{"id":757,"slug":"hcra-ontario-builder-licensing","title":"HCRA licenses Ontario new-home builders; 6,500+ licensees searchable in the public Ontario Builder Directory","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","smb-owner","candid-team"],"topics":["trust-signals","gc-vertical","regulatory-signals"],"reference_body":"**Claim:** Ontario residential new-home builders are required to be licensed by the Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA). The public Ontario Builder Directory lists 6,500+ licensed builders/vendors and is consumer-searchable.\n\n**Source:** https://www.hcraontario.ca/licensing-compliance/licensing/\n\n**Confidence:** Verified.\n\n**Implication:** HCRA licence number is the single fastest credibility lift available on a KW residential GC site. Most sampled sites either bury it or omit it. Companion signal: [[tarion-1-2-7-pdi-warranty-structure]].","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[],"incoming":[{"slug":"research-brief-gc-marketing-trust-may-2026","title":"Research brief: GC Marketing & Trust — sales-positioning for $1M–$50M Ontario general contractors (May 23, 2026)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"kw-gc-website-field-research-may-2026","title":"Candid field research May 2026: n=25 KW-region GC websites — five recurring failure patterns","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"rule-gc-audit-one-sku-with-rubric","title":"RULE: Keep one audit SKU ($1,250). Don't fragment for GCs — add a GC-specific scoring rubric and a one-page sample report instead.","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"rule-gc-disqualification-script-60-second","title":"RULE: 60-second GC disqualification script — four questions on team size, lead source, regulatory status, and last website history","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"}]},"created_at":"2026-05-23T21:58:32.501Z","updated_at":"2026-05-23T21:58:32.501Z"}