PRE-DELIVERY
INSPECTION
(Homeowner)
A Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) is an opportunity to acquaint yourself fully with your new home and how it operates. It is an integral part of your business transaction with your builder.
The PDI gives you the opportunity to record any obvious defects and/or damaged items prior to taking occupancy.
If you are purchasing a condominium you will inspect the items in your unit. Common elements, as described in the declaration and description, will likely be inspected just prior to the condominium becoming registered. You should ensure that you clearly understand where your unit stops and where the common elements begin.
Once your new home is substantially complete and ready to occupy, your builder will contact you to set up an appointment. Most builders conduct the PDI anywhere from 1 week to 2 days before occupancy. The PDI should never occur after you have occupied the home because anything missing or damaged could be attributed to the move-in process.
You should plan for anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours depending on the size of your new home. A PDI is serious business and should not be rushed. Most builders will conduct the PDI during their normal business hours. You may want to contact them in advance to confirm their policy and make the appropriate arrangements with your employer.
Some builders have adopted a policy in which only the people named in the contract are permitted to attend the PDI. Ask your builder what his policy is before you arrive on site.
Although most builders appreciate how excited you are to see your new home, this is not a time to show family and friends the house or for you to be distracted by people wanting to measure for draperies.
Pay attention to detail. There is a lot to be learned during the PDI as well as proper records to be kept.
The day before your inspection you should review your contract, including any features lists, colour selection sheets and change orders. Take these documents with you to the inspection. You will want to ensure that all of the extras, upgrades and options you requested as part of your offer have been installed. Confirm that the colours and styles you chose are the ones that appear in your new home.
Dress appropriately for the occasion, including wearing proper footwear. Remember you are on a construction site and the PDI covers the entire house, inside and out.
With the permission of the Greater Toronto Home Builders' Association, the Ontario New Home Warranty Program (ONHWP) produces a PDI checklist that covers off the types of items you should be looking for during your inspection. The New Home Inspection Checklist can be printed from your browser or saved for future reference.
Your builder or their representative will meet you at your new home and will walk you through your new home room by room, top to bottom, inside and out. You should be very thorough and observant during the walk-through. Inspect the surfaces of counters, floors, fixtures and walls for any possible damages. Disputes may arise because you discover a chipped floor tile after you move in and there is no way to prove whether it was there before move in or happened during the move.
The PDI is the ideal time to learn the proper operation and maintenance of your home's mechanical ventilation system. Understanding your ventilation system helps control indoor air quality and protect your new home warranty. Problems arising from homeowner neglect are not covered under warranty.
Your builder should also give you copies of any manufacturer's instruction booklets and warranty certificates. These documents should be filed in a safe place for future reference. Some builders distribute a home maintenance booklet and will give this to you during the inspection. Ask your builder for any tips on maintenance or operation of the components in your new home.
If you are completing the PDI during the winter months or unfavourable weather, you may not be able to fully review the exterior of your new home. Do not worry…simply make a note on the inspection form about which items you could not view and list specifically those items which are not completed. Ask your builder if a second inspection will be conducted once weather permits.
Your builder is required to complete the Ontario New Home Warranty Program's (ONHWP) Certificate of Completion and Possession (CCP). The CCP will record your date of occupancy, your name(s) and any outstanding items and/or deficiencies. Some builders will attach an inspection form to the CCP. If this is the case, ensure that all pages are numbered and initialed by all parties. The number of pages and reference to the inspection form must be noted on the CCP form.
During the inspection, the builder should remove the warranty sticker on the CCP and place it on the electrical panel in your new home.
Once you have completed your inspection, you will be asked to sign the CCP. Signing the CCP form does not limit your warranty rights. Should warranted deficiencies occur during the warranty period, you can still advise your builder in writing.
You will be given a copy of the CCP form. It should be filed in a safe place for future reference should any disputes arise with your builder. The builder will send a copy of the CCP form to ONHWP.