Register before you build

 

Sharon McLeay

Times Contributor   

 

If you are building a new home on your property, or buying one from a builder/contractor in the area, you need to make sure the home is registered under the province’s new home warranty program.

It became effective Feb.1 and Wheatland County, as well as all municipalities, are required to obtain the number issued under that registry before issuing building permits. 

“The New Home Warranty program will have builders having to purchase warrant for their new homes prior to construction. It is their responsibility to register with the province. All this has to be in place prior to obtaining a building permit,” said Wheatland Development Officer Kim Sandbeck. “Our contract company, Superior Safety Codes will be double-checking to ensure the warranty is in place. The County will not accept a building permit application unless the home warranty certificate # is on the form. Once these steps have been completed, it is out of the County’s hands. It is then up to the builder and owner to coordinate the warranty.”

The registry is found at www.homewarranty.alberta.ca/public-registry .

If you are building the home yourself, you can get home warranty coverage for your home, or you can apply for an owner-builder authorization, which will allow you to build your home without a warranty. However, if you sell your house within 10 years, you will need to obtain the remaining warranty coverage for your buyer. All regulated safety and building codes remain the same and contractors are also required to adhere to them. Those hoping to slide under the wire without registering can face major penalties. Non-compliance fines are up to $100,000 for first offence and up to $500,000 for subsequent offences.

The protection package is covered under Aviva Insurance Company of Canada represented by National Home Warranty Group Inc., Blanket Home Warranty Ltd., Progressive Home Warranty Solutions Inc., The Alberta New Home Warranty Program and Travelers Insurance Company of Canada. The warranty cost ranges between $1,700 – $2,000.

The program was designed to protect potential homeowners from poor contractors and address potential problems homeowners might encounter down the line with the way their home was built. This does not replace home insurance policies.

The packages protect the home for one year on labour and materials, two years for defects in labour and materials related to delivery and distribution systems, five years building envelope protection (with a requirement for the warranty provider to offer the consumer the option to purchase additional years of coverage), and 10 years coverage for major structural components. There is an expectation that the homeowner will complete certain maintenance measures over the 10 year period, such as gutter cleaning, etc.

Sanbeck suggests referring to the following contacts/websites to answer any questions about the program: Municipal Affairs at 1-866-421-6929, www.homewarranty.alberta.ca, www.qp.alberta.ca/Laws_Online.cfm, www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/home_warranties_faqs.cfm