New initiative aims to boost knowledge of home construction
The Province of British Columbia is introducing a new examination for owner builders as part of its ongoing program to improve the quality of owner-built homes and protect consumers.
Owner builders will need to pass the exam before being issued an Owner Builder Authorization after the new requirement comes into effect on July 4, 2016, says Wendy Acheson, vice-president and registrar, Homeowner Protection Office (HPO), a branch of BC Housing.
“It’s part of a program we introduced a few years ago called Raising the Bar, aimed at improving the level of professionalism in residential construction, and is in line with changes to the Homeowner Protection Act regulation that the province announced in March last year,” she explains.
B.C. will be the first jurisdiction in Canada and one of only a few in the world to have an exam-based knowledge requirement for owner builders.
An owner builder is a person authorized by the HPO to build a new home for their personal use. They are not required to be licensed by the HPO and do not need to arrange for third-party home warranty insurance on the home.
But with approximately 2,500 owner-built homes being constructed in B.C. annually out of a total of 28,000, the province felt it was necessary to ensure that the owner builders had at least some knowledge of home construction standards and safety regulations, says Acheson.
“They don’t need to have the professional knowledge of a licensed residential builder, but they should have a minimum level of understanding so that they can oversee the construction of their own new home,” she adds.
Owners who receive an Owner Builder Authorization may hire tradespersons to work on the home and must also be able to manage the construction process. They must not hire a general contractor to build the home for them.
Improving owner builders’ knowledge is also an important aspect of protecting consumers as a whole, says Acheson. An owner builder is allowed to sell their home 12 months after it is completed and a future purchaser will want to know that the construction was overseen by someone with at least a basic understanding of the correct procedures.
The exam will be offered on an ongoing basis at approximately 50 locations across B.C. It will be a computer-based test comprising 100 multiple choice questions and should take about 90 minutes to complete.
Owner builders will need to show competency in two specific areas: construction basics, and the statutory obligations and requirements that they must meet under the Homeowner Protection Ac t.A score of 70 per cent will be needed to pass the exam.
Acheson says the HPO will be working with education providers and industry associations to ensure that instruction is available to owner builders who may need assistance in preparing for the exam.
Information about available training is searchable on the HPO’s education registry on its website. For more information about the new owner builder exam requirement, please visit www.hpo.bc.ca . You can also contact the Homeowner Protection Office by phone at 604-646-7050 (toll-free 1-800-407-7757) or email licensinginfo@bchousing.org