Building BC is published by the Homeowner Protection Office for Licensed Residential Builders and Licensed Building Envelope Renovators, as well as our partners within the residential construction industry.
Futures Report Approved
The Futures Report identifies five key thrusts to build on the mandate of the Homeowner Protection Act:
- Professionalization of the industry
- Informed and protected consumers
- Viability of the warranty structure
- A strategic centre for building industry research
- An aligned, focused and capable organization.
Building Smart #3 Seminar Planned for Spring 2005
Soils, Foundations, Crawlspaces and Basement Wall Finishing
Three-hour seminar will be delivered in 14 cities in April and May. This will be the third in a series of seminars brought to you by the HPO and presented by Murray Frank of Constructive Building Solutions.
Fall 2004 Building Smart #2 Seminar Results
Higher attendance, positive feedback from builders
Over 700 people, mostly Licensed Residential Builders and contractors, attended the fall 2004 seminar entitled Avoiding Moisture Problems in Houses: Building Envelope Systems and Details.
Conviction Under the Homeowner Protection Act
Builder receives second conviction, loses warranty coverage and licence.
The defendants were found guilty on all three counts. Penalties imposed by the Court include:
- Shaw Group Capital Ltd. was fined $4,500 in total for the two counts
- Hardeep Gill was fined $1,000 ($500 for each count)
- Avtar Gill was fined $1,000 ($500 for each count), and
- Ravinder Gill was fined $1,000 on the single count.
Energy Efficiency, Sustainability and Green Building Programs
Environmentally responsible, sustainable and energy efficient homes are becoming more and more important in the new home market place. Some examples of "green" technologies and products include geothermal heating systems, engineered wood products, high R-value spray-applied foam insulation and a host of water-saving fixtures. This article outlines programs available to builders and developers in British Columbia.
Terasen Gas Residential New Construction Heating Program
for Builders and Developers
Terasen Gas Inc. has launched a program to encourage energy efficiency in new construction. The program will pay builders/developers $500 every time an ENERGY STAR qualified natural gas space-heating system along with a natural gas water heater is installed in one of their new individually metered residential units.
Owner-Builder Activity In a Changing Housing Market
Despite the significant increase in the construction of single detached homes in B.C. since the licensing requirements were introduced in 1999, the number of owner-built homes constructed each year has stayed about the same.
Over the past 5 years, about 2,500 owner-built homes have been constructed on average each year. However, the number of single detached homes built by Licensed Residential Builders has increased over the same period from about 4,600 in 2000 to 12,400 new homes in 2004.
Calendar of Events - Spring 2005
Seminars, conferences and meetings are listed for April through June.
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Building BC is published by the Homeowner Protection Office primarily for Licensed Residential Builders and Licensed Building Envelope Renovators PO Box 11132 Royal Centre Phone: 604-646-7050 Website: www.hpo.bc.ca |
[header=Futures Report Approved]
Futures Report Approved
The Minister of Community Aboriginal and Women's Services has approved and provided direction for the HPO Board's recommendations contained in the Futures Report (see the Futures Report Presented to Minister article in the Winter 2004 issue of Building BC).
The Futures Report identifies five key thrusts which build on the existing mandate of the Homeowner Protection Act. These thrusts are:
- Professionalization of the industry
- Informed and protected consumers
- Viability of the warranty structure
- A strategic centre for building industry research
- An aligned, focused and capable organization.
The Minister’s response and the Futures Report can be viewed on the What’s New section of the HPO website.
The HPO is meeting with industry and consumer associations to present the Futures Report and discuss its implementation. The Minister has requested that the HPO “work informally with its stakeholders to develop options for a discussion paper” for implementing the first strategic direction contained in the report - professionalization of the industry. Licensed Residential Builders will be sent a copy of the discussion paper and have a chance to comment once it is available for dissemination.[header=Building Smart #3 Seminar Planned for Spring 2005]
Building Smart #3 Seminar Planned for Spring 2005
Soils, Foundations, Crawlspaces and Basement Wall Finishing
Mark your calendars for the spring 2005 Building Smart # 3 seminar entitled Soils, Foundations, Crawlspaces and Basement Wall Finishing which will be delivered in 14 cities around the province during the months of April and May. This will be the third in a series of seminars brought to you by the HPO and presented by Murray Frank of Constructive Building Solutions.
