When the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) established RenoMark in 2001 its purpose was to identify professional contractors who agreed to abide by a renovation-specific Code of Conduct. We want to differentiate your expectations of RenoMark by introducing a mandatory Professional Renovator Education Program (PREP) for all member renovators. We’re looking to renovate your expectations one course at a time.
Much has changed in the renovation industry since 2001. We have seen updates to building codes, advances in building science and construction materials, new design trends, and with the advent of the Internet, customers that are engaged and more informed.
With all these changes RenoMark renovators need to adapt and continue to keep learning. Our members must keep up to date of changing practices and stay educated if they want to remain relevant. That’s why continuing education and lifelong learning is important for everyone in the industry, and it should be important to you as a consumer when choosing a renovator.
In 2020, RenoMark renovators participated in eight PREP education courses. They started with a refresher course on the RenoMark Code of Conduct and other courses included Customer Service, Dispute Resolution, Finance, Documentation, Insurance, Risk and Contracts.
The Code of Conduct course is the pillar of the program and is written with the consumer in mind. All RenoMark renovators must provide their clients with a written contract, offer a minimum one-year warranty, carry $2 million in liability insurance, possess all licences and permits, return client phone calls with two business days and have workplace liability insurance (WSIB).
How does renovator continuing education affect you as a consumer? For starters, the contracts course places an emphasis on providing a written contract for every job. The importance of getting such a document from your renovator cannot be overstated. A contract protects you by setting out clearly what you are getting, when you’re getting it and how much you will pay for it. The customer service module lets contractors see the renovation from the consumer’s point of view. The consumer wants a quality renovation that is on time and on budget, with minimal corrections and minimal call-backs. Consumers want protection and peace of mind by ensuring that their renovator has all the necessary permits, licences and insurance.
The remainder of the courses review new financial software, update them on environmental risks and give them a refresher on how to deal with consumers in a professional manner.
If you’re interested in finding out more about RenoMark, please visit us at renomark.ca or email us at renomark@bildgta.ca .