The Pacific Home Warranty registration form is how a licensed British Columbia builder enrolls a specific new home in the mandatory third-party warranty coverage required under the Homeowner Protection Act. You submit it through BC Housing’s Licensing and Insurance Management System (LIMS) before construction starts, because no municipality in BC can issue a building permit without proof that warranty coverage is in place.1BC Laws. Homeowner Protection Act Pacific Home Warranty Insurance Services currently represents Trisura Guarantee Insurance Company for new construction policies in the province.2BC Housing. Home Warranty Insurance Providers
Before You Start: Who Must Register
Every licensed residential builder in BC must register each new home for warranty insurance before construction begins. The Homeowner Protection Act is direct: you cannot build a new home unless it is registered with an authorized warranty provider, and this applies even in areas where a building permit is not otherwise required.3Province of British Columbia. Homeowner Protection Act
You also need a current residential builder licence through BC Housing. The Act prohibits anyone from carrying on the business of residential building without one, and licensure depends on meeting prescribed qualifications for experience, training, or competence, satisfying licensing conditions, and paying the applicable fee.1BC Laws. Homeowner Protection Act Corporate applicants must also disclose the individuals who control or can control the company.
One boundary to flag: owner-builders constructing a home for their own use are exempt from both the licensing requirement and the mandatory warranty obligation.1BC Laws. Homeowner Protection Act If an owner-builder sells within ten years, the absence of third-party warranty will show, and that can complicate resale and mortgage approval.
Information You’ll Need for the Form
Gather these details before opening the registration workflow. Missing or inaccurate entries are the most common reason registrations stall, because Pacific Home Warranty’s underwriters verify each field against BC Housing records and your licence file.
- Builder licence number. Your current BC Housing residential builder licence number.
- Legal property identifiers. The Lot, Block, and Plan numbers or the Parcel Identifier (PID) from the Land Title Office. These tie the warranty to the correct parcel.
- Project type. Detached single-family, multi-unit strata development, or fee-simple rowhouse. Multi-unit projects require a schedule listing each dwelling.
- Construction dates. Anticipated start date and projected completion date.
- Homeowner or purchaser information. Full legal name and contact details if a sale agreement is already signed. For speculative builds with no buyer yet, this is updated later, before occupancy.
- Occupancy date. When the first occupant is expected to move in. This date triggers the start of every warranty coverage period, so it has to be right.
Verify property identifiers against the title documents themselves. A single transposed PID digit sends the warranty to the wrong parcel, and correcting that after submission adds weeks. For strata projects, confirm the unit numbering matches the strata plan filed with the Land Title Office.
How to Submit the Form Through LIMS
Licensed builders access the registration process through BC Housing’s Licensing and Insurance Management System at lims.bchousing.org.4Progressive Home Warranty. Builder Resources Pacific Home Warranty also publishes supporting materials, including a “How to Register” guide and a Completion Certificate Checklist, through its builder resources page.
Inside the portal, select the project type first. The system adjusts the form fields based on that selection. A detached single-family registration is a single pass through the workflow. A multi-unit development generates additional unit-by-unit schedules, and each unit needs its own information filled in. Work through the fields in order rather than skipping ahead; the portal validates entries as you go.
Once every field is complete and the fee is paid, submit. The portal generates a confirmation acknowledging the filing. Underwriting then reviews the application for discrepancies. Mismatched licence numbers, incomplete property descriptions, and missing construction dates are the most common flags.
Fees and Certificate Issuance
Registration fees are payable at the time of submission. The amount varies by project scale and type, and Pacific Home Warranty sets its fee schedule independently of BC Housing’s licensing fees. Contact Pacific Home Warranty directly for a current quote before you file, so payment does not hold up the submission.
Once underwriting approves the registration, Pacific Home Warranty issues a formal warranty certificate. Give a copy to the homeowner and keep one on file for the local building authority, because municipalities require that proof before releasing building permits.1BC Laws. Homeowner Protection Act
What the Registration Triggers: 2-5-10 Coverage
Every registered new home carries a minimum three-tier coverage structure under the Homeowner Protection Act, commonly called the “2-5-10” standard, which Pacific Home Warranty policies follow as the legal floor.5BC Housing. Regulatory Bulletin 03 – 2-5-10 Year Home Warranty Insurance
- 2 years on materials and labour, including defects in delivery and distribution systems such as electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
- 5 years on the building envelope, covering the roof, walls, windows, and doors, including water penetration.1BC Laws. Homeowner Protection Act
- 10 years on structural defects that compromise the load-bearing capacity or safety of the home. This coverage follows the property through any ownership change during the ten-year period.1BC Laws. Homeowner Protection Act
Coverage begins on the date set in the warranty, which is tied to the occupancy permit date or the date the home was first ready for occupancy. If the occupancy date on the registration form is wrong, all three windows shift with it. Check that field against the actual permit before relying on it.
If You Build Without Registering
Skipping registration is a violation of the Homeowner Protection Act, not an administrative lapse. A municipality cannot legally issue a building permit without evidence that the home is covered or exempt. A builder who proceeds anyway risks permit revocation, and sale is legally blocked as well: the Act prohibits selling a new home within ten years of its occupancy date unless warranty insurance is in place.1BC Laws. Homeowner Protection Act
In cases of undue hardship, a builder can apply to the registrar for permission to sell without coverage, and the registrar may attach conditions to any such permission. That mechanism exists for genuinely unusual circumstances, not as a workaround for a step that was missed.