Building and home inspections
We inspect houses, condos, townhouses and small commercial buildings from Vancouver to Surrey, and from West Vancouver across to Coquitlam. You are welcome to walk the property with the inspector. The written report lists each finding with a priority, so you can sort the expensive problems from the routine ones before your subjects come off.
Call 604-555-0176 Request a booking
If we are on a roof or in a crawl space we cannot pick up. Leave a message with the address and your subject date, and we will call you back.
Most calls are from buyers, but sellers, strata councils and owners of small buildings book us too. The scope changes with the property, so the list below starts with the question you are probably asking.
| Inspection | Who it is for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-purchase house inspection | Buyers of detached houses, duplexes and older homes | Roof to foundation, with the subject date in mind. |
| Condo or townhouse inspection | Buyers of strata units | Covers the unit and what we can see of common areas. Strata documents are a separate review. |
| Pre-listing inspection | Sellers who want to know first | You see the findings before a buyer's inspector does. |
| Strata and building envelope visual review | Councils and property managers | Walls, windows, decks and roofs, looked at from accessible points. |
| Commercial and small multi-unit | Owners and buyers of small buildings | Scope agreed before we book. |
| New home and warranty-period inspection | Owners of new homes | Done before the warranty periods run out. |
| Crawl space or attic only | Owners with a specific concern | Two spaces that hold more problems than their size suggests. |
In a busy market the subject period can be a few days, and the inspection has to fit inside it along with the financing and the document review. Send us the address, the subject date and the approximate age of the building when you ask for a time. That is enough for us to tell you straight away whether the date can work.
If you are buying a condo, remember that the inspection looks at the unit. The strata minutes, the depreciation report, the contingency reserve fund and any special levies are in the strata documents, and those need to be read inside the same window.
Each finding gets a location, a plain description and a rating. Safety items and major items come first, then repairs, maintenance and things to watch.
Safety Risk of injury, fire or serious damage. Deal with it before you move in, or as soon as you can.
Major A significant defect, or a component at or past the end of its life. Try to get a quote before you remove subjects.
Repair Needs fixing, but not urgent. Plan for it in the first year.
Maintenance Routine upkeep the owner should do. Usually low cost.
Monitor Not a problem today. Watch it, or ask a specialist if it matters to your decision.
1.1 Major Step flashing lifted at the chimney
The metal flashing where the chimney meets the roof has lifted along the east side, and the sealant over it is cracked. Daylight is visible along about 60 cm of the joint. There is a faint stain on the attic sheathing below, which suggests water has already found its way in.
Suggested: Have a roofer re-flash the chimney and check the sheathing beneath. Do this before the wet season, and look at the attic again once it has been repaired.
4.1 Safety Two wires under one breaker
In the main panel, a breaker that is not rated for two conductors has two wires under its terminal. This can loosen the connection over time and create heat.
Suggested: Have a licensed electrician correct the circuit, usually by adding a breaker. Ask the electrician to look over the rest of the panel at the same visit.
A home inspection is visual and non-invasive. We look at what is accessible on the day, and we write down what we could not reach. We do not:
If something needs a specialist, such as an electrician, a plumber, a roofer or an engineer, the report says so. More detail: What an inspection does and does not cover.
We travel to the property across the core of Metro Vancouver. Each city has its own housing stock, and the area pages describe what we tend to find in each.
Plain-language notes on the problems buyers ask about most, written so you can read them before you call.