HCRA Code of Ethics s.17 requires accurate advertising; superlatives ("best", "safest") without substantiation are a discipline risk

Rule: Code of Ethics, O. Reg. 245/21, section 17 requires HCRA licensee advertising to be accurate. Section 3 requires fair, honest dealing. Section 8 (conduct unbecoming) means credible allegations can support discipline even without a conviction.

Source: https://chandsnider.com/builder-code-of-ethics/

Confidence: Verified.

Operational implications for builder-website copy:

• Avoid unqualified superlatives ("best," "safest," "highest-rated," "Canada's top builder") unless substantiated by a named third-party source.
• Comparative claims need substantiation.
• Quality claims ("award-winning," "energy-efficient") should cite the specific award/certification with date.
• Trade-name vs. legal-name mismatches in advertising are themselves a flag — HCRA refused Dynasty Home Builders' application partly on naming concerns.
• No language implying HCRA "endorses" or "rates" the builder — the licence is a permission to operate, not an endorsement.

For Candid client work: Treat s.17 as the floor for any builder-client copy review. The Code of Ethics enforcement record (Adi, Pinetree, GC King Bond — see GC King Bond GP Inc. — $16M in AMPs for 76 Code of Ethics breaches (July 2024); $1.1M reimbursed; receivership June 2025) is real and growing.

HCRA does not specifically require the licence number be displayed on a builder's website — that's best practice, not a hard legal requirement. See 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.