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Alberta

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Some of the Alberta laws that may apply when homeowners build, renovate or repair a home are listed below. Note that this listing is illustrative only and not intended as legal advice. If you are concerned about legal issues related to your home construction project, seek qualified legal advice.

Arbitration Act: Deals with arbitration of commercial matters and provides the procedure under which the arbitration takes place.

Builders' Lien Act: Sets out rules and regulations regarding protection of trades people in the event of non-payment and the ability to place liens on the property that was subject of the unpaid work.

Employment Standards Code: Sets out minimum standards that must be met both in the course of employment and in the termination of employment.

Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act: Deals with environmental laws, including a homeowner's obligations to protect the environment and the consequences and impact of failing to comply with the rules and regulations.

Fair Trading Act: Provides consumers with protection against unfair trading practices, including specific measures related to direct selling of contractor services.

Historical Resources Act: Outlines procedures to obtain approval for work on heritage properties that have be legally designated as such.

Insurance Act: Sets out rules and regulations regarding the insurance aspect of a contract that a homeowner may enter into with a contactor or a trades person, including the obligations regarding reporting of claims and the effect of failure to comply with those rules and regulations.

Municipal - Government Act: Establishes rules and regulations regarding the requirements for building permits and inspections.

Occupational Health and Safety Act: Sets out rules related to workplace safety, including the owner's responsibility to ensure a safe work environment and the consequences of failure to do so.

Occupiers' Liability Act: Sets out homeowner's obligation of care and responsibility to ensure a safe environment for people entering their home and the consequences of failure to do so.

Personal Property Security Act: Sets up rules regarding the taking of security to ensure payments and priorities of payment among various classes of secured and unsecured creditors.

Safety Codes Act: Governs various codes related to buildings, including construction practice, fire safety, electrical and gas installations.

Sale of Goods Act: Sets out common law representations and warranties required to be provided to consumers by manufacturer of goods.

Tort-feasors Act: Deals with situations where a homeowner may be considered negligent through the actions of a third party contractor or trades person, and the consequences of being found contributorily negligent.

Workers' Compensation Act: Provides for the framework to obtain compensation in case of a workplace accident.