Anybody can type a number on a drawing. The Province of Ontario keeps a free public registry of qualified designers, and checking it takes about two minutes.
Here is where it is, what to look for, and what it means if your designer is not there.
The registry is called QuARTS. It is run by the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and it lists qualified designers and registered firms.
Go to search.quarts.mah.gov.on.ca. It is free and you do not need an account.
Type in the designer’s name or the BCIN from their drawings or quote.
Make sure the name matches the person who will sign Schedule 1 on your permit.
For house heating and ventilation design, look for the HVAC – House qualification.
Qualified once is not qualified now. Look for current status.
A designer who designs for the public usually works through a registered firm. Check that too.
Take a screenshot of what you find and keep it with your permit papers. If anything is questioned later, you have proof you checked.
They work under their own licensing body, not the BCIN registry. Ask for their licence and check it with that body.
If you own the property and are building your own house, you can design it yourself under the owner exemption. See who can sign an HVAC design.
Credentials from another province do not carry over. For your Ontario permit, someone with the right Ontario qualification has to sign.
Common. The installer may be excellent, but someone qualified still has to sign the design. See HRAI vs BCIN.
Because the building department checks. A design signed by someone who is not qualified in the right category comes back, and your project waits while you find someone who is.
It also protects you. A qualified designer takes responsibility for the design on Schedule 1. If you ever have a problem with the system, you want that signature to mean something.
Want it signed right the first time? Our designs are signed by a BCIN-registered designer. Check us in the registry.
Get Free Quote →The Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing runs a public registry of qualified designers and registered firms called QuARTS. Anyone can search it for free at search.quarts.mah.gov.on.ca.
Three things: the name matches the person signing Schedule 1, the qualification covers your type of work (for house heating and ventilation, the HVAC – House category), and they are shown as currently qualified, not lapsed.
Not always. Licensed architects and professional engineers work under their own licensing bodies, so they are not in this registry. Ask which licence they hold and check it with that body. A homeowner building their own house can also use the owner exemption.
Building departments expect the designer’s name and BCIN on the drawings and on Schedule 1. See what a BCIN is for more.
No. A BCIN is about design qualification under the Building Code. It says nothing about whether someone can install a furnace or run gas lines. Those are separate licences.
Send your drawings. We do the CSA F280 heat loss and the HVAC design, signed by a BCIN-registered designer, ready for your building department.