Grassroots® | The Inspection Specialists

Home, Commercial and Environmental Inspections

1-800-774-2538

Order a Home Inspection
  • Inspection Services
    • Home Inspections
      • Home Inspection Services
        • Overview & Types of Inspections
        • Security Blanket Protection™
        • The Oops Inspection™
        • Ride Along Inspection™
        • Monster Free Inspections
      • 3 Questions to Ask Your Home Inspector
      • 5 Key Suggestions When Buying A Home
      • 7 Things To Ask Before Buying A Home
      • Order a Grassroots® Home Inspection
      • Request a Home Inspection Quotation
    • Commercial Inspections
      • Overview – Commercial Inspections
      • Types of Inspections
      • What Kinds of Buildings Are Inspected?
      • Order Commercial Inspection
      • Commercial Inspection Quote Request
    • Environmental Inspections
      • Overview – Environmental Inspections
      • Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Testing
      • Electro Magnetic Field (EMF) Testing
      • Environmental Site Assessments (ESA)
      • Order an Environmental Inspection
      • Request Environmental Inspection Quote
    • Litigation Support & Dispute Resolution
  • Request A Quote
    • Home Inspection Quote Request
    • Commercial Inspection Quote Request
    • Environmental Inspection Quote Request
  • Resources
    • Information Bulletins
    • Suggestions & Tips
    • All Resources – Alphabetical
    • Glossary of Housing Terms
    • Are You Looking For A Date?
  • Franchise Opportunities
    • Why a Grassroots® Home Inspection Franchise?
    • Be Part of the Grassroots® Inspection Team
    • The Grassroots® Inspect 2000™ Reporting System
    • Consider This . . .
    • About the Canadian Home Inspection Industry
  • About Us
  • Contact Grassroots®
  • Home

Newly Constructed Homes & Projects – Suggestions & Tips #162

November 13, 2015 by Grassroots Leave a Comment

newly_constructed_homes_&_projects

There’s often a misconception that if you purchase a newly constructed home / condominium, or if you are having one custom built for you, that all will be fine. After all, municipal building officials will be inspecting the work and if you are acquiring a newly built home in Ontario, it will be covered under the New Home Warranties Plan Act with Tarion.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t always turn out the way you might hope. Inspections by municipal building officials ensure that there is compliance in meeting minimum building code standards. They do compliance testing, not detailed step by step substantive testing. It does not look out for or enforce those items you requested be part of the house or that were contracted for.

The Tarion new home warranty while covering plenty is not intended to cover all situations. It also has staggered coverage over a limited time period. It does not apply to renovations, alterations, additions or a house that you build yourself (e.g. where you are the general contractor) unless you choose to purchase that optional coverage.

Take for example the pictures shown above: The poor installation and placement of a window (top left). An attic with missing insulation can cause problems with ice damning, condensation and mould not to mention higher energy costs (middle). Not making a foundation wall wide enough to support the exterior brick (right).

While some of the concerns in these pictures arguably might have been caught by the municipal building official or be part of the Tarion warranty coverage, the new homeowner will nevertheless be faced with the challenge of demonstrating who is at fault and why they should not bear the burden of any remediation. That’s if you even have that recourse available to you or if it’s a viable option for you to pursue in the first place. It also likely assumes that you have exhausted all your efforts with the builder / contractor in making things good first. As a last resort, if no one will step up to the plate you might consider costly litigation. Much of this will be dependent on the facts, whether you had great contract drawn up that details what was to be done by whom, by when, what materials / finishes were to be provided, etc., etc. etc.

Keep in mind that not all projects, renovations or alteration work require a building permit or inspections by municipal building officials either. Generally, all new electrical & new plumbing work will require permits as well as any gas work. Further, many do not take the time to get things properly documented in a contract either.

The other significant concern that is seldom talked about is whether you getting what you wanted and paid for? For example, did the contractor provide you with the quality of roof shingles or furnace that you thought you were buying. Did you even think to ask or know? Perhaps you asked for a certain quality / type item for your new home or renovation but another was mistakenly installed or out of view?

Hiring your own private inspector at the beginning of the process can assist you in many ways. They can review plans with your architect / builder / contractor and act as a second set of eyes offering ideas / suggestions for your consideration. They can review your contract in conjunction with your lawyer to see that certain specifics relating to the build are detailed in it to avoid problems down the road. They can carry out progress inspections tailored specifically to what want you might be concerned about and ensure that those things contracted for are being provided.

