Before you sign for a pre-construction home or condo, check who is actually building it. Type the builder or vendor company name from your agreement to see its licence status, homes enrolled, warranty claims, and any convictions or licence conditions, straight from Ontario’s official builder regulator.
Use the legal company name on the agreement of purchase and sale. Projects are often sold by a company created for that one project.
Buying pre-construction? Get a second set of eyes on the agreement.
Send your details and I will walk you through the deposit schedule, the builder’s track record and the clauses worth raising with your lawyer before your cooling-off period ends.
Questions people ask
How do I check if a builder is licensed in Ontario?
Every builder and seller of new homes in Ontario must be licensed by the Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA). Its Ontario Builder Directory shows each licence status, the homes the builder has enrolled with Tarion, warranty claim history, and any convictions, conditions or notices. This tool reads that directory and links to the official record.
What is a chargeable conciliation?
It is a home where Tarion found that warranty items the builder should have fixed were not resolved by the builder. A higher number relative to homes built is a signal to ask harder questions.
What does Tarion protect on a new home deposit?
For a new freehold home, Tarion’s warranty protects deposits up to $100,000, and delayed-closing compensation is $150 a day up to $7,500. Condo deposit protection works differently, so read your agreement and ask a lawyer.
Is a clean record a guarantee?
No. The directory reflects what has been recorded. A new company in a larger group may have little history of its own, which is why the related companies group is shown too. Always have a real estate lawyer review a new-home agreement before the cooling-off period ends.
Source: Home Construction Regulatory Authority, Ontario Builder Directory. Figures are shown as published by the HCRA on the date retrieved, using the HCRA’s own definitions. Always confirm on the official record. This page is not affiliated with or endorsed by the HCRA or Tarion.