FAQs

To apply for a residential builder licence, all applicants must go through BC Housing Licensing & Consumer Services.

For full details on the licensing process, you can visit their comprehensive website at: https://www.bchousing.org/licensing-consumer-services/builder-licensing/

You can also contact BC Housing, Licensing & Consumer Services at:

• Phone: 604-646-7050
• Toll-Free Number: 1-800-407-7757
• Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday

According to BC Housing's Licensing & Consumer Services:

1. General contractor applicants must provide proof of 24 months of experience managing or supervising residential construction within the last five years.
2. Applicants need to demonstrate competency by successfully completing approved training in seven core competency areas.

Here are the CHBA BC pre-approved courses that meet the core competency areas (click to view the course descriptions).

• Business planning and management = Business Planning & Management
• Construction management and supervision = Project Management & Site Supervision
• Construction technology = Building Science for New Homes
• Customer service and home warranty insurance = Service & Warranty
• Financial planning and management = Financial Management
• Legal issues = Construction Law
• Relevant enactments = BC Building Code Part 1  &   BC Building Code Part 2

BC Housing Licensing & Consumer Services allows applicants to select a nominee to help fulfill the requirements. You can read more information about the requirements on their website, "Using a Nonimee" section.

There is no option to challenge CHBA BC course exams. If you want to challenge a specific competency, BC Housing Licensing & Consumer Services offers a Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition Process. Please review the information on their website.

To register for a course, please visit our education website at mycpd.chbabc.org. All courses that are pre-approved as meeting the core competency requirements are listed under the Builder Licensing folder.

Yes, all students must set up CHBA BC student accounts. These accounts are tied to the individual, not the company, and provide online access to required course components such as quizzes and assignments. While there is an option to provide company information, student contact information must be under the student’s first and last name. This is also the name printed on any relevant certificates. Students may not share accounts.

All courses have a list of available dates for online sessions posted online for registration. Online (Webinar) sessions are mandatory and final exams need to be self-scheduled at any time following the online sessions. You should plan courses according to your own flexibility with the available dates shown online.

There is no set order for the courses with the exception of the BC Building Code. If you are taking the BC Building Code course for licensing purposes then Part 1 must be taken before Part 2.

Once a student enrolls in a course, a CHBA BC course manual is automatically shipped to the student’s mailing address. Students are expected to:

1. Read the manual in full.
2. Log into the online Learning Management System (mycpd.chbabc.org) to complete mandatory quiz questions for each chapter (or Chapter Learning Content) and eLearning module.
3. Log into the online system to download one to two assignments (optional activity), to be completed and emailed to instructors one week prior to the webinar session.
4. Attend the online (webinar) session the student has registered for.
5. An open book final online exam will be written by all students. (*Please note that students self-schedule their own final exam in advance through the 3rd party online exam service provider, Examity and pay the exam fee directly to them.)

Technical requirements for online courses

Online course requirements - Students are required to attend their pre-scheduled webinar sessions in full, and attendance will be verified throughout the sessions. All online sessions are live instructor-led sessions and participation is strongly encouraged. Those are hosted through ZOOM meeting software. To use ZOOM, you will need the following:

• High-speed internet connection
• Webcam (either on laptop or desktop computer)
• Microphone

Exam requirements - Examity is a live online proctoring service that allows you to take your exam from the comfort of your home.  Examity is available 24/7, meaning you can schedule an exam anytime.  In order to use Examity you will need the following:

• High-speed internet connection
• Webcam (internal or external)
• Windows or Mac Operating System
• Up-to-date Chrome extension installed (see below for instructions on adding extension)
• Government-issued photo ID

Review how to add the Chrome extension and/or the troubleshooting guide for test-takers by clicking here.

Test your equipment to see if it is compatible for use with Examity. For assistance, call the relevant phone number listed on our Test-taker Resource Center page or fill out the form, email support@examity.com, or chat directly with us through the Live Chat feature on the Examity dashboard.

