The new build PDI checklist for Ottawa buyers

The pre-delivery inspection is the last moment before a new home becomes your problem instead of the builder's. It is a legal step with a form attached, and the list you produce that day is the record. What does not get written down gets argued about later, usually unsuccessfully.

How to write a deficiency so it cannot be argued with

This single skill is worth more than the rest of this guide. Every item needs location, component, and defect, specifically:

• ❌ "Scratch on floor" → ✅ "Scratch in hardwood, main floor living room, 1.2 m from the fireplace along the north wall, approx 15 cm."
• ❌ "Wall damaged" → ✅ "Drywall gouge, primary bedroom, north wall, 40 cm right of the window casing at 1.5 m height."
• ❌ "Window won't open" → ✅ "Casement window, second floor rear bedroom, west elevation — crank binds and sash does not seat; will not lock."

Photograph everything and number the photographs to match the list. Blue painter's tape beside each defect makes both the photo and the trade's return visit far more efficient.

Room by room

Exterior

Grading sloping away from the foundation in every direction. Downspouts installed, extended and discharging away from the wall. Siding, brick and mortar for damage and missing pieces. Caulking at every window, door and penetration. Driveway and walkway condition. Garage door balance, seal at the floor, and auto-reverse. Exterior tap operation and whether it is frost-free. Deck or porch structure, guard height and spacing.

Basement and mechanical

Foundation for cracking. Floor drain and sump pit — is there a pump, does it work, where does it discharge, is there a backup. Furnace and HVAC labelling, filter, and that the unit actually runs. Water heater. Electrical panel labelled correctly. Water meter and main shut-off accessible and labelled. Any dampness at all.

Every room

Every light and every switch. Every outlet — a $15 tester finds reversed polarity and open grounds in seconds. Every window: opens, closes, locks, screens present, no broken seals. Every door: latches, does not rub, hardware complete. Walls and ceilings for drywall defects under raking light — hold a work light against the wall and look along it. Flooring for scratches, gaps, lippage, hollow tiles. Trim and caulking. Closet shelving and doors.

Kitchen and bathrooms

Every appliance running through a full cycle where possible. Cabinet doors and drawers aligned and closing. Countertop seams and edges. Sink drainage and no leaks under the trap — actually look under the sink with a light. Every faucet, hot on the left. Toilets: flush, refill, no rock, sealed at the base. Tub and shower: fill, drain, check the surround, look for tile lippage. Exhaust fans — hold a piece of tissue to the grille; if it does not hold, the fan is not moving air.

Attic — if you can get access

Insulation depth and, more importantly, coverage all the way to the eaves. Bath and range fans terminating outside, not into the attic. Soffit vents not buried under insulation. This is the most common category of new-build defect in Ottawa and the least commonly checked.

Things people miss every single time

• Attic insulation over the garage ceiling and bulkheads. Chronically incomplete.
• Bath fans venting into the attic. Astonishingly common even in 2026.
• HVAC balance. Take a thermometer and check the bonus room over the garage. A 5 °C difference from the rest of the house is a deficiency, not a quirk.
• Grading. Builders grade to a certificate, and it settles within two years. Photograph it now.
• The garage-to-house door. It must be self-closing and properly fire-separated.
• Window screens. Frequently absent and easy to forget.
• Missing insulation behind bathtubs on exterior walls. Invisible after the tub is set — and a job for infrared.

The deadlines after the PDI

Ontario's new home warranty runs on a schedule, and the two you control are close together:

• PDI list — completed at the pre-delivery inspection itself.
• 30-day form — submit within the first 30 days of possession. Everything you have noticed since moving in.
• Year-end form — submit before the first anniversary of possession. This is the big one, and it is the deadline most owners miss.
• Two-year and seven-year coverage — narrower categories, including water penetration, electrical, plumbing and heating delivery systems, and major structural.

Book an independent inspection at around month ten or eleven, not month twelve. You need the report in hand with weeks to spare so the form is submitted against evidence and before the window closes. Confirm current deadlines and forms with your warranty provider, since programme details change.

Frequently asked