construction sites, a historic high. Good news for order books. Bad news for your estimating teams, which haven't grown at the same rate.
Here's what this record volume actually changes for your submissions in 2026.
A record volume, a capacity that can't keep up
The CCQ states it clearly in its 2026-2030 report: workforce needs are estimated at 17,000 new employees per year for the period 2026-2030. The electricity sector is particularly concerned — the Corporation of Master Electricians of Quebec (CMEQ) pointed out in May 2026 that the need for replacements would reach nearly 1,860 new electricians per year until 2030, in all regions of Quebec, while the number of graduates remains insufficient to meet the demand.
This imbalance between project demand and human resource availability has a concrete effect on the submission cycle: the same teams of estimators have to analyze more tenders, with the same hours available.
The bottleneck is in submission
Discussions about the construction labour shortage almost always focus on field trades: electricians, carpenters, sheet metal workers. But the bottleneck often starts before the construction site, at the estimation stage.
A tender abandoned because the team didn't have time to analyze it is a lost potential contract. A takeoff produced too quickly, with inaccuracies in quantities, is a quote submitted with a margin of risk that the contractor didn't consciously choose.
However, estimating remains one of the least automated functions in small and medium-sized construction companies in Quebec. Most teams still work with PDF measurement tools, spreadsheets, and many hours of manual work.
What does the sustained activity actually entail?
Some realities that stem directly from the 2026 context:
More tenders to analyze, more time to do it. The volume of civil engineering and roadwork projects is driven by Hydro-Québec investments, public transit projects in Montreal, and municipal infrastructure. The residential sector is also picking up again. These projects generate a constant stream of tenders – not all accessible, not all relevant, but the volume of filtering and analysis is increasing for everyone.
Quote deadlines that don't match the volume. Submission deadlines for public tenders are regulated. They don't extend because your team is busy. If you can't handle three tenders simultaneously, you choose two – or you rush through one.
Addenda arrive mid-project. Complex projects generate plan revisions during the submission process. Each addendum represents a return to a takeoff that was already partially completed. Without an effective version comparison process, the risk of missing a scope change is real.
A challenging workforce succession situation, particularly in the electrical sector. Both the CMEQ and the CCQ confirm that the demand for electricians is growing rapidly, driven by electrification, the energy transition, and major infrastructure projects. This pressure isn't limited to construction sites – it extends to teams of specialized electrical estimators, who are often the same people.
Automate what can be automated instead of hiring
Automating the quantity takeoff phase does not replace the estimator. It gives them back their time – time they can use to analyze more tenders, verify the assumptions of their bid, or simply avoid late-night errors on a 40-page electrical plan count.
An AI-assisted takeoff tool, for a specialized trade like electrical work or window installation, can handle symbol detection and counting, legend reading, and plan version comparison. It doesn't promise perfect accuracy. It offers a speed boost on the most repetitive aspects of the job.
In a market with 220 million hours planned per year, with teams that are not growing at the same rate as order books, this is the gain that makes the difference between submitting three quotes per month or five.
That doesn't change anything
Automating the takeoff process doesn't solve everything. It doesn't replace critically reviewing a quote, assessing the risk on a complex project, or liaising with the specialized subcontractors you need to price certain tasks. These parts of the job remain human.
What AI changes is the equation of time: if you spend fewer hours counting electrical outlets on PDF plans, you have more hours to do the work that only a qualified estimator can do.
