How to Check a Home Builder in Ontario Before You Sign: Reading the HCRA Ontario Builder Directory, With National Homes' Own Record

To check a home builder in Ontario, look the company up in the Home Construction Regulatory Authority's Ontario Builder Directory before you sign: confirm that the company named on your agreement shows the status Licensed, then read its licence dates, homes delivered, chargeable conciliations, claims, and any notices, conditions or convictions. The HCRA calls what the directory holds "factual, objective and quantifiable background information" and adds: "This is not a rating system and does not include reviews or subjective commentary." Below, each field in the HCRA's words, then one builder's record read field by field: National Homes, whose selling communities are Northshore in Burlington, Whitehorn Woods in Mississauga and DUO in Brampton, as the directory showed it on September 30, 2026.

What the HCRA and its Ontario Builder Directory are

The Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) "licenses and regulates the people and companies who build and sell new homes in Ontario". The Government of Ontario designated it, effective February 1, 2021, as the regulatory authority under the New Home Construction Licensing Act, 2017. Its message to buyers is short: "Only licensed builders can legally operate a home building business in Ontario."

Its Ontario Builder Directory "provides key information such as a builder's licensing status, years of activity, number of homes built, and any regulatory actions taken by the HCRA".

Who this matters to: anyone buying pre-construction, where the home does not yet exist when the agreement is signed. In the HCRA's words: "Verifying your builder is licensed is the first step in finding a reputable builder."

What each field on a builder's profile means

The definitions below are the HCRA's, from the directory's Glossary of Terms and profile pages. The "At A Glance" counts cover the last 10 years, updated daily.

Licence status. "Licensed" describes a builder or seller that "is currently licensed by the HCRA to build or sell new homes in Ontario." An "Expired" builder "cannot legally build or sell new homes"; "Licensed with Conditions" means licensed "subject to conditions or restrictions".

Total possessions. "The total number of freehold or condominium properties delivered by the licensee to homeowners."

Chargeable conciliations. "The number of homes with warranted items that Tarion has determined should have been resolved by the builder. This number could include homes where the warranted items are still under dispute by the builder."

Claims. The "Total Dollars Paid in Claims" field "shows the total amount of money a vendor/builder has paid in claims of warranty violations." The Properties tab separates major claims, "Claims addressed under the Structural Warranty", from "Other Claims", which this article calls minor claims.

Outstanding amounts. Three fields, among them "Outstanding Claims Paid Owing" and "Breach", show amounts a builder or vendor still owes; the first covers amounts "outstanding for greater than 30 days".

Notices, conditions and convictions. A Notice of Proposal tells a licensee in writing of the HCRA's intent to "refuse to grant or renew a licence; suspend; or revoke a licence; or apply conditions to a licence." "Convicted" means a builder "has been charged and convicted in the Ontario Court of Justice" under the licensing or warranty legislation. Discipline has its own tab, and the court-charges tab also lists any charges or convictions against the company's directors and officers.

Related companies. In the glossary: "A group of builders or vendors sharing at least one common officer, director, principal, partner, or franchise. The related group of companies is not a legal entity and does not have its own licence number, but each member company of the related company is a separate legal entity with its own licence number."

National Homes' record, per the HCRA Ontario Builder Directory

National Homes appears in the directory as a group of related companies named National Homes (ID 2488), listed at 291 Edgeley Boulevard with the telephone 905-669-9199, the corporate office number on the builder's own contact page. Per the HCRA Ontario Builder Directory, fetched September 30, 2026, the group shows 1,397 possessions from 2016 to 2026 (639 freehold, 758 condominium), 3 chargeable conciliations, 2 minor claims totalling $80,378.38, and 0 major claims.

In the directory's year-by-year table, the 3 chargeable conciliations sit in the rows for 2016, 2018 and 2019, with none since, and the 2 minor claims sit in the rows for 2023 ($2,155.12) and 2024 ($78,223.26). The outstanding-amount fields each show $0.00.

Two numbers, two sources. National Homes states on its About Us page that it was "Founded in 1992" and has "over 15,000 homes in their portfolio of accomplishments". That is the company's own statement. The directory's 1,397 is a different measure: possessions over the last 10 years. The two measure different things and should not be combined; the same care applies to any builder quoting a lifetime total.

Who this matters to: a first-time buyer can read any builder's year rows the same way: the homes delivered in a year, and the conciliations and claims beside them.

The licensed companies behind Northshore, Whitehorn Woods and DUO

The name on a sales centre is a brand; the name on a licence is a company. Per the HCRA Ontario Builder Directory, fetched September 30, 2026:

All three profiles state "This builder has not been issued any registrar notices or orders", "This builder has no charges or convictions" and "There are no conditions on this vendor/builder's licence", show no discipline history, and list no condominium purchase agreement terminated by the vendor.

How to check any home builder in Ontario before you sign

These steps work for any builder, and none of them ranks one builder against another.