Developed specifically for Licensed Residential Builders and others in the residential construction industry, this three-hour seminar will cover the following topics:
- Soils -a review of typical soil types throughout British Columbia and the challenges inherent to each soil type for the design and construction of successful foundations.
- Foundations - common construction methods and new technologies including ICF, poured and block foundations will be explored. The seminar will also examine frost protection, dampproofing/waterproofing membranes, insula tion options and drainage methods.
- Crawlspaces and basement wall finishing - insulating, vapour barriers and moisture control.
Building Smart is an on-going series of educational seminars held twice annually by the Homeowner Protection Office. The seminars are focused on the construction or design of single detached houses and townhouses. Murray Frank is an instructor at B.C.I.T. in residential construction and brings a wealth of expertise, knowledge and energy to each seminar. The seminars are of interest to Licensed Residential Builders, contractors, trades, architects, engineers, building officials/inspectors, suppliers and others involved in the home building industry.
The fee to attend this seminar is $25 which includes a presentation guide for each participant. For more information on this seminar and for a registration form visit the What’s New section of the HPO website.
Building Smart #3 Seminar Schedule
| April 11 | Prince George, Coast Inn of the North |
|---|---|
| April 12 | Fort St. John, Quality Inn Northern Grand |
| April 14 | Burnaby, Hilton Vancouver Metrotown |
| April 18 | Kamloops, Forster's Convention Center |
| April 19 | Kelowna, Ramada Lodge Hotel |
| April 20 | Castlegar, Sandman Hotel |
| April 21 | Cranbrook, Prestige Inn |
| April 25 | Nanaimo, Coast Bastion Inn |
| April 26 | Courtenay, Coast Westerly Hotel |
| April 27 | Victoria, Ambrosia Catering and Event Centre |
| May 2 | Sechelt, Seaside Centre |
| May 3 | Surrey, Sheraton Guildford Hotel |
| May 5 | Abbotsford, Ramada Inn & Conference Centre |
| May 10 | Vancouver, Plaza 500 Hotel |
[header=Fall 2004 Building Smart #2 Seminar Results]
Fall 2004 Building Smart #2 Seminar Results
Higher attendance, positive feedback from builders
The second in a series of HPO Building Smart seminars was held in the fall of 2004 in 14 cities across the province. The seminar entitled Avoiding Moisture Problems in Houses: Building Envelope Systems and Details was presented by Murray Frank of Constructive Building Solutions on behalf of the HPO. It provided information on how to evaluate different wall systems and their abilities to manage exterior moisture conditions in different regions of the province as well as at a particular building site.
Over 700 people, mostly Licensed Residential Builders and contractors, attended the fall 2004 seminar, an increase of 120 from the spring seminar. Suggestions were offered by participants for future seminar topics, such as:
- Indoor ventilation systems
- Foundations
- Vapour barriers and air barriers, and
- Decks and balconies.
This feedback is used for planning future Building Smart seminars, including the upcoming spring 2005 Building Smart #3 seminar series (see Building Smart #3 Seminar Planned for Spring 2005 on page 1).
Seminar attendees were asked to complete an evaluation form at the end of the Building Smart #2 presentation. The findings were as follows:
- 90% indicated the information presented was useful
- 98% were satisfied with the presenter's knowledge and effectiveness
- 92% were satisfied with the value received for the price[header=Conviction Under the Homeowner Protection Act]
Conviction Under the Homeowner Protection Act
Following the first conviction under the Homeowner Protection Act in March 2004, a second conviction involving six counts resulted in imposed penalties in December 2004.
