How scores work

Every score on this site is calculated the same way from public data. We don't accept payment from builders, and builders can't change their scores.

Where the data comes from

All licensing and warranty figures come from the HCRA Ontario Builder Directory, which reports each builder's licence status and a 10-year history of homes enrolled, chargeable conciliations and warranty claims paid. Our current data was retrieved September 30, 2026.

Many builders sell through several companies, often one per project. Where the HCRA groups companies under one name, we combine them into a single profile.

Who gets a score

Builders need at least 100 homes enrolled over 10 years. Smaller builders get a profile with their figures, but no score, because a few homes can't show a reliable pattern.

The three parts of the score

• Warranty disputes, 45%. Chargeable conciliations per 1,000 homes. This measures how often owners had to escalate to Tarion because the builder didn't resolve warranty items.
• Warranty claims paid, 40%. Claims Tarion paid per 1,000 homes. Major structural defect claims count five times as much as other claims.
• Track record, 15%. Years in the warranty program (up to 10) and the number of homes built.

Each part earns up to 10 points, and points fall as rates rise. Builders with fewer homes are adjusted toward the typical rate of large Ontario builders, so one bad year at a small builder, or a lucky clean record, doesn't swing the score too far. As a builder builds more homes, its own record counts for more.

Deductions

• Minus 3.0 if the HCRA has issued a notice of proposal to refuse or revoke a licence
• Minus 2.0 for an insolvency indicator
• Minus 1.5 for a licence with conditions
• Minus 1.0 if a company under the name is listed as unlicensed

Scores run from 1.0 to 10.0.

What the labels mean

• Excellent: 8.5 and up
• Very good: 7.5 to 8.4
• Good: 6.0 to 7.4
• Fair: 4.5 to 5.9
• Below average: under 4.5

Limits of this data

Warranty data shows how disputes and claims were resolved, not how a home looks, how it was priced, or how pleasant the sales process was. Condo common-element claims and freehold claims are combined. Figures can lag real events. Use the score as one input, read the builder's full profile, and confirm current details with the HCRA.

Corrections

If you represent a builder and believe a figure is wrong, tell us. We correct errors against the HCRA directory, and we'll publish a builder's response on request.