CHBA BC participates in the Building Officials’ Association of BC conference as a platinum sponsor

There are a lot of similarities between the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of BC (CHBA BC) and the Building Officials’ Association of BC (BOABC).

Home builders and building officials are now required to take continuing professional development (CPD), which was jointly announced through the provincial Building Act in 2015.  Both professions have an on-the-ground view of housing policy and building codes across the province. And, both associations have a province-wide membership reach.

As the residential construction industry evolves and changes, it makes sense to build a strong industry relationship and better connections between CHBA BC and BOABC. A recent example of this effort was CHBA BC’s participation as a platinum sponsor in the 2019 BOABC Conference and AGM from May 29-31, 2019 in Vancouver.

“We appreciated the invitation from the Building Officials’ Association of BC and CEO David Schioler to get involved with the 2019 Conference,” said CEO Neil Moody. “We see a natural opportunity to work together on cross-industry issues, and the conference was a great way to kickstart that conversation.”

CHBA BC held a hospitality suite on the evening of May 29, in partnership with FortisBC, that was well attended by building officials from across the province. It provided a casual opportunity to network with home builders and building officials. In addition, CHBA BC representatives—provincial executive leaders, local builders, and staff—attended the evening Gala on May 30.

“I would like to see better connections between the two Associations and their members. I consider my local building and plumbing inspectors as part of my team to build great homes. We can all benefit from more frequent collaboration with our different perspectives,” said CHBA BC president Brian Charlton, who attended the conference.

Many speakers at the conference referred to the B.C. Energy Step Code. This code—unique to British Columbia—sets energy performance targets builders must meet for their homes to be compliant (performance path), but does not specify exactly how they meet them (previously known as a prescriptive path).

For builders, the challenge includes mastering the new energy-efficiency requirements while maintaining the affordability and desires of their home buyers. Building officials will be required to increase their awareness of new technologies and innovation, as each home they inspect may not use the same building formula, while ensuring the homes are still safe and compliant.

“The implementation of the Step Code will impact the day-to-day work of home builders and building officials,” said Moody. “This is one clear area where we see a clear opportunity to work together as we work through the challenges of a new style of building code in British Columbia.”

It is clear that this relationship is only getting started, and CHBA BC looks forward to more partnership opportunities with BOABC in the coming months and years.

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