Quebec real estate glossary · French to English
Certificat de localisation = Certificate of location. It is the certificate of location, prepared by a land surveyor. Educaloi publishes its English capsule under exactly that name.
En bref, en français : Le certificat de localisation se dit certificate of location en anglais, et l'arpenteur-géomètre qui le prépare est un land surveyor.
The certificate of location is the document that describes the current state of a property: where the building sits on the lot, the servitudes, the encroachments, whether anything breaches a municipal by-law. Educaloi's English capsule on the subject is titled "Why Should You Ask for a Certificate of Location Before Buying?".
It is not an inspection and it is not an appraisal. Those are three different documents produced by three different professions, and mixing them up is one of the most common mistakes in a Quebec transaction.
Three documents people confuse
- Certificate of location: the land surveyor's report on the property's situation in law and in fact.
- Pre-purchase inspection: a building inspector's report on the physical condition.
- Appraisal: a value opinion, often for the lender.
Who asks for it
The notary needs a certificate that reflects the property as it stands today. If the seller's copy is old, or if work was done since, a new one may be required before closing. That takes time, which is why it comes up early rather than the week of the signature.
Say it in a sentence
The word on its own is rarely the problem. These are the sentences you will actually hear, and what they become in English.
| Vous entendrez | In English |
|---|---|
| Le certificat de localisation date de 2009. | The certificate of location dates from 2009. |
| L'arpenteur-géomètre a noté un empiètement. | The land surveyor noted an encroachment. |
| Le notaire exige un certificat à jour. | The notary requires an up to date certificate. |
The mistake we see most often
The mistake is leaving it to the last week. A certificate that no longer reflects the property, because a shed, a pool or an extension was added since, has to be redone by a land surveyor, and that takes time you do not have three days before the notary. Ask for the existing certificate early, check its date against the work visible on site, and settle who pays for a new one in the promise to purchase.
Where this fits in a Quebec transaction
Buying or selling in Quebec means signing documents that exist in both languages, written under civil law rather than common law. A word-for-word translation is sometimes right and sometimes actively misleading. The full list is in our Quebec real estate glossary, French to English.
Related terms
- our full guide on the certificat de localisation
- pre-purchase inspection in English
- notary in English
- the Land Register in English
Questions we get asked
What is a certificat de localisation in English?
A certificate of location. It is prepared by a land surveyor and describes the property's current situation, including servitudes and any encroachment.
Is it the same as an inspection?
No. An inspection reports on the physical condition of the building. A certificate of location reports on the property's legal and physical situation on its lot.
Who pays for it?
In a typical Quebec sale the seller provides a certificate of location that reflects the current state of the property. Who pays for a new one is negotiable and should be settled in the promise to purchase.
Published by the Loaa & Manseur team, number one team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025. We work in French and in English. Tell us about your project.