VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA, December 2, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- There are more than 150 thousand new immigrants move to Vancouver each year. Some immigrants try to build dream homes after moving to Vancouver. Choosing home builders: most new home builders are reputable professionals who provide a good quality product. Even so, it’s smart to check out your builder’s qualifications and service record.

Builder or developer?

Although builders and developers have different roles in home construction, the term “Licensed Residential Builder” includes both builders and developers. This guide refers to both as builders.

Builder Licensing Requirements

Build New Homes in Vancouver: must be built by builders who are licensed under the Homeowner Protection Act by BC Housing. You can check the Public Registry of Licensed Residential Builders at www.bchousing.org also online to ensure your builder is licensed.

The New Homes Registry can be used to find out if the home has a policy of home warranty insurance and is built by a Licensed Residential Builder, or whether it is built without home warranty insurance under an exemption, such as an Owner Builder Authorization. Check out the New Homes Registry at www.bchousing.org. Exceptions to the licensing requirement include:
• homes built by owner-builders (an owner-builder is a person who is authorized to build a single dwelling unit for his or her personal use)
• homes built by builders under a building permit applied for before July 1, 1999

Tips for Checking Out the Builder

Visiting the company’s website or doing an Internet search is a good place to start. Here are key questions to ask about the builder:
• Is the builder licensed by BC Housing?
• How long has the builder been in business?
• How many homes have the builder built that is similar to the type you are considering?
• Get references from homeowners currently living in homes the builder has built. Request a list of homes or projects completed by the builder within the last few years. Make arrangements to view some of these homes and speak to the current owners if possible. Have the owners made any claims for construction defects? Contact the warranty company to find out and learn more.
• Does the builder have an after-sales service program? Ask the builder and former clients. Attention to details, good after-sales service and quality construction come at a cost, so it is not wise to select a home based on its price and features alone.
• Is the builder a member of an industry organization such as the Canadian Home Builders’ Association, Urban Development Institute, Independent Contractors’ Association of B.C. or B.C. Construction Association? Membership in these organizations may indicate a commitment to professionalism and industry involvement and experience.
Have any complaints been registered against the company with the Better Business
Bureau (BBB)? You may inquire about the number of complaints received by the BBB
against a builder or developer in the past three years, and whether these complaints
were resolved.
• Has the builder received any compliance orders, monetary penalties or convictions under the Homeowner Protection Act and regulations? You may wish to check the BC Housing website at www.bchousing.org for a list of builders who have received convictions or enforcement actions.
• You may wish to do a court search to find out whether any legal action has been brought against the builder or the builder’s related companies. Discuss any concerns with the builder.

Key Points:

• New homes in British Columbia must be built by builders who are licensed under the Homeowner Protection Act by BC Housing. Check the Public Registry of Licensed Residential Builders on the BC Housing website to ensure that your builder is licensed.

• Check out the qualifications and service record of the builder of a home you are considering to buy.

Building Codes and Building Authorities

The provincial Building Code is intended primarily to ensure that health and safety standards for buildings are met. Municipal building inspection offices usually review the major stages of home construction, identify building code deficiencies and ensure that they are corrected before certifying the building as fit for occupancy.

However, the Building Code is not meant to guarantee overall construction quality. For example, the quality of work, finishes, landscaping and driveways are not regulated by the Code. A building that meets all Code requirements could still have problems if the design is not properly executed. As well, municipal building inspectors cannot ensure the quality of every aspect of every structure. You should view the building inspection process more as an audit of the construction process than as a comprehensive review of all components.

The level of Code enforcement varies throughout the province. Some municipalities do detailed inspections, while others do not do on-site inspections. The City of Vancouver does not use the provincial Code, since it has its own building code, the Vancouver Building By-law. For these reasons, it is important that you check out the condition of the home you are considering to purchase.

Still, having concerns? 温哥华房产网 may assist you further.

Ran Chen
BuyProperties BC
+1 778-858-2876
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