1. Get the legal name. Ask which company is the vendor on the agreement of purchase and sale, and for its licence number.
2. Search the directory. Search obd.hcraontario.ca by name or licence number. If the builder is not listed, the HCRA calls that "a red flag".
3. Confirm the status reads Licensed. On unlicensed builders the HCRA is direct: "do not buy from them".
4. Open every regulatory tab. Notices & Orders, Disciplinary Activities and Court Charges and/or Convictions each say so plainly when empty, as does the Licence Conditions section of the profile. Read any entry in full.
5. Read the warranty figures in proportion. Set conciliations and claims against total possessions, year by year, with the "Years With Claims" filter.
6. Check the outstanding amounts. Anything above $0.00 is a question for the builder and for your lawyer.
7. For a condominium, open Condo Projects. Since January 1, 2023, it shows how many purchase agreements a builder has terminated, and why.
8. Have a lawyer read the agreement. The HCRA: "it is highly recommended that an experienced real estate lawyer review the APS before you sign."

Who this matters to: a buyer comparing two pre-construction projects who wants the same public record for each.

What the directory can and cannot tell you

The HCRA does not publish a ranking of the best or most trusted home builders in the GTA, and its directory is not one. It gives every licensed builder the same fields, so a shortlist can be read side by side. It also has edges: its counts cover the last 10 years; it records licences, deliveries, claims and regulatory actions, not reviews; and it is only as good as the name searched.

Who this matters to: a first-time buyer asking which builder to trust with a first home. The useful answer is a method rather than a name: the licence, then the record, then the agreement read by a lawyer, then a visit.

Where to find the licence on National Homes' pages

On nationalhomes.com, the Northshore community page links the licence for B61823 beside the sales office address, and the Whitehorn Woods page links that community's licence near the foot of the page. For DUO, search B60541 in the directory. The HCRA's own line covers any licence document a builder shows you: "the Ontario Builder Directory (OBD) contains up-to-date information about the status of a licence."

To confirm which company is the vendor for a specific home, contact that community's sales office, by appointment: Northshore, 484 Plains Road E., Burlington, 905-333-4445; Whitehorn Woods, 5934 Saigon St., Mississauga, 647-294-7290; DUO, 260 Malta Avenue, Brampton, 647-270-6293. Corporate office, Concord: 905-669-9199.

Read more: Northshore's move-in ready suites and finished amenities, and the HST rebate on a new home in Ontario, April 2026 to March 2027.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check a home builder's reputation in Ontario?

To check a home builder's reputation in Ontario, search the company in the HCRA's Ontario Builder Directory: confirm its status is Licensed, then read its possessions, chargeable conciliations, claims paid, and any notices of proposal, conditions or convictions. The HCRA calls verifying the licence the first step in finding a reputable builder.

Is there an official list of the best or most trusted home builders in the GTA?

The HCRA does not publish one. It describes its Ontario Builder Directory as factual, objective and quantifiable background information and says it is not a rating system. The fair comparison is to run the same checks on every builder on a shortlist.

Which Ontario builders have the best warranty record?

The Ontario Builder Directory does not rank builders by warranty record; each profile shows chargeable conciliations, claims paid and outstanding amounts for the last 10 years. National Homes, per the HCRA Ontario Builder Directory (fetched September 30, 2026), shows 1,397 possessions from 2016 to 2026 (639 freehold, 758 condominium), 3 chargeable conciliations, 2 minor claims totalling $80,378.38 and 0 major claims.

What is a chargeable conciliation?

In the HCRA's Ontario Builder Directory glossary, chargeable conciliations are the number of homes with warranted items that Tarion has determined should have been resolved by the builder, which could include homes where the warranted items are still under dispute by the builder.

Is National Homes a licensed builder in Ontario?

National Homes appears in the HCRA Ontario Builder Directory as a group of related companies (ID 2488). In the HCRA's definition, such a group is not a legal entity and has no licence number of its own; each member company has its own licence number. Per the HCRA Ontario Builder Directory, fetched September 30, 2026, the companies behind Northshore (B61823), Whitehorn Woods (B60674) and DUO (B60541) each show the status Licensed, 0 chargeable conciliations, $0.00 paid in claims, and no convictions, licence conditions or notices of proposal.

Sources

• HCRA: What We Do: hcraontario.ca/what-we-do/
• HCRA: Ontario Builder Directory: hcraontario.ca/resources/ontario-builder-directory/
• HCRA: The OBD, Step 1 in Choosing a New Home Builder: hcraontario.ca
• HCRA: Before You Buy: hcraontario.ca/before-you-buy/
• HCRA: Applying for or Renewing a Licence: hcraontario.ca/applying-or-renewing-a-licence/
• HCRA: Licensing FAQs: hcraontario.ca/licensing-faqs/
• HCRA: Directive 4, Licence Display Requirements: hcraontario.ca
• Ontario Builder Directory: Glossary of Terms: obd.hcraontario.ca/glossary/
• Ontario Builder Directory: National Homes (ID 2488), fetched September 30, 2026: obd.hcraontario.ca/umbrella/2488
• Ontario Builder Directory: licences B61823, B60674 and B60541
• National Homes: About Us: nationalhomes.com/about-us/
• National Homes: Northshore Condos and Towns: nationalhomes.com/burlington-plains-rd/northshore-towns/
• National Homes: Whitehorn Woods, Mississauga: nationalhomes.com/mississauga-whitehorn-woods/
• National Homes: DUO, Brampton: nationalhomes.com/brampton-steeles-avenue/
• National Homes: Contact and sales offices: nationalhomes.com/contact-us/

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