Illegal home builders can cost buyers thousands.

• Date: 01 September 2014
• Author: Migneault, Jonathan

Illegal home builders can cost new homeowners hundreds of thousands of dollars if something goes wrong with their new home.

That was the message the Ontario Home Builders' Association and Tarion Warranty Corporation brought to Sudbury during a provincial tour to educate consumers about the provincial home warranty program, and the risks tied to illegal, and unregistered, home builders.

Professional home builders are legally required to register with Tarion, a provincial organization established in 1976 to manage obligatory warranties for new homes and enforce the Ontario New Warranty Plan Act.

When a home builder is registered with Tarion, their homes come with a seven-year comprehensive warranty that covers...