{"id":895,"slug":"rule-display-hcra-licence-number-link-to-obd-on-builder-sites","title":"RULE: Every Candid builder-client site must display HCRA licence number(s) in the footer of every page and link directly to the builder's OBD profile","kind":"rule","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","smb-owner","candid-team"],"topics":["agency-methodology","trust-signals","gc-vertical","regulatory-signals"],"reference_body":"**Rule (Candid Creative default for every Ontario residential builder client):**\n\n1. **Display the HCRA licence number prominently in the footer of every page.** Spelled correctly (\"HCRA\" — not \"HRCA\" — see [[builder-website-disclosure-audit-may-2026-activa-fusion-reids]]).\n2. **Cover every licensed corporate entity** in an umbrella, not just the marketing brand. Pattern after Activa (3 entities) and Tridel (8 entities).\n3. **Link the licence number directly to the builder's profile on obd.hcraontario.ca** — not just an internal PDF certificate. No Ontario builder in the May 2026 audit does this; it is a best-in-class differentiation lever.\n4. **Project-specific licence on each project landing page** where a separate corporate entity is the vendor. Tridel's project-page pattern is the cleanest example.\n5. **Acknowledge Tarion warranty enrolment on every new-home product page** ([[tarion-plus-hcra-dual-gate-requirement]]).\n6. **No language implying HCRA \"endorses\" or \"rates\" the builder.** The licence is permission to operate, not an endorsement.\n7. **No unsubstantiated superlatives** — \"best,\" \"safest,\" \"highest-rated\" without a named third-party source ([[hcra-coe-s17-advertising-accuracy]]).\n\n**Why:** As of May 2026, **3 of 10 fully-rendered audited Ontario builder homepages** display the licence number on the homepage footer; **0 of 10** link to the OBD. The 2025 Auditor General report ([[auditor-general-2025-hcra-99pct-approval-1526-backlog]]) has elevated buyer awareness and skepticism. A builder who surfaces the OBD link from their own site wins the trust comparison against competitors who hide it.\n\n**How to apply:** During every builder-client onboarding, run the buyer-verification workflow ([[rule-buyer-search-obd-before-signing-not-listed-means-unlicensed]]) against the prospective client first — confirm clean OBD record before agreeing to the engagement. Bundle the footer + OBD-link work into the first website-build phase.\n\n**Confidence:** Verified (audit findings) + Industry-consensus (best practice). The \"link to OBD\" recommendation is Candid's own prescription, not a regulator requirement.","rationale_body":"The single most Candid-actionable artifact in the HCRA brief. Codifies the audit findings into a default rule for builder-client engagements.","metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[{"slug":"tarion-1-2-7-pdi-warranty-structure","title":"Tarion 1-2-7 new-home warranty + Pre-Delivery Inspection — Ontario new-home builders must enroll homes","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"cor-certification-ontario-ici-required","title":"COR™ certification (IHSA-administered in Ontario) is required for City of Toronto, Metrolinx, Infrastructure Ontario, TTC bids","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"hcra-coe-s17-advertising-accuracy","title":"HCRA Code of Ethics s.17 requires accurate advertising; superlatives (\"best\", \"safest\") without substantiation are a discipline risk","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"ontario-builder-directory-obd-public-registry","title":"Ontario Builder Directory (obd.hcraontario.ca) — public registry showing licence status, homes built, Tarion claims, charges, convictions, discipline","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"builder-website-disclosure-audit-may-2026-activa-fusion-reids","title":"Builder-website HCRA disclosure audit (May 2026): of 10 fully-rendered homepages, Activa/Fusion/Reid's Heritage display licence numbers; Minto/Brookfield/Madison do not on homepage; none link to the OBD","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"rule-buyer-search-obd-before-signing-not-listed-means-unlicensed","title":"RULE: Buyers should search the Ontario Builder Directory before signing any Agreement of Purchase and Sale; not listed = unlicensed = walk away","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"auditor-general-2025-hcra-99pct-approval-1526-backlog","title":"Auditor General 2025 report on HCRA: 99%+ approval rate (including 2,026 of 2,042 who failed credit), 1,526 complaint backlog, 419-day avg close","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}],"incoming":[{"slug":"research-brief-hcra-ontario-may-2026","title":"Research brief: Ontario Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) — definitive reference (May 2026)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"rule-builder-site-disclose-tarion-warranty-on-new-home-pages","title":"RULE: Every Candid builder-client site must surface Tarion warranty coverage on every new-home product/landing page, with 1-2-7 structure named and CSS forms referenced","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}]},"created_at":"2026-05-24T13:50:00.887Z","updated_at":"2026-05-24T13:50:00.887Z"}