Yes, a CHBA BC manual is included in the course enrollment fees.

Exceptions: For BC Building Code Part 1 and 2, students must have access to their own copy of the BC Building Code (available for purchase through www.bccodes.ca).

• Student manuals are printed and shipped on demand, once a student enrolls in a course online. Students are responsible for ensuring that an up-to-date mailing address is provided upon initial enrollment. Once a textbook is ready to be shipped, students will automatically receive an email with a Canada Post tracking number.
• Please note that a Canadian shipping address is required. Course materials will not be shipped outside of Canada.

Active members of CHBA BC are eligible to receive a 25% discount on select courses.

If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact the Local Home Builders’ Association in your area: https://chbabc.org/about/membership/.

If you’re a member of a local Home Builders’ Association, please email education@cpd.chbabc.org to confirm eligibility for your course fee discount. (Note that simply signing up for CHBA BC student account does not qualify for a member discount.)

If you are unable to attend an in-person/online session and would like to send another individual in your place, please note there will be a $150+GST administration fee. All requests must be received no later than two weeks prior to the start of an in-person/online session date.  All requests for course date changes will only be accepted via email to education@cpd.chbabc.org.

All requests for course date changes carry an administrative fee of $150+GST. All requests for course date changes must be made in writing to education@cpd.chbabc.org. Course date changes are subject to availability.  Students are responsible for rescheduling their own exams.

All licensing course final exams are open-book. The time provided can vary for each exam and ranges between 1-3 hours (All online exams have a 3-hour time limit maximum).  Students are permitted to have their CHBA BC student manual and handwritten, or printed notes. Exams can consist of multiple choice, true or false, definitions, fill in the blank, and short answer questions.

Any screenshots or photographs taken of instructors’ PowerPoint slides or other materials presented online are NOT allowed to be referenced during the exam.

• Building Science for New Homes – students also have a printed handout (or a PDF version) labelled R-2000 Standard.
• BC Building Code – students must have access to their own copy of the BC Building Code (available at www.bccodes.ca as either an electronic version or a hardcopy version).
• Financial Management – students are permitted to have a traditional calculator (no graphing calculators, computer calculators or phones allowed) and to use the "EXAM FORMULA SHEET", which can be accessed in their account (login) > Resources > Builder Licensing Courses > Financial Management folder.

All final exams are open book. The length of time allowed to write each exam depends on the particular course. No exam is longer than three hours in duration. Exams may consist of multiple choice, true or false, definition and short answer questions.

You can book your exam at any time, after you have been enrolled in an online course.  Once your online session date has been confirmed, your exam can be booked for the same day or later (for example, 2 days later, or 2 weeks later). It is entirely up to you to decide when you are ready to write it.

Please note students have one year from the date of enrollment to complete the course in full, including the final exam.  Any extensions will incur an admin fee of $150+GST.

Students are responsible for scheduling their final exams and submitting payment directly to the proctoring service provider. All licensing courses must have proctored exams, as per the requirements set out by BC Housing's Licensing and Consumer Services. Please self-schedule your exam time directly through ProctorU (https://go.proctoru.com/) The 'CHBA BC Student How To - Setup ProctorU Account for Online Exam Taking' PDF file can also be downloaded for reference within the 'Resources > Builder Licensing Courses' section. Please review this guidebook before booking your exam. It is strongly recommended that students check their technical equipment prior to their online exam. Please schedule your final exam for any time following the webinar (we still recommend you schedule in advance – ie do not wait until the day you want to write the exam, to attempt to schedule it. This will incur premium fees). All online exams are open-book and have a maximum of 3 hours (180 minutes) provided.  Any screenshots or photographs taken of instructors' PowerPoint slides or other materials presented online are NOT allowed to be referenced during the exam. Please follow the link here to review the CHBA BC's exam policies and procedures.

You must achieve a minimum grade of 80% on the open book final exam in order to pass a course.

