FAQ
Every question we get asked.
Including the ones with answers that are not flattering to us.
Booking & logistics
Booking & logistics
How soon can you inspect?
Usually within two to four days across Ottawa, and often sooner. Tell us your condition deadline when you call — we schedule evenings and weekends specifically because Ottawa offers are frequently written with a five-day condition.
Do I need to be there?
No, but you are strongly encouraged to be. Most clients attend the whole inspection. If you cannot, we walk you through the findings by phone or video the same day the report is delivered.
Can I book online?
Yes — the booking form takes about ninety seconds and we reply with a confirmed time and a firm price, usually within the hour during business hours.
Do you take a deposit?
No. Nothing to pay to hold a booking; you pay at the inspection by card or e-transfer.
What areas do you serve?
Ottawa and roughly 100 km around it — 30 communities with a dedicated page each, from Kanata and Barrhaven to Rockland, Kemptville, Almonte and Arnprior. There is no travel surcharge inside the service area.
The inspection itself
The inspection itself
How long does it take?
Three to four hours for a typical detached home, four to five for a century property, 90 minutes to two hours for a condo, and a half day for a rural property with well and septic.
Do you go on the roof?
When it is safe and accessible, yes. Where pitch, ice, height or a fragile covering makes it unsafe, we fly it with a drone or use a pole camera — and the report states which method was used.
Do you open the electrical panel?
Always. It is the single most informative five minutes of the inspection, and an inspector who skips it is skipping the part where conductor sizing, grounding, double-taps and overheating become visible.
Is thermal imaging really included?
Yes, on every inspection at every price. Most Ottawa inspectors charge $150 to $250 extra, which means most inspections do not get one.
What does a home inspection NOT cover?
It is visual and non-invasive. We do not open walls, dismantle equipment, move stored belongings, or assess what is buried or concealed. Sewer laterals, wells, septics, radon, mould, asbestos and pests are outside the standard scope — most are available as add-ons, and we flag anything suspect regardless.
Will you tell me if the house is worth the price?
No. Valuation is an appraiser’s job and a real estate agent’s advice. We tell you the physical condition.
Reports
Reports
How quickly do I get the report?
The same evening in most cases, and never later than 24 hours after the inspection. If we miss 24 hours, the inspection is free.
What does the report look like?
A digital, illustrated report with every finding photographed, located and rated by severity — safety hazard, major defect, maintenance item, or note for later. A one-page summary at the top for the offer conversation, and the full technical body underneath. See a full sample.
Can I share the report with my agent or a contractor?
Yes. It comes as a shareable link and a PDF. Many clients send the summary to their agent and the relevant sections to trades for quotes.
Do you give repair cost estimates?
We give rough ranges to help you prioritise and negotiate. They are ranges, not quotes — the actual number comes from a contractor who has seen it.
Money
Money
How much does a home inspection cost in Ottawa?
Most Ottawa inspectors charge $450 to $600 for a standard detached home and $300 to $450 for a condo. Ours start at $429 for a detached home up to 2,000 sq ft with thermal imaging included. Every price is published on the pricing page.
Is HST included?
No, prices are shown before HST, added at 13% in Ontario.
Will the price change after you see the house?
No. We confirm the price in writing before booking. If the property is substantially different from what we were told, we call you before starting rather than surprising you afterwards.
Who pays for the inspection, buyer or seller?
The buyer, in nearly all Ontario transactions, at the time of the inspection. A seller commissioning a pre-listing inspection pays for that themselves.
Credentials & trust
Credentials & trust
Are home inspectors licensed in Ontario?
No. Ontario passed the Home Inspection Act in 2017 but never proclaimed it into force, so there is no provincial licensing regime. Certification, insurance and standards of practice are voluntary — which makes verifying them your job, for us and for anyone else.
Are you insured?
Yes — $2,000,000 general liability and $1,000,000 errors & omissions. Certificates available on request.
Do you sell repairs or take referral fees?
Neither. We do not do remediation, waterproofing or radon mitigation, and we do not take referral fees from companies that do. An inspector who profits from the repairs has an incentive that is not yours.
Why are there no reviews on this site?
Because we would rather earn them than write them. Fabricated reviews are a false representation under Ontario’s Consumer Protection Act and the most common dishonest thing on home service websites. Real ones, published with permission and linked to their source, will appear here as they come in.
Still wondering something?
Call and ask. We would rather spend ten minutes on the phone with someone who does not book than have someone book without understanding what they are getting.