Standards of practice and scope

Why this page exists

Ontario does not license home inspectors. The Home Inspection Act was passed in 2017 and never proclaimed into force, which means the standard an inspector works to is entirely voluntary. Publishing ours — including the exclusions — is how you can judge in advance what you are buying, rather than discovering the boundaries in a disclaimer afterwards.

The standard we follow

Every inspection is performed in accordance with a recognised professional standard of practice for home inspections, as maintained by the certifying body identified on your inspection agreement. That standard defines the systems to be inspected, the method of inspection, and the required contents of the report.

Systems inspected

• Roof — covering, flashings, penetrations, chimney, gutters and downspouts
• Exterior — cladding, trim, soffit and fascia, windows and doors, decks and porches, walkways, grading and drainage
• Structure — foundation, framing, floors, and visible evidence of movement
• Electrical — service, panel interior, branch wiring, grounding, GFCI/AFCI, and a representative sample of devices
• Plumbing — supply and drainage material and condition, functional flow and drainage, water heater, fixtures
• Heating and cooling — equipment, distribution, venting, controls, and operation where conditions permit
• Insulation and ventilation — attic, crawlspace and accessible areas, including exhaust termination
• Interior — walls, ceilings, floors, windows, doors, stairs, garage, and life-safety devices
• Infrared survey — envelope, ceilings, wet areas and electrical panel, included on every inspection

Explicitly excluded

The following are outside the scope of a standard home inspection. Several are available as separately contracted services.

• Anything concealed, buried, or requiring dismantling to observe
• Sewer laterals and buried drainage (available: sewer scope inspection)
• Wells, septic systems and water quality (available: well and septic inspection)
• Radon, mould, asbestos, lead, VOCs and indoor air quality (available: radon and air quality testing)
• Wood-burning appliance certification (available: WETT inspection)
• Pests and wood-destroying organisms
• Code compliance, permit history and zoning
• Environmental site assessment
• Swimming pools, spas, irrigation, security, low-voltage and specialty systems unless agreed in writing
• Estimates of market value, insurability or future performance
• Any prediction that a condition will or will not fail in the future

Conditions that limit an inspection

We report honestly on what limited us on the day rather than quietly omitting it. Common limitations include snow and ice cover preventing roof and grading assessment; stored belongings preventing access to walls, floors and mechanical equipment; unsafe roof access; locked or occupied areas; utilities disconnected; and outdoor temperature below approximately 15 °C preventing safe air conditioning operation.

How findings are rated

Safety hazard — a condition presenting a risk to persons; address regardless of cost.
Major defect — a system at or near failure, or a condition with significant cost implications.
Maintenance — routine upkeep; every property has many.
Note for later — a component with remaining service life that should be budgeted for.

If you think we missed something

Contact us immediately and before undertaking repairs, so we have the opportunity to inspect the condition as found. This is not a technicality — once a condition has been altered or repaired, nobody can determine what was visible and accessible on the day of the inspection, which makes the question unanswerable for everyone involved.