If you are not successful in passing the final exam, you can schedule an exam rewrite. Exam rewrites are scheduled through invigilation centres throughout the province or through an online proctoring service provider, ProctorU. Students are responsible for any administration fees incurred. Students are given the opportunity to re-write a maximum of two times before having to retake the course and pay again in full.

CHBA BC has a list of pre-approved providers that host in-person exams (written as either a paper version or an online version). Please contact education@cpd.chbabc.org for more details. Students will be required to pay an administrative fee directly to the proctoring service provider for the exam cost.

Once you have successfully passed your final exam, the overall mark will be updated within one week of the exam date. To expedite the process, please make sure you have completed your mandatory online content (e.g. chapter quiz questions) prior to the online session date. CHBA BC is required to verify that all components of the course have been completed prior to the student profile being updated with a certificate of completion available to download.

You have up to one year from the date of enrollment to complete a course. Students who cannot complete the course within a year can request a course extension with a standard administrative fee of $150+GST. Students can only extend once before re-enrolling in the course in full. A course extension will provide students access to the course and final exam for one additional year. However, this doesn't allow the student to re-attend the webinar session. All requests for course extensions must be submitted via email to education@chbabc.org.

All requests for refunds must be made in writing via email to education@cpd.chbabc.org. No telephone requests will be accepted.

• If a request is received within 14 days of the initial registration date, a registrant who requests a refund will receive a full refund less a $150.00 administrative fee (plus GST).
• If a request is received during the period from 14 days after the registration date to 4 pm of the 14th day prior to the one-day in-person/online session (which is reserved during the registration process), a registrant who requests a refund will receive a 50% refund of the registration fee.
• Within 14 days from the start of the in-person/online session, no refunds will be issued; registrants will forfeit all course fees.

A list of CHBA BC courses that are approved for CPD points can be found here. CHBA BC offers courses in a variety of formats, including eLearning, Seminars, Webinars, and Online Recordings. Students can select courses that best suit their learning preferences and schedules.

BC Housing’s Licensing and Consumer Services requires that all active licensed residential builders complete a minimum of 20 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points related to the residential construction industry on an annual basis.  CPD points can be earned through training, from research and education (or a combination of both).  

For more details, please visit BC Housing’s website at: https://www.bchousing.org/licensing-consumer-services/builder-licensing/CPD. 

CHBA BC is a pre-approved education provider to host CPD courses.

• eLearning is a structured course where students must work through a series of set modules, with some courses culminating in a final exam at the end.  eLearning typically is a dive deep into a particular subject matter, delivering more in-depth knowledge.
• Seminars or Webinars are typically live lecture-style presentations that take place in an informal setting.  They are not structured like a formal course and typically do not include a final exam.
• Online Recordings are collections of past seminars & webinars converted into an online format. You can access Online Recordings any time at your convenience without being tied to a scheduled date/time.

Active members of CHBA BC are eligible to receive a 25% discount on select courses.

If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact the Local Home Builders’ Association in your area: https://chbabc.org/about/membership/.

If you’re a member of a local Home Builders’ Association, please email education@cpd.chbabc.org to confirm eligibility for your course fee discount. (Note that simply signing up for CHBA BC student account does not qualify for a member discount.)

If you are unable to attend a seminar/webinar session and would like to send another individual in your place, please note there will be a $50+GST administration fee. All requests must be received no later than one week prior to the start of a seminar/webinar session date.  All requests for course date changes will only be accepted via email to education@cpd.chbabc.org.

Students must have access to the following for online courses:

• A Laptop or a desktop computer
• High-speed internet connection
• Supportive Browsers
  • Windows: Internet Explorer 11+, Edge 12+, Firefox 27+, Chrome 30+
  • macOS: Safari 7+, Firefox 27+, Chrome 30+
  • Linux: Firefox 27+, Chrome 30+

• High-speed internet connection
• Webcam (either on a laptop or desktop computer)
• Microphone

Students are strongly encouraged to test all equipment before a scheduled session.  Please visit: https://zoom.us/test to test your equipment.

