Building official qualifications

The Building Act sets qualification requirements for building and plumbing officials to help support their competency and professionalism, and, in turn, increase consistency in the interpretation and enforcement of the Building Code and building regulations.

On this page

• What are the requirements
• Who is exempt 
• Who manages
• Resources
• Contact information

Qualification requirements

Building and plumbing officials who work for a local government must: 

• Pass exams according to the level of their responsibilities (class and scope of practice)
• Be entered in the register of qualified building officials
• Pay an annual administrative fee 
• Submit an annual report  
• Undertake annual continuing professional development (CPD)

Learn more about the requirements:

• Read Building Act Guide B2: What Building and Plumbing Officials Need to Know about the Building Act (PDF, 1.5MB)
• Read Technical Bulletin B21-01 Building Officials Qualifications (PDF)
• Learn about the trainee classes (PDF)
• Review a 2021 webinar about the requirements (PDF, 3MB) and webinar questions (PDF)

Exemptions from qualification requirements

Individuals who are:

• Architects in good standing registered with the Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC) 
• Professional Engineers (P.Eng.) in good standing who are registered and licensed with Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia
• Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia members with a limited licence for a scope of practice that includes consulting on building regulations
• People with designated qualifications under the Safety Standards Act
• Those making decisions about the fire prevention and response matters, or fire suppression matters, listed in the Building Act General Regulation and who are making decisions on behalf of a local government about subject matter within their regulated practice area

Managing qualification requirements

The Building Officials' Association of British Columbia (BOABC) administers the qualification requirements on behalf of the Province. The Minister designated Tyler Wightman, Executive Director of the BOABC, as the registrar of qualified building officials.

Resources

• Building Act BC Laws (external link)