An area home builder says a proposed licensing program is needed to protect consumers.

Murray Pound, President of Gold Seal Master Builders in says a home buyer needs to be fully aware of possible pitfalls when entering into a building agreement. 

"It's important for a home buyer, when he enters into a custom project with a builder, to understand how the project is going to be paid for. What I see happening, that's even more disturbing, is builders that are becoming insolvent on purpose so they can avoid responsibility for warranty and client contact."

Pound says the economic conditions right now in Alberta are leading to more irreputable builders entering the industry. However, he's seeing a trend that he considers even more disturbing.

"I think to a larger degree we're getting very savvy individuals that understand how they can use the system to their advantage.  They skirt code issues, build to the bare minimum and remain anonymous and then walk away from their responsibilities. That scares me even more, because these are builders who try to appear legitimate and sometimes they're not."  

The government plan to license builders would require them to show they're in good financial standing and have the skills to work in residential home construction. Combined with mandatory home warranties, builder licensing would improve accountability and the quality of residential construction.  

Right now, you're invited to share your home construction and renovation experiences in an online survey and focus groups that include homeowners, builders, renovators, to gather feedback on a potential program.

To take the Builder Licensing Survey visit the official webpage from the Government of Alberta

 

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