Who Can Build a Custom Home in B.C.? The Homeowner Protection Act defines a residential builder as a person who engages in, arranges for or manages, all, or substantially all, of the construction of a new home or agrees to do any of those things, and includes a developer and a general contractor.
Only Licensed Residential Builders with a general contractor licence type can build a custom home for you. Throughout this guide, we use the term builder to refer to Licensed Residential Builders with a general contractor licence type. To become a builder, an applicant must provide proof of 24 months of experience managing or supervising residential construction, all gained within the past five years. An applicant must also demonstrate competency in seven core areas, including relevant enactments, construction management and supervision, construction technology, customer service and home warranty insurance, financial planning and budget management, legal issues, and business planning, management and administration. Builders must also complete several hours of Continuing Professional Development each year to keep their licence. This enhances professionalism in the construction sector and gives homeowners confidence that their home is being built by a qualified builder with up-to-date skills and training.
All Licensed Residential Builders are registered on the Public Registry of Licensed Residential Builders . You can search the registry by licence number, company name or the name of the person responsible for the company. Otherwise, you can search by location to see all the Licensed Residential Builders in your area. By checking the registry, you can make sure you’re working with a builder that has the required general contractor licence type. You will also be able to make sure that their licence is in good standing and that the name on the contract matches the name on the licence. Some homeowners who build their own homes themselves are called owner-builders. To be classified as an owner-builder, the owner must manage all, or substantially all, of their home’s construction and must obtain an Owner Builder Authorization. This guide is not meant for owner- builders, however, more information for owner- builders is available at bchousing.org/licensing- consumer-services/owner-builder .
Hiring a Builder in BC: A Consumer Protection Guide
5
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online