In Quebec, pre-delivery inspections of new homes (houses and condos) are governed by the " New Residential Buildings Warranty Plan, " which is mandatory except for condominium buildings (divided co-ownership) with more than four superimposed private units, undivided co-ownerships, and converted condominium buildings. All buyers of new single-family homes must participate in this plan, and all residential construction contractors must be accredited. Therefore, the builder and the buyer must jointly inspect the property if a warranty plan is in place. This inspection marks the end of construction and the beginning of the warranty period.
Guard changes
Since January 1 , 2015, there has been a whole wave of change in the field of construction and it is now the Residential Construction Guarantee (GCR) which is the non-profit organization authorized by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) to administer the New Home Warranty Plans in replacement of New Home Warranty (GMN) and Abritat (under the APCHQ) as well as Qualité Habitation (QH) managed by the Association de la construction du Québec (ACQ).
Caution is advised
The fact remains that the pre-acceptance inspection of a new building, with a competent expert, is still essential to determine which construction works need to be completed (completed) as well as those which need to be corrected.
Condominium buildings
In addition to new houses, condominium buildings are also subject to the new residential building warranty except in exceptional circumstances*.
Our engineers will inspect the common areas of the building and the private area of co-owners who wish to do so. In fact, these are two very distinct mandates:
- When receiving a private part, the engineer examines whether there are defects or deficiencies in the inspected unit.
- When receiving the common parts, a building professional (supervising engineer, architect, technologist), mandated by the syndicate of co-owners, must examine the common areas to identify deficiencies and/or visible defects in relation to the structure and finish.
The pre-acceptance inspection is carried out according to a pre-established checklist approved by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ). Following the inspection, you will receive a detailed report, by email, outlining all deficiencies and including explanatory photos.
Pre-acceptance inspection