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Please refer to our detailed New Application Form Instructions. In addition, an abbreviated checklist version is also available.
You can pay by credit card, cheque, bank draft and money order. Please send payments to the HCRA by regular mail only. Please note that our office is closed due to COVID-19, and there is no on-site concierge to accept any courier packages. Couriered correspondence will be returned to sender. If sending a cheque payment via mail, please include your licence number, and legal company name registered with the HCRA with your cheque for us to match the payment to the correct account.
If sending a cheque payment via mail, please include your application number (APP-XXXXXXX) and legal company name entered in your application with your cheque for us to match the payment to your application.
To assist in meeting the renewal due date, the HCRA will send a first reminder 60 days before the licence is set to expire. You may begin your renewal application upon receipt of this notice. A second reminder will be issued 30 days prior to license expiry.
Renewal applications must be completed and received by the HCRA 30 days prior to the licence expiry date (this is your renewal due date). However, during the first year of operation, Feb 2021-Feb 2022, the HCRA will accept renewal applications for up to three months after an expiry date. Renewal applications received after the renewal due date and within three months of the expiry date will be subject to a late fee of $600. Renewal submissions received during this three-month window after the licence expiry date will appear expired until the application is processed.
The renewal payment is the final step of the renewal application. You can pay by credit card, or through online banking. The HRCA currently accepts online banking payments from the following financial institutions: Royal Bank of Canada, Bank of Nova Scotia, Toronto Dominion Bank, Bank of Montreal, and Central 1 Credit Union.
Cheques, bank drafts and money orders are also acceptable methods of payment, to be sent to the HCRA by regular mail only. Please note that our office is closed due to COVID-19, and there is no on-site concierge to accept any courier packages. Couriered correspondence will be returned to sender. If sending a cheque payment via mail, please include your licence number, and legal company name registered with the HCRA with your cheque for us to match the payment to the correct account.
If sending a cheque payment via mail, please include your licence number, application number (APP-XXXXXXX), and legal company name registered with the HCRA with your cheque for us to match the payment to the correct account.
To begin a renewal application, applicants must use the HCRA’s Builder Portal. The Builder Portal is an online service for builders and vendors to manage and submit forms electronically and pay fees.
Please refer to our detailed Renewal Form Instructions. In addition, an abbreviated checklist version is also available.
The HCRA will send an email reminder approximately 60 days before your licence is set to expire. The renewal application link will appear at that time.
If you have already received your notice and are still not able to access the form, contact us at info@hcraontario.ca.
Yes, the HCRA Builder Portal is the new online application for builders and vendors to:
To register to the HCRA Builder Portal, ensure that you are using the same email address associated with your previous Tarion BuilderLink account.
You must use the same email address because your Tarion account history has been migrated to the HCRA Builder Portal using your email address. (Your registration email does not need to be the same email that will be displayed on your Vendor/Builder Profile on the Ontario Builder Directory.)
You must register with an individual email address (e.g., name@builder.com).
If your previous Tarion BuilderLink account was registered with a general company email that can be accessed by multiple people (e.g, inbox@builder.com) or if you cannot recall the email associated with your BuilderLink account, please contact us at info@hcraontario.ca.
This may have occurred if your registered email does not match with your previous Tarion BuilderLink account. Contact us at info@hcraontario.ca.
The HCRA strives to process applications in a timely fashion while remaining objective, fair and consistent. Please note that the timeframe to review an application may vary depending on its complexity. Additional processing time may be required if we need to request additional information.
Builders and vendors will continue to be licensed during the application processing time, provided that the HCRA has received the completed renewal application and fees prior to the expiry date.
All licensees must have competency holders within their company that fulfill the required competencies. Inform the HCRA of the people responsible within the company for each of the seven competencies (five for vendor-only licences). Competencies may be held by a single person or several people within the company, but those people must be in the role(s) of: principal, officer, director, or senior employee (with a role or job function directly responsible for the subject matter of the competency).
Course completion or evaluation of individuals is not required for the renewal of active licences, provided new people are not introduced into the company for the purpose of holding a competency. Should a new person be identified, the HCRA may ask them to provide documentation of education in that competency.
Detailed descriptions of courses and their requirements are outlined under Competency Requirements. Courses and course providers have been approved by the HCRA to deliver programs specifically aimed at improving knowledge in the area of the core competency.
The HCRA does not otherwise govern the course providers. Course fees, timing and teaching methods are all at the discretion of the course provider. Some providers offer self-study programs, while others offer instructor-led programs. Applicants should choose a course provider based on the learning style best suited to them. Due to COVID restrictions, all courses are web-based at this time.
Yes, the HCRA has approved the same courses and course providers as previously recognized by Tarion.
Those who have less than five years or no experience or prior learning applicable to the residential construction industry in Ontario should take the courses to demonstrate they have achieved the knowledge necessary to be considered competent for the purposes of licensing with the HCRA. The courses can also be viewed as continuing education for licensed builders, and participation is not limited to new builder/vendor applicants.
The HCRA has developed a Competency Course Exemption Process (CCEP) for individuals who can demonstrate competency in any of the seven core areas. The CCEP takes about 10 days to complete. If someone has taken post-secondary education programs in any of the subject matter areas of the required competencies and have a degree, diploma, or certification, they can apply for CCEP recognition of their prior education.
Another way to demonstrate competency when applying for CCEP recognition is through five or more years’ experience in a role within the residential construction industry where the applicant’s job function is directly related to the subject matter of the competency.