Rule (Ontario new home builder sites): display HCRA license and Tarion enrolment SEPARATELY from the HBA logo strip — they are regulatory trust signals, not voluntary memberships

On Ontario new home builder client websites (firms HCRA-licensed under the New Home Construction Licensing Act, 2017), display the HCRA license and Tarion warranty enrolment information in a separate, dedicated location — not bundled with the HBA logo strip.

Suggested implementation:

• Footer: a dedicated "Licensing" line with the HCRA license number, linked to the firm's entry in the Ontario Builder Directory (HCRA Ontario Builder Directory is the load-bearing public discipline regime for Ontario new home builders — covers 6,500+ licensed builders, publishes conduct findings / charges / convictions).
• Or a dedicated /licensing page linking the HCRA license PDF, the Tarion enrolment information, and a one-paragraph plain-language explanation of what each signal means for the buyer.
• Separately from the /affiliations page (which carries the voluntary HBA + RenoMark + BBB memberships — see Rule (Ontario builder/renovator sites): build a dedicated /affiliations or /memberships page listing each HBA with a one-sentence description AND year joined, marked up with Organization schema + memberOf properties).

Why:

1. HCRA display is required by law — HCRA mandatory display rule: licensed Ontario new home builders/vendors must prominently display the HCRA license at the principal business address, on their website, and at any premises where they conduct business with the public. "Prominently display the license at the principal business address, on their website, and at any premises." This is a compliance deliverable, not a marketing decision.
2. HCRA and Tarion are load-bearing regulatory trust signals ranked #1 and #2 in the Ontario buyer trust hierarchy (Ontario buyer trust-signal hierarchy: HCRA license (mandatory) → Tarion warranty (mandatory) → online reviews (HomeStars, Google) → HBA membership (CHBA/OHBA/local) → BBB; renovation flow adds RenoMark between HBA and reviews) — well above HBA membership (#4). Bundling them with voluntary memberships dilutes their weight in the buyer's eye.
3. Pattern B production builders (Two HBA display patterns across Ontario builder/renovator sites: Pattern A (small custom + renovation firms show HBA + RenoMark prominently in footer); Pattern B (large production builders rarely show HBA logos, lead with HCRA + Tarion) — Mattamy, Tridel, Minto, Empire, Brookfield) all execute this separation. Pattern A renovator firms typically don't need to because they aren't HCRA-licensed (HCRA covers new builds only) — but Tier-2 new home builders need to.

How to apply:

• If the client is HCRA-licensed (new home builder): implement this separation. HCRA + Tarion in a dedicated regulatory section; HBA + RenoMark + BBB on /affiliations.
• If the client is a renovator only: HCRA does not apply; skip this rule entirely and use Rule (Ontario builder/renovator sites): composite footer logo strip showing local HBA + OHBA + CHBA + RenoMark (where applicable), each linked to the parent organization's website — Pattern A model + Rule (renovator client sites): build a dedicated /renomark page with the verbatim 10-point Code and the current-year certificate image for the credential layer.
• If the client does both new builds and renovations: implement both — HCRA + Tarion regulatory display for the new-build side; RenoMark + HBA voluntary display for the renovation side. The site IA may need a clear "For new home buyers / For renovation clients" split to keep the two trust frames distinct.