Home Inspectors to be licensed in BC

In January, the BC government announced that as of the 31 March 2009, home inspectors will need to be licensed. BC is the first province in Canada to license home inspectors to better protect buyers & ensure qualified inspections.

Currently, a home inspector training is voluntary thus leading to different levels of training and qualifications.

After consultation from consumers and the industry the province opted for licensing under the Business Practices & Consumer Protection Authority (BPCPA) – this will help home buyers on Gabriola and throughout BC, to ensure that the person doing the inspection has the qualifications to make a professional assessment. It will also offer home inspectors the backing of a professional organization to help ensure that the home inspector follows their standards of practices & codes of ethics.

The BPCPA will protect the buyer’s interest by:
· Assessing the qualifications of & requiring mandatory licenses for home inspectors.
· Receiving & responding to complaints from consumers.
· Monitoring compliance through inspection & enforcement, with penalties.

In order to find out if a home inspector is licensed ask a home inspector to show you a current license issued by the BPCPA. Or check the website at: www.bpcpa.ca to verify that your home inspector is licensed.

Additional information on the licensing of Home Inspectors is available online at the Business Practices & Consumers Protection Authority Website at: www.bpcpa.ca .