Building BC - 2010 Year in Review: Page 7 of 11

Licensing and New Home Construction

New Homes Enrolled With Home Warranty Insurance

In 2010, there were a total of 23,387 new homes enrolled with home warranty insurance, an increase of 59.9% over the previous year. In the same period, there were 8,703 single-detached homes (an increase of 18.0% compared to 2009) and 14,684 multi-unit homes (an increase of 102.6% over 2009) enrolled with home warranty insurance.

Note: New homes enrolled include homes constructed by Licensed Residential Builders for which the HPO has received verification from the home warranty insurance company that warranty insurance is in place. Minor adjustments may be made to these figures over time as withdrawal from warranty happens from time to time. 1999 data
corresponds to the period July - December.

Licensed Residential Builders

In 2010, there were 5,068 new licences issued or renewed in the province. This number is comparable to 2009.

Note: The number of Licensed Residential Builders includes new licences issued and licence renewals for both Licensed Residential Builders and those who are dually licensed as Licensed Residential Builders and Building Envelope Renovators. 1999 data corresponds to the period July - December.

Licensed Building Envelope Renovators

There were 88 Building Envelope Renovators licensed by the HPO in 2010 compared with 65 in 2009, an increase of 35.4%.

Owner Builders

Individuals building a home for their own personal use and who directly manage the construction of the new home may be eligible for an Owner Builder Authorization and thereby be exempt from the licensing and home warranty insurance requirements of the Homeowner Protection Act.

Following a noticeable decline in 2007-2008, the number of homes built by owner builders increased marginally from 2,764 in 2009 to 2,990 in 2010.

Note: Owner-built homes include the number of Owner Builder Declaration and Disclosure Notices that have been verified for eligibility and issued to owner-builders prior to November 19, 2007. 1999 data corresponds to the period July-December.