On October 20, 2022, Ontario announced they plan to double the maximum fines for new home builders and sellers who unfairly cancel a project or purchase agreement. If the proposed changes to the New Home Construction Licensing Act are passed, they will increase penalties from a maximum of $25,0000, up to $50,000. Individual developers who repeatedly violate the New Home Construction Licensing Act will also face fines from $50,000, now up to $100,000, and corporations will face fines from $250,000 now up to $500,000. Those developers could also permanently lose their builder’s license. These proposed changes would also allow the Home Construction Regulatory Authority to use those fines to pay back affected customers directly. Kaleed Rasheed, the Public and Business Service Delivery Minister, says these measures will serve as harsh punishments and make unethical developers think twice before trying to make extra money off the backs of new homeowners.

Keeping Track of Changing Industry Procedures

With these proposed changes, it is crucial for home builder companies to ensure they are maintaining ethical practices by meeting all the regulations. In doing so, they will also ensure their business is not losing money due to fines and they are keeping employees safe and customers happy. In IBIS World’s Home Builders in Canada report, they state that the “level of regulation is heavy and the trend is steady” in the industry. This means that to be successful in this industry it is required to stay on top of government regulations and the changing trends within it. 

ServiceEcho

ServiceEcho allows you to track and inspect the safety of the buildings to ensure your company and employees are following procedures and keeping a record of all activity. The mobile app can add a safety/compliance checklist to work orders for technicians to go through before completing a job. You also have the option to mark which ones are required and which are not. By doing so, a work order cannot be marked as complete without finishing the required fields. So when a technician goes to start a job and opens the work order details, they can see the required protocol checklist they need to go through and check each off as they get the work done. From the office side, you can generate reports for each work order containing all the details, including the exact date and time each task was completed and a signature from your technicians on the field. This way, when you have an audit, you can show the documents with all the detailed proof and keep your company and employees protected. To learn more about how ServiceEcho can help your home builder company, book a demo below.