BC. The Rules are Changing

Local Inspection Issues Canadian Home Inspectors
1

http://us5.campaign-archive1.com/?u=acda4235cd25a7066075b7c55&id=a6c6285bc8&e=95521f7a96

To BC licensed home inspectors,

This communication is one in a series, leading up to September 1, 2016, when changes to the laws for home inspectors come into effect. We are sending you this information to help you prepare for those changes. Please visit our web portal at www.homeinspectionrightsbc.ca](http://www.homeinspectionrightsbc.ca/) site regularly for updates.

The Rules are Changing
In March 2016, the BC government announced changes to the province’s Home Inspector Licensing Regulation. These changes will come into effect on September 1, 2016. As a licensed home inspector, there will be some new rules and processes for you to follow; including new contract requirements and inspection report requirements. To read more about the new requirements, please read this important information bulletin](https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/businesses-home-inspectors-home/law-change-updates/1315-april-2016-information-bulletin-new-requirements-for-bc-home-inspectors) on our website that was mailed and emailed to you in April.

Consumer Protection BC’s Role
Consumer Protection BC regulates and licenses seven different business sectors and a number of consumer transactions including gift cards, credit reporting and consumer contracts. We have been licensing the home inspection sector since 2009. With the changes to the coming into effect in September, one of the changes is that membership in a home inspection association will no longer be a legal requirement to get a licence from Consumer Protection BC. This means that as of September 1, 2016, you will be interacting with us more as we will be handling consumer complaints against your business directly, inspecting your business and enforcing the law. Let us tell you more about that….

Complaint Handling
In the past, consumer complaints from consumers about your business practices as a home inspector, were often handled by your home inspection association. This is changing as of September 1, 2016. As with all of our other regulated sectors, we will be dealing with you directly to review and address consumer complaints filed with us about your business practices. Depending on the nature of the complaint, some issues may still be forwarded to any association that you belong to but we will be handling complaints related to the law. You can find out more about our process on our website here](https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/businesses-home-inspectors-home/compliance-and-enforcement/investigations).

Our Enforcement Tools
BC’s consumer protection laws give us a variety of enforcement tools. We use these tools in a progressive manner and in many cases use them as a last resort if a business does not voluntarily comply with its obligations under the law. You can find out more about our enforcement powers and tools on this page on our website](https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/businesses-home-inspectors-home/compliance-and-enforcement/enforcement).
Inspections
As we do with our other licensed sectors, we may be inspecting your business. You can find out more about our inspection process here](https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/businesses-home-inspectors-home/compliance-and-enforcement/inspections-overview). We will be creating an inspection guide that reflects the new rules so that you know what to expect should you be inspected by Consumer Protection BC. That guidance document will be available on our website at a later date and will help you know what to expect and prepare for a possible inspection.

For more information
Our online information](http://www.homeinspectionrightsbc.ca/) is consistently being updated and will continue to communicate with you via email. We encourage you to visit www.homeinspectionrightsbc.ca often. If you have questions, please contact us at operations@consumerprotectionbc.ca.

Thank you.
Consumer Protection BC

      **[FONT="Arial"]FIND OUT   MORE ABOUT THE new rules**](https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/businesses-home-inspectors-home/law-change-updates)[/FONT]

About Consumer Protection BC
*Consumer Protection BC is the regulator of a variety of business sectors and specific consumer transactions in the province. Our mandate is to license and inspect our regulated businesses, respond to consumer inquiries, investigate alleged violations of consumer protection laws, classify all general release motion pictures and provide information so consumers can self-assess the fairness of a transaction. Our vision is a province where all citizens of BC are empowered in their transactions as a result of rigorous and consistent business compliance and through the provision of solution-based information. For more information about our organization, please visit our corporate website at www.consumerprotectionbc.ca](http://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/) or read our 2015 Annual Report… *

2

Another interesting change is the impact on associations. Technically a “licensed home inspector” will not need to hold membership in a home inspection association.

Seems like “associations” will need to reinvent themselves.

It will be interesting to see some posts here from BC inspectors about their thoughts on the changes.

