On February 28, 2021, building officials to will be required to meet regulatory qualification requirements under the Building Act. Among other requirements, the qualification scheme establishes classes of building officials, requires that they be registered in at least one class, and limits their work to the scope of practice that corresponds to their qualification (class) level.
The Building Act was passed in 2015 to modernize and improve the building regulatory system in British Columbia. In order to help increase the competency of building officials and support a more consistent application of the BC Building Code, the Act sets out a requirement that all individuals practicing as a building official must be qualified in order to make code compliance decisions on behalf of a local government.
To be qualified as a building official as of February 28, 2021, an individual must be entered into the register of qualified officials and maintain compliance with the qualification requirements going forward. There are three regular classes of building officials and two of plumbing officials, each with an associated scope of practice.
Trainee Classes
Five new trainee classes were added in December 2019, one for each of the regular classes. The trainee classes represent an optional pathway for individuals to enter the building official profession or to increase their qualification level. Trainee officials will be allowed to work temporarily in a class one higher than their current class qualification while they gain the skills and knowledge required to successfully pass the next qualification exam(s). The Province is finalizing work to ensure the regulatory framework will enable qualified persons to enter these trainee classes.
Further details explaining how to become and remain qualified, including details on the trainee classes, are available now in Building Officials Association of BC (BOABC) FAQs.
The Building and Safety Standards Branch has also published information on their website including a Building Official Qualifications Information Bulletin which provides information about the mandatory qualification scheme for building officials, and a Trainee Building Official Qualification Information Package which introduces the building official trainee classes that will be available for registrants by February 28, 2021.