News
2009/12/ 01
The CHBA Manufacturer's Council unveil a new portal to identify to new home builder and renovation members, their latest green building products www.chbamanufacturers.ca/green/.
2009/08/ 16
BC government makes changes to incentive program. City Green to update their website to show changes - by the end of the week.
City Green encouraging homeowners to continue taking advantage of the federal ecoENERGY grants and the home renovation tax credit, and to complete their renovations before the Harmonized Sales Tax comes into effect.
For the federal ecoENERGY grant chart, which has not been affected by the change in the provincial program, please visit http://www.citygreen.ca/pdfs/ecoenergy.pdf
Please do not hesitate to contact City Green for more information.
To reach the LiveSmart BC program, call 1-866-430-8765, and to contact your MLA regarding the changes, see: http://www.leg.bc.ca/Mla/3-1-1.htm
2009/03/31
The City of Victoria has made changes that will make installing a secondary suite even easier for homeowners. One of these changes is a grant program that will offer homeowners a grant equal to 25% of construction costs of new secondary suites, up to a maximum grant of $5000. Council approved this grant program on February 19, 2009 and the official launch date for the program was March 30, 2009.
2009/03/ 6, 7 &8
ConstructoGroup has booth at the Home and Garden Show, Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. Mike Holmes is guest speaker, Saturday and Sunday at noon.
2009/02/12
Glynn Shannan, ConstructoGroup's Job Supervisor, successfully completed the BuiltGreen British Columbia Builder's course - 93%.
2009/01/28
Home Renovation Tax Credit
This tax credit is available to homeowners at the rate of 15% on expenditures over
$1,000 to a maximum tax credit of $1,350. (Requires a total expenditure of $10,000).
Note that this tax credit is over and above any other government grant or incentive the
homeowner may be eligible for, such as an ecoENERGY grant, so homeowners can
claim both for eligible work.
The tax credit is based on eligible home renovation expenditures for work performed,
or goods acquired, after January 27, 2009 and before February 1, 2010.
According to the government, the tax credit can be claimed “for renovations and
enduring alterations to a dwelling, or the land on which it sits”.
The credit can be claimed on eligible expenditures incurred on one or more of an
individual’s eligible dwellings. Properties eligible for the credit include houses,
cottages and condominium units that are owned for personal use. (i.e., not rental
properties)
Renovation costs for projects such as finishing a basement or re-modeling a kitchen
will be eligible for the credit, along with associated expenses such as building permits,
professional services, equipment rentals and incidental expenses.
Routine repairs and maintenance will not qualify for the credit. Nor will the cost of
purchasing furniture, appliances, audio-visual electronics or construction equipment.
The Home Renovation Tax Credit will be family-based (i.e., one credit per family). For
the purpose of the credit, a family is generally considered to consist of an individual, and
where applicable, the individual’s spouse or common-law partner.
While full details of how the Home Renovation Tax Credit will be administrated are not
yet available, it appears that homeowners will claim their tax credit on their income tax
returns. Additional information is available from the Department of Finance at:
http://www.budget.gc.ca/2009/pamphlet-depliant/pamphlet-depliant3-eng.asp
2009/01/28
ecoENERGY Retrofit Program
The ecoENERGY program provides home and property owners with grants of up to
$5,000 to offset the costs of making energy-efficiency improvements. Grants apply to a
variety of measures that reduce energy consumption from increasing insulation to
upgrading a furnace.
The new Budget announced an additional $300 million in ecoENERGY funding over the
next two years to support an estimated 200,000 additional home retrofits. No changes
to how the program operates were announced.
Additional information on ecoENERGY Retrofit Grants is available on the Natural
Resources Canada (NRCan) wedsite:
http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/retrofit-homes/grants-residential.cfm
2008/12/01
Incorporation - ConstructoGroup, becomes - A1 CONSTRUCTOGROUP LTD. With the increasing operations, ConstructoGroup owner, Stephen Lentz, incorporated A1 CONSTRUCTOGROUP LTD. which will carry on business using the trade name ConstructoGroup.
2008/10/31
ConstructoGroup Wins at 2008 CARE Awards - (Construction Achievements and Renovations of Excellence) Canadian Home Builders Association, for Vancouver and Gulf Island projects. View the before, during and after construction photos.
Best Residential Renovation or Restoration $300,000 - $750,000 - Silver
Best Residential Interior, Less than 1,750 sq. ft. - Silver
Best Kitchen Under 200 sq. ft. - Silver
Best Website by a CHBA Vancouver Island Member - Silver
2008/10/17
ConstructoGroup accepted into BuiltGreen British Columbia membership www.builtgreencanada.ca .
2008/09/05
Jeff Rud, Times Colonist and Canwest News Service
Published: Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Starting Sept. 5, ultra-low-flow toilets and other water-saving plumbing fixtures will be mandatory in all new construction in B.C. and there will be new insulation requirements under the B.C. Building Code.
The ability to reduce off-street parking requirements for developers is also part of changes in store for the province as legislation was introduced yesterday, aimed to help B.C. communities reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and encourage "greener," more compact, development
The new insulation requirements will be for multi-family residential buildings under five storeys and small commercial and industrial buildings.
"Greening the B.C. Building Code will reduce the environmental footprint of buildings and will lower energy bills for British Columbians," Rich Coleman, the minister responsible for housing, said in a release.
The Local Government (Green Communities) Statutes Amendment Act will allow municipalities to steer development through such things as more flexible off-street parking requirements and the ability in some cases to waive development cost charges.
The act will also require greenhouse gas emissions targets to be included in official community plans and regional growth strategies across B.C.
"We will be helping them to determine baselines of where they are now," said Community Services Minister Ida Chong. "They should also let us know what their [emissions] targets will be and the plans and actions they intend to take to ensure that takes place."
2008/06/12
Stephen completed the Built Green builder training program http://www.builtgreencanada.ca/ This initiative is an investigation of environmentally friendly, sustainable building practices and products, examining various combinations to achieve project points within the Built Green program, and of course produce the best product for the homeowner in their particular circumstances.
2007/11/19
ConstructoGroup re-organizes to operating with two distinct crews: a Salt Spring Island crew and a Victoria crew.
2007/11/15
ConstructoGroup earns accredited member status in the Better Business Bureau of Vancouver Island.
2007/11/10
Stephen Lentz of ConstructoGroup is featured
in the Victoria Times Colonist article:
How to Manage a Long-Distance Reno - Communication with
the contractor is key to a successful project when you live far from the
site.
by
Joanne Hatherly, Times
Colonist - Published: Saturday, November 10, 2007
Read the article
2007/10/01
ConstructoGroup is featured in the Gulf Island's
Driftwood Newspaper!
Have a look at some snapshots of the Fall Fix Up - Home Renovation feature
2007/02/05
ConstructoGroup accepted into The Canadian Home Builders Association, Victoria Chapter. The acceptance process included verification of financial capability, in person interviews of recent clients and inspection of jobsites.
2006/12/15
New Building Code for the Province of British Columbia came into effect.
2003/02/14
ConstructoGroup - registered as sole proprietorship in Province of British Columbia, with Stephen Lentz as sole proprietor.
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