Every new home built by a licensed residential builder in BC carries a 2-5-10 warranty. Few buyers can say what that means.
Three clocks, three kinds of cover:
- 2 years: labour and materials, with some limits
- 5 years: the building envelope, including water penetration
- 10 years: structural defects
The warranty is third-party insurance required under the Homeowner Protection Act, so the cover does not depend on the builder alone. It is also part of what separates a licensed builder from an unlicensed one.
Before you sign, ask four things:
- Is the builder licensed? Check the licence with BC Housing.
- Which insurer backs the warranty, and when do I get the certificate?
- What is excluded from coverage?
- Can we do a pre-occupancy walkthrough?
The warranty will not turn a poorly built home into a good one. It is a safety net. Quality still comes from the people building it, and from how closely the work is inspected along the way.
We are licensed with BC Housing (licence #50395). Ask us for the policy number on any project.
Send the address and we’ll run a free desktop check of what it appears to allow, within two business days.
Request a lot check →Homeowner Protection Act summaries from BCFSA and BC Housing; warranty insurer consumer brochures (e.g. Travelers Canada, BC). General information only, not legal advice. Coverage terms and exclusions are set out in your warranty certificate.
General information, checked Nov 1, 2026. Rules change and differ by municipality; confirm for your lot before relying on it. Not legal, tax or financial advice.