By Dan Monk I n Nova Scotia and in particular the greater Halifax (HRM) area, when building and reno- vating homes, the public is becoming increas- ingly burdened with taxes, fees and development charges. In Nova Scotia unlike British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec there are no licences required for anyone to build or renovate a resi- dential home; nor is there a governmental require- ment for a warranty. So, in Nova Scotia and HRM anyone can build a home for themselves or others with-out taking any responsibility for their actions or providing a safe work environment. Many new home and renovation projects are complete for cash only and indeed cut into the
basic tax structure of the province. Known as the “underground economy,” this billion-dol- lar industry pays no taxes. It is an unregulated and unorganized buyer beware situation, yet the public are competitively attracted to the ‘pay less’ tax free discounts and end up having a new home or renovation that has issues down the road. There is no protection against these thieves, which can turn into a nightmare. As amember of theCanadianHome Builders Asso- ciation – Nova Scotia (CHBA-NS), our membership is a strong association of dedicated housing pro- fessionals who are well trained in building science, construction technology, building code require- ments and occupational health and safety. A shortage of skilled labour means an ever-increas- ing payroll to provide competitive, good paying jobs, not to mention costs for ongoing training, to keep employees in Nova Scotia. We pay our statu- tory remittances, business taxes, WCB levees’ and pay attention to what’s required. But more impor- tantly we take responsibility for our actions, we are professional builders and renovators. The material costs of building a home are and have maintained a relatively constant value over the years. Commodity items such as lumber and plywood have been up and down. The lower price of oil has led to consistent pricing for vinyl, plumbing and roofing products. The only issue we
22
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2019
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online