Building Act Requirements
Requirements that extraprovincial building officials (EPBOs) must meet to have their credentials recognized in B.C. are authorized under section 11(2) of the Building Act and specified in section 12 of the Building Act General Regulation.
The legislated requirements meet labour mobility obligations established under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement and New West Partnership Trade Agreement.
Under the Building Act, an extraprovincial building official credential means ‘an official recognition, conferred by another jurisdiction in Canada, that attests to an individual being qualified or authorized to perform in that jurisdiction’s work that is the same as or is substantially similar to the work of a qualified building official.’
Under the Building Act General Regulation, the registrar may recognize an EPBO credential and issue an equivalent BC building official qualification if they are satisfied that the credential:
- is valid;
- is held by a person who is not subject to any sanctions in the jurisdiction in relation to the credential;
- provides evidence that the holder of the credential is qualified to perform the work of a qualified building official with the same scope of practice.
Application & Equivalency Process
1. Pre-application consultation: It is recommended that EPBOs interested in having their credentials recognized in B.C. contact the Association to discuss the requirements and process before applying so that staff can advise on the process and requirements. At this stage, staff can also review extraprovincial building official credentials held by an EPBO and advise on which building official qualification(s) the individual will be eligible for once application requirements are satisfied.
2. Extraprovincial Building Official Exam: EPBOs must pass the extraprovincial building official exam before they are eligible to receive an equivalent building official qualification in B.C. The requirement for this exam, like all other code official qualification exams, is established by the Province through Ministerial Order.
- This jurisprudence exam only tests a candidate’s knowledge of B.C. laws, regulations, and requirements. It does not test candidates on code or other technical knowledge, and a code book is not required to write the exam. The content outline for the exam is found on the Association website.
- The exam is open-book and consists of 30 multiple choice questions. Candidates are provided with 90 minutes to write the exam. The exam is online and can be written at any location and at any time. The exam guide posted on the Association website explains how to register for the exam, the IT requirements needed to access and write the online exam, and how to challenge an exam outcome or question.
- The Association offers an online course, Introduction to the Building Regulatory System, that you can choose to enroll in to prepare for the exam. An outline of this optional course is accessible on the Association website and course registration information can be found here.
3. Application: After completing the exam, EPBOs may apply for membership in the Association and qualification as a building official using the standard application forms that are found on the Association website. Membership in the Association is a requirement for qualification as a building official in B.C. EPBOs will also need to submit copies of credentials and evidence of good standing with the regulatory authority in their home province with their application if they did not already do so during the pre-application consultation. Complete applications are processed in five (5) business days or less.
Professional Development and Annual Reporting
Under section 11(1)(a)(ii) of the Building Act, all qualified building officials in B.C. are required to submit evidence of completing professional development and submit an annual report on a yearly basis.
Information about professional development requirements is available here on the Association website.