Regards…Claude

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I’m working towards first time certification here in BC. I’m finding it quite challenging figuring out exatly how to go about.

Any insight is much appreciated.

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I love it. For too long there were associations that only survived by being “recognized.” That was their only benefit.

Now they’ll have to compete with InterNACHI and this: www.nachi.org/benefits.htm if they want to have any purpose at all.

Or better yet, just die.

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Hello Nick - I can’t disagree with you on the importance of benefits. However, another critical part is the concern about dealing with unethical issues referred back to associations regarding a “member”, regarding Professional Practices.

On the just die part - only time will tell regarding attrition or need. The other part I see is the cost of membership needs to be fair and reasonable, as well as benefits such as affordable insurance.

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If the government won’t even take on the work of handling ethical violations of their license holders… what do we need them for at all? That seems to me to be the bare minimum the regulators should handle for our industry… public protection. The associations shouldn’t have to do their mop up work for them. We’re busy enough as it is.

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Agree!
Associations will protect their membership as they are the reasons for there being…

8

Nick can you confirm that someone from Nachi is in contact with CPBC to get the Nachi courses approved? If they are not, Nachi will be in the same boat as everyone else. In BC, we need a minimum of 50 hours in the field with an inspector that has 1000+ inspections done, something that Nachi doesn’t make a requirement. In Sept, it will probably jump to over 100 hours. Other associations have a list of guys that will train apprentice and provide those mandatory hours. I’m guessing CanNachi will die, will Nachi supply a list of qualified trainers for those who start in the industry to become CPBC licensed? In BC right now, there is probably less than 30 Nachi inspectors total in the whole province, and most with probably less than the required experience to train. What’s your plan?

Thanks,

David

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Get it done before September. Not sure how you gonna get the field training done with what CanNachi has in stock. It’s not very busy right now because of the sales with no subject. We normally have to pay $100 per inspection training that gives you about 2.5 hours. It’s not so expensive but you have to take a day off work, it’s in thousands.

I’m not very far in my inspection career but I’m very happy I got licensed already.

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The way I read these changes for B.C. is that once licensed you do not have to be a member of an association. The trick though as it seems to me is that you have to be a member of an association to get your licence. This is maybe where if there is a BC chapter of InterNACHI, they could apply to become a tester for the BC licence, kind of like what we did here in Alberta. If you want to see the InterNACHI membership in BC take off, that is the way to do it.

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The license is provided by CPBC once you get approved training and field hours.

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Good opportunity for InterNACHI or an InterNACHI chapter to become approved to provide training and field hours.

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Talk to Nick about starting a local Nachi Chapter he is great and has many ideas .

nick@internachi.org

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Thanks, but I have enough to do with the Alberta chapter.

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David Asselin (t’es Québécois toi aussi?) - I work for myself so, I will do whatever it takes to get certified. I actually did my first un-official inspection yesterday on a property I’m looking to purchase for myself on the island (a post in an appropriate forum will be posted asap). The realtor I’m dealing with recommended I get certified asap since there is a major backlog to get properties inspected and she suggested I could get a LOT of referrals…

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Sorry Dan I did not see you are in Alberta .

A big thanks for all you do there.

Now would be a good time for so BC people to talk to Nick about organizing .

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I think it would be perfect time for them and InterNACHI to become a testing organization. There membership would increase because so many would be inspectors have no interest in joining other expensive organizations to get licensed. In Alberta, we have well over 300 InterNACHI members in a large part because our route to licensing makes sense and works. There is an opportunity in BC for the same results we have had here.

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Makes a lot of sense to me, Daniel W. Levia.

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https://www.nachi.org/BC

Certified British Columbia Home Inspectors

There are currently 30 InterNACHI-certified home inspectors in British Columbia.

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I think the Alberta chapter started with 3 members meeting at the food fair in a mall. If BC currently has 30, all it would need is someone to get the ball rolling. Put out feelers to see if anyone is interested and then ask Nick to mail invites for an initial meeting to see if a chapter can be organized.