Become an Owner Builder with Winton*For BC Residents
What is an Owner Builder?An owner-builder is an individual authorized to build a home for their personal use by acting as their own general contractor. This role involves personally managing and supervising all aspects of construction, from hiring tradespeople to ordering materials. Owner-builders must be personally liable for the home's construction for a set period (e.g., 10 years in BC) and must obtain specific authorization before starting construction. Why Become an Owner Builder?
Cut out the general contractor markup and put those savings back into your build. Many Owner Builders save 10–25% compared to a traditional turnkey build depending on the amount of work they take on.
You make the decisions—from design to final build—ensuring your home turns out exactly the way you want.
Building your own home is an incredibly rewarding experience. You’ll gain valuable hands-on skills, deepen your construction knowledge, and earn certification along the way. How Winton Helps You Succeed
All our homes are pre-engineered for precision and built for easy on-site assembly—saving time and reducing waste.
Our build packages include labeled components and easy-to-follow drawings, making it simple for you and your trades to stay on track.
Our reputation is built on integrity and personalized care, with dedicated project managers helping with planning, assembly, and logistics. Whether you build as an owner-builder or hire a contractor, you’ll have full access to the Winton network to create a beautiful, custom home with faster construction and complete control.
For over 50 years, Winton has helped families across Western Canada build their homes their way—on time and on budget.
How to get Certified:If you’re planning on building your home yourself, you will need to pass the Owner Builder Exam through BC Housing. Winton recommends the Owner Builder Authorization Exam Course through Owner Builder Training. Owner Builder ExamAs an owner builder, you must manage the construction of your own house. Studying for the Owner Builder Exam will expand your knowledge, improve the quality of owner-built homes, and enhance protection for subsequent homeowners. Owner Builder TrainingProven material and learning strategies from the experts, Warren Jones and Les Shuert. Each has over 43 years of housing industry experience as a custom home builder, trainer, facilitator, and author. Course DetailsThis product is the new online version of our incredibly popular Owner Builder Authorization Exam Course. The course is condensed and contains just over 6 hours of video content. |
That's over $1200 in value! |
What to Expect
Upon enrolling you will have immediate access to the courses. The workbook that is included will be shipped and arrive within 3 business days. The course will be available to you for 100 days and the workbook is yours to keep.
The exam will test your understanding of home-building basics in two competency areas:
-
Construction basics
-
The statutory obligations and requirements that owner builders must meet under the Homeowner Protection Act
Once the exam is scheduled, there is a $50 non-refundable deposit, and you will have 100 minutes to answer 100 multiple choice questions. This test is not open book and requires 70% to pass.
Good Luck!
Ready to start your build?
Referral Program
Welcome to Winton's Referral Program. This Program allows individuals to earn a referral reward by referring new customers to purchase a Winton prefabricated home.
When you refer a new customer and they purchase a Winton home package, we'll put $1,000 in your pocket.
See Terms & Conditions for more information.
Find Inspiration
Project Gallery
|
Caring for Communities.