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

Rule (Candid Creative default for every Ontario residential builder client):

1. Display the HCRA licence number prominently in the footer of every page. Spelled correctly ("HCRA" — not "HRCA" — see 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).
2. Cover every licensed corporate entity in an umbrella, not just the marketing brand. Pattern after Activa (3 entities) and Tridel (8 entities).
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Acknowledge Tarion warranty enrolment on every new-home product page (HCRA + Tarion are two distinct gates — an Ontario new-home builder needs both to legally build or sell).
6. No language implying HCRA "endorses" or "rates" the builder. The licence is permission to operate, not an endorsement.
7. No unsubstantiated superlatives — "best," "safest," "highest-rated" without a named third-party source (HCRA Code of Ethics s.17 requires accurate advertising; superlatives ("best", "safest") without substantiation are a discipline risk).

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 report on HCRA: 99%+ approval rate (including 2,026 of 2,042 who failed credit), 1,526 complaint backlog, 419-day avg close) 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.

How to apply: During every builder-client onboarding, run the buyer-verification workflow (RULE: Buyers should search the Ontario Builder Directory before signing any Agreement of Purchase and Sale; not listed = unlicensed = walk away) 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.

Confidence: Verified (audit findings) + Industry-consensus (best practice). The "link to OBD" recommendation is Candid's own prescription, not a regulator requirement.