Builders Lien Reform Project

Project Status: Work in Progress
Project Contact: Greg Blue
Telephone Number: 604-827-5337
Email Us About this Project

Overview

The Builders Lien Act is a complex piece of legislation that is one of the major cornerstones of construction and insolvency law. It gives contractors, material suppliers, and individual workers several forms of security for payment for work done or materials supplied to a building site, most notably a lien on the land.

The current Builders Lien Act was passed in 1997. It introduced changes that were generally seen as improvements over the previous legislation. Since then, however, the construction and development industries have continued to evolve. In addition, important appellate decisions have interpreted the legislation in ways surprising to many veteran practitioners.

With the encouragement of the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General, the British Columbia Law Institute is undertaking a major law reform project on the Builders Lien Act and will initiate a comprehensive review and overhaul of the Builders Lien Act, carried out with the aid of an expert volunteer Project Committee.

Consultation

BCLI issued a Consultation Paper on the Builders Lien Act to gather comments from stakeholders and the public at large on reform of the Act.This consultation closed on January 15, 2020. Responses will assist BCLI and its Builders Lien Act Reform Project Committee in finalizing recommendations to appear in a later report.