Students are required to attend the sessions in full, and the attendance will be verified throughout the sessions. Webinars are live instructor-led sessions, and participation is strongly encouraged.

Seminars are hosted throughout the province, typically at hotel venues.  Due to the ongoing pandemic, all seminars for CPD courses have been suspended.

When you enter a Canadian Home Builders’ Association of BC (CHBA BC) event or program, you enter an area where photography, audio, and video recording may occur. By entering the event premises, you consent to you and your likeness being photographed, audio recorded, video recorded and its/their release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction to be used for news, webcasts, promotional purposes, telecasts, advertising, inclusion on websites, social media, or any other purpose by CHBA BC and its affiliates and representatives.  

Images, photos and/or videos may be used to promote similar CHBA BC events in the future, highlight the event and exhibit the capabilities of CHBA BC. You release CHBA BC, its officers and employees, and each and all persons involved from any liability connected with the taking, recording, digitizing, or publication and use of interviews, photographs, computer images, video and/or sound recordings.

By entering the event premises, you waive all rights you may have to any claims for payment or royalties in connection with any use, exhibition, streaming, web casting, televising, or other publication of these materials, regardless of the purpose or sponsoring of such use, exhibiting, broadcasting, webcasting, or other publication irrespective of whether a fee for admission or sponsorship is charged. You also waive any right to inspect or approve any photo, video, or audio recording taken by CHBA BC or the person or entity designated to do so by CHBA BC. You have been fully informed of your consent, waiver of liability, and release before entering the event.

Students must complete the full course, including successful completion of the exam. Partial CPD points will not be awarded.

Exams can consist of multiple choice and true or false questions. A maximum of 3 hours is provided for each final exam. 

A pass mark of 80% is required on the final exam for successful completion of the course.

The final exam is automatically unlocked once a student has successfully completed ALL modules in the course.

Students who do not pass the final exam on their first attempt can be granted additional attempts for an administrative fee of $50+GST per attempt.

The course must be completed in full within one year of the initial enrollment date.  Any requests for course extensions will incur a standard administrative fee of $150+GST.  Course deferrals will provide students access to the course and final exam for one additional year. All requests for course extensions must be submitted via email to education@chbabc.org.

Online Recordings are collections of past seminars & webinars converted into an online format. You can access Online Recordings any time at your convenience without being tied to a scheduled date/time.

Once you receive the enrollment confirmation email, the Online Recording will be available for you to access within your student account. (mycpd.chbabc.org login -> My Courses -> CPD (Informal) -> Online Recordings -> Start) Once you “start” an Online Recording course, recording(s) will be available for you to play. Please note the recordings cannot be skipped and students must watch the whole set of recordings in the course for CPD points.

The course must be completed in full within one year of the initial enrollment date.  Any requests for course extensions will incur a standard administrative fee of $50+GST.  Course deferrals will provide students access to the course for one additional year. All requests for course extensions must be submitted via email to education@chbabc.org.

If the cancellation request is received after the course has been access or expired, no refund will be issued. *All requests for refunds must be made only in writing via email to education@cpd.chbabc.org; no telephone requests will be accepted.

Certificates can be found within a student’s online account under the 'Transcript' section. Once a certificate is available for download, students will receive an automated email notification from CHBA BC. Please allow up to one week for certificates to be available immediately following any seminars/webinars.

All builders are required to report CPD points directly to BC Housing within the Licensed Residential Builders Portal.  Education providers do not have access to this portal and cannot submit on behalf of a student.

• If a request is received within 14 days of the initial registration date, a registrant who requests a refund will receive a full refund less a $50.00+GST administrative fee;
• If a request is received less than 14 days prior to the event, no refunds will be issued.
• Online Recording courses are non-refundable.

 All requests for cancellations will only be accepted via email to education@cpd.chbabc.org.