Having new construction, additions and renovation work inspected by your own private inspector that is acting as your advocate can go a long way in providing peace of mind while reducing exposure to the items discussed above. Protect yourself…get it inspected!

When inspecting buildings we are often asked questions concerning various topics. Some of these queries can relate to issues not within the scope of a typical inspection. That’s not to say that information about these topics would not be useful however. For that reason, we wanted to include information on some of these topics your further review.

NOTICE: The information contained on the grassroots.ca website is not intended to be exhaustive nor does it necessarily apply to all buildings, systems, components and the likes. While some information may be able to be “transferred” to a building you’re interested in, it should not automatically be applied to it necessarily. It may however simply act as a prompter for areas you may wish to explore further. As such, the information herein is for information purposes only. It’s not intended to be an exhaustive listing of any / all related issues. Always consult a professional before purchasing, leasing or selling a building, or if proceeding with or considering any work to a building. Seek further professional advice, and, analysis including at least three (3) quotations from various professional reputable & qualified contractors before proceeding with any contemplated work, repairs, improvements, and / or, modifications to a building, to better establish the scope of any / all concerns.

Filed Under: All, Attics, Bathrooms, Bedrooms, Building Systems, Design & Layout, Electrical, Exterior, Exterior Issues, Foundations & Basements, Heating & Cooling, Insulation, Interior Issues, Kitchen, Laundry, Main Living Spaces, Plumbing, Property & Site, Roof, Staircases, Suggestions & Tips Tagged With: addition, alteration, build, building, building permit, construction, electrical permit, new construction, new home, new home warranty plan, plumbing permit, project, renovation, TARION

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to our mailing list

Email Address*

First Name

Last Name


 

Search Our Site

Resource Centre

  • All (230)
  • Attics (27)
  • Bathrooms (23)
  • Bedrooms (11)
  • Building Systems (18)
  • Design & Layout (23)
  • Electrical (33)
  • Exterior (19)
  • Exterior Issues (25)
  • Fireplaces & Chimneys (14)
  • Foundations & Basements (39)
  • Heating & Cooling (56)
  • Information Bulletins (58)
  • Insects & Vermin (10)
  • Insulation (29)
  • Insurance & Legal (42)
  • Interior Issues (21)
  • Kitchen (26)
  • Laundry (20)
  • Main Living Spaces (9)
  • Outbuildings (6)
  • Plumbing (50)
  • Property & Site (24)
  • Roof (32)
  • Safety & Environmental (99)
  • Staircases (9)
  • Suggestions & Tips (173)
  • Water Heater (13)

Recent Articles and News

Can’t I Buy A Home That’s Been Inspected?!?! – Suggestion & Tips #173

Multiple offers on a property? No time to get a home inspection done? Feel you need to present a “condition free” offer in order to get the house of your dreams? But what shape is the home that you … [Read More...]

Should Mortgage Lenders Insist Their Clients Have A Home Inspection? – Suggestion & Tips #172

Some mortgage lenders will not place a mortgage on certain homes because they have, for example, asbestos, vermiculite, UFFI (urea formaldehyde foam insulation), knob & tube wiring, 60 amp … [Read More...]

overhead-electrical-service-trees-vegetation

Overhead Electrical Service & Trees / Vegetation – Suggestions & Tips #171

As you might imagine, there are certain clearances that electrical wires / power lines must have, for example, when they cross over roads, driveways, roofs, pools, walkways and when near fire escapes, … [Read More...]

Get Social with Grassroots!

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Home Inspections

We do fantastic home inspections that tell you exactly what is wrong with your home. Buying a house? You'll love us because we help you avoid unpleasant surprises.
More >>

Commercial Inspections

When you purchase a commercial property, you'll want to know exactly what you're getting. Remember, you get what you inspect, not what you expect.
More >>

Environmental Inspections

Are you having problems with indoor air quality? We can do many types of specialized tests, including for mold, radon, CO2 and VOC.
More >>

Franchise Opportunties

Your future can be bright with a Grassroots® inspection franchise. We'll show you how to run a successful business based on helping people.
More >>

© 2021 · Grassroots® | The Inspection Specialists · Legal · Privacy · Website design and hosting by The Web For Business.com