If a property has a wood stove, wood insert, fireplace or wood-fired furnace, an Ontario insurer will very often require a WETT inspection before binding coverage — and a buyer's lender may require the same. WETT stands for Wood Energy Technology Transfer, the national certification body for solid-fuel-burning appliances. The inspection confirms that the appliance, chimney and clearances comply with CSA B365 and the manufacturer's listed installation instructions.
What a Level 1 site inspection covers
The readily accessible portions of the appliance and venting system: model and listing, hearth pad size and R-value, clearances to combustibles in every direction, chimney type and condition, liner, connector pipe, joints and fasteners, cap and spark arrestor, creosote accumulation, and structural support. We photograph the data plate, measure the clearances rather than eyeballing them, and record it all against the code requirement.
Why installations fail
Almost always clearances. A stove moved eight inches closer to a wall during a renovation, an unlisted hearth pad, a single-wall connector run through a combustible wall without a proper thimble, or a masonry chimney with no liner behind an insert. These are correctable, and knowing before your insurer's deadline is the whole point.
Rural Ottawa runs on wood
In Carp, Dunrobin, Manotick, Greely, Osgoode, Metcalfe and out toward Almonte and Kemptville, a wood stove is not a lifestyle feature — it is the backup when the power goes out for four days in an ice storm. That makes the WETT inspection routine here, and it is one of the most frequently requested add-ons on a rural pre-purchase inspection.
What is included
- WETT Level 1 site basic inspection of the appliance and venting system
- Measured clearance verification against CSA B365 and the manufacturer's listing
- Chimney, liner, connector, cap and creosote condition review
- Hearth pad, floor protection and structural support assessment
- Written, photographed report in the format Ontario insurers accept
Why this matters in Ottawa
We bundle WETT with rural and semi-rural pre-purchase inspections constantly — often alongside a well and septic inspection on the same visit, which saves you a second trip charge and a second afternoon.