In February 2002, National Home Warranty Programs (National) cancelled warranty coverage on 9 of Shaw Group Capital Ltd. ("Shaw") homes in Maple Ridge and withdrew their acceptance of Shaw due to a series of unacceptable inspections on the homes. On February 27, 2002, the HPO cancelled Shaw's licence for failing to maintain the acceptance of a warranty provider. Despite receiving direction from the HPO to the contrary, Shaw continued to build some of the homes by utilizing several owner-builder exemptions.
On May 29, 2002, in cooperation with National, the HPO reinstated Shaw's licence to allow remedial work to take place on three specific units. In July 2002, HPO issued a licence limited to one new home at a time as they were enrolled with National, and in August 2003 the licence was renewed with no restrictions.
In the period between February 2002 and July 2002, Shaw continued to build out several new homes under owner-builder exemptions. Three of these new homes were subsequently sold, without having been previously occupied and without home warranty insurance, to individual consumers. (Shaw did eventually arrange for home warranty insurance on these homes after being reinstated by National). As a result of the sales, Crown Counsel approved charges on six counts against Shaw, its principals and two other family members. Of the original six counts, three were stayed by Crown and three proceeded at trial and included:
- Hardeep Gill (director nominee and sole principal), Avtar Gill (father of Hardeep Gill) and Shaw Group Capital Ltd. for selling a new home at a specific address without home warranty insurance
- Hardeep Gill, Avtar Gill and Shaw Group Capital Ltd. for selling a new home at a second address without home warranty insurance, and
- Ravinder Kaur Gill (Avtar's wife) for selling a new home at a third address without home warranty insurance.
Trial Outcomes
The trial proceeded in November 2004 at Port Coquitlam Provincial Court. The defendants were found guilty on all three counts. Penalties imposed by the Court include:
- Shaw Group Capital Ltd. was fined $4,500 in total for the two counts
- Hardeep Gill was fined $1,000 ($500 for each count)
- Avtar Gill was fined $1,000 ($500 for each count), and
- Ravinder Gill was fined $1,000 on the single count.
The HPO has now placed very severe restrictions on Shaw's licence on the grounds that they have been convicted of offences under the Act. These restrictions will be in place indefinitely.[header=Energy Efficiency, Sustainability and Green Building Programs]
Energy Efficiency, Sustainability and Green Building Programs
Environmentally responsible, sustainable and energy efficient homes are becoming more and more important in the new home market place. Some examples of "green" technologies and products include geothermal heating systems, engineered wood products, high R-value spray-applied foam insulation and a host of water-saving fixtures.
Programs available to builders and developers in British Columbia include:
Power Smart for Contractors and Developers
Offered by BC Hydro to provide information on energy-saving solutions to contractors, builders and developers, it aims to reduce energy consumption in new homes by utilizing, among other measures, more efficient appliances and lighting sources.
R-2000 Program
A collaboration between the Canadian Home Builders' Association and Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency, this program provides training, quality control and certification to builders of single detached homes that meet R-2000 standards of energy efficiency.
EnviroHome
Offered by Canadian Home Builders' Association and TD Canada Trust to select builders who want to construct homes that meet and exceed the R-2000 requirements and incorporate Healthy Housing air quality and environmental features developed by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
EnerGuide for New Houses Program
Offered by Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency in cooperation with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, this is a home labeling program that rates a home's energy efficiency. For a fee, an EnerGuide advisor will help builders and developers to review blueprints and make recommendations for energy efficient upgrades. This program can be applied to entire subdivisions, an individual home and even custom homes.
BUILDSMART
A program developed by the Greater Vancouver Regional District, it encourages the use of green building strategies and technologies by offering tools, technical resources and information on sustainable design and building practices to the building industry.
Residential Green Building Programs
Other programs available to builders include green building rating systems that evaluate a building's environmental performance. These voluntary assessment systems emphasize strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, resource efficiency, and indoor environmental quality.
The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program was initially developed for commercial and industrial buildings. Currently, only highrise residential buildings can achieve a LEED rating.
On the horizon are green building rating systems that will be applicable to single detached homes and low-rise multiunit buildings. Voluntary green building programs for single detached homes, such as Built Green Alberta, have already been introduced in some provinces.
For more information on energy efficiency, sustainability and green building programs for builders and consumers, visit the HPO website.[header=Terasen Gas Residential New Construction Heating Program]
Terasen Gas Residential New Construction Heating Program
for Builders and Developers
To encourage energy efficiency in new construction, Terasen Gas Inc. has launched its Residential New Construction Heating Program geared towards builders and developers. The program will pay builders/developers $500 every time an ENERGY STAR qualified natural gas space-heating system along with a natural gas water heater is installed in one of their new individually metered residential units.[header=Owner-Builder Activity In a Changing Housing Market]
Owner-Builder Activity In a Changing Housing Market
The HPO is asked frequently how applications for owner-builder exemptions from the licensing and warranty insurance requirements of the Homeowner Protection Act have changed during the recovery of the housing industry.
Despite the significant increase in the construction of single detached homes in B.C. since the licensing requirements were introduced in 1999 (see graph), the number of owner-built homes constructed each year has stayed about the same.
Over the past 5 years, about 2,500 owner-built homes have been constructed on average each year. However, the number of single detached homes built by Licensed Residential Builders has increased over the same period from about 4,600 in 2000 to 12,400 new homes in 2004.
Since 1999, more than 103,100 homes have been built by Licensed Residential Builders compared to about 14,200 homes built with an owner-builder exemption during the same time period. This represents 14% of all new homes constructed in the province and 32% of all single detached homes.
Licensing Statistics
| Licensing Activity | January 05 | January 04 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley/Sunshine Coast | 2,099 | 1,808 | 16% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 735 | 599 | 23% |
| Central/Okanagan/Kootenay | 601 | 504 | 19% |
| North/Central | 92 | 80 | 15% |
| Other Areas | 49 | 36 | 36% |
| Total Licensed Residential Builders | 3,576 | 3,027 | 18% |
| Licensed Building Envelope Renovators | 66 | 65 | 2% |
[header=Calendar of Events - Spring 2005]
Calendar of Events - Spring 2005
| April 11 | Prince George, Coast Inn of the North |
|---|---|
| April to May | Building Smart #3: Soils, Foundations, Crawlspaces and Basement Wall Finishing - HPO seminar (see dates in your area) |
| April 5 | GVHBA First-time Homebuyers Seminar (Surrey) - HPO speaker, exhibitor and sponsor |
| April 9 | PGHBA Northern BC Housing Awards (Prince George) - HPO sponsor |
| April 9-17 | GVHBA Parade of New Homes (various locations) - HPO sponsor |
| April 24 | CHOA Condo Conference 2005 and AGM (Burnaby) - HPO speaker, exhibitor and sponsor |
| April 24 to 27 | BOABC 50th Annual Conference (Vancouver) - HPO speaker, exhibitor and sponsor |
| April 28 | BCBEC Conference & AGM (Vancouver) - HPO funding partner, exhibitor and organizing committee member. For more information, contact BCBEC. |
| April 29 to May 1 | PGHBA Northern BC Home Garden & Leisure Show (Prince George) - HPO exhibitor |
| May 11 | FVHBA General Meeting (Abbotsford) - HPO speaker |
| May 12 | 10th Conference on Building Science and Technology (Ottawa) - HPO participation |
| June 8 | CHBA Kamloops General Meeting (Kamloops) - HPO speaker and sponsor |
| June 19 to 24 | CSA Annual General Conference (Kelowna) - HPO participation |
| June 23 | UDI 2005 Awards for Excellence (Vancouver) - HPO sponsor |
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