Buyer's Guide

The Home Inspection Checklist, Item by Item

By Georges Matar · June 25, 2026 · 7 min read

On inspection day, most buyers trail the inspector from room to room and nod. They leave with a report dozens of pages long and a single question: is this serious? Here is what a pre-purchase inspection covers in Greater Montreal, item by item, what it never covers, and the issues specific to our region. For price and timing, read what an inspection costs and when to do it.

What an inspection is, and what it is not

The law does not require you to hire an inspector, Educaloi notes. What you are buying is a visual, non destructive examination: the inspector does not open walls, lift floors or dismantle anything. Their role, Educaloi writes, is not to drill holes in a wall to check for mould.

Anything buried is therefore out of reach: the foundation drain, the water and sewer lines, an old tank, the state of the soil. An inspection does not guarantee the absence of a defect, says nothing about zoning or value, and cannot see behind fresh finishes. That is why the Seller’s Declarations matter, and why a well prepared first visit matters too.

The BNQ 3009-500 standard and the RBQ certificate

Since 2022, residential inspection in Quebec has had its own standard: BNQ 3009-500, Residential building, Inspection practices in a real estate transaction context. The Bureau de normalisation du Quebec wrote it at the request of the Regie du batiment du Quebec, the body the legislature put in charge of regulating building inspections. It sets out how to assess the condition of part or all of a residential building.

The regulation governing residential building inspectors came into force on October 1, 2024. Since then the RBQ has issued a certificate, but on a voluntary basis: a three year transition period is running, and the certificate becomes mandatory on October 1, 2027. New inspectors will need a college attestation in building inspection techniques; those already practising qualify by passing an upgrading course. Until then, ask the question plainly: do you hold the RBQ certificate, and do you work to BNQ 3009-500?

The checklist, item by item

Roof. Curling, cracked or missing shingles, granule loss, moss, flashing around chimneys and dormers, attic ventilation. Ask for the year of the last reroofing and the invoice: the real age beats any average.

Structure and foundation. Cracks are not all equal: the inspector records their shape, width and orientation, and above all any sign of movement or water entry. Beams, columns, slab and floors are checked too.

Drainage and the foundation drain. The ground should slope away from the house and downspouts should discharge well clear of the foundation. The drain itself is buried, so nobody sees it. Ask whether it has been camera inspected or replaced, and when. In Montreal, by-law 20-030 requires basement fixtures to be protected against sewer backflow: check for a backwater valve.

Plumbing and the water entry. Pipe materials, pressure, drainage, leak marks under sinks and around the tub, water heater, main water entry and shutoff valve.

Electrical. Service entrance, panel, breakers or fuses, grounding, branch circuits, rust or heat marks, and the type of wiring.

Heating and ventilation. Energy source, the year stamped on the nameplate, documented servicing, ductwork, air exchanger, bathroom and kitchen ventilation.

Insulation and attic. Insulation type, apparent depth, vapour barrier, signs of condensation or mould under the roof deck.

Windows. Rotten frames, split caulking, fogging between the panes of a sealed unit, hardware that binds.

Basement and moisture. At the base of the walls: efflorescence, those powdery white deposits, staining, tide marks, smell. A cracked or heaved slab, a dehumidifier running non stop, a long dry floor drain: each deserves a question.

Exterior. Cladding, balconies, stairs, guardrails, driveway, retaining walls, garage and the condition of the lot.

The issues specific to Greater Montreal

Pyrite and pyrrhotite. Pyrite, found in some backfill stone under the slab, swells as it oxidizes, lifts the concrete and cracks foundations. The OACIQ lists 91 municipalities as risk zones where a known risk must be disclosed, and only an expert assessment under the CTQ-M200 protocol settles the matter. Pyrrhotite attacks the concrete itself, and documented cases cluster in the Mauricie region.

Vermiculite. The vermiculite mined at Libby, Montana, and sold largely under the Zonolite brand until 1990, can contain asbestos. Not all older vermiculite does, but Health Canada considers it reasonable to assume so. Left undisturbed it poses little risk: asbestos harms when its fibres get into the air you breathe. Never remove it yourself.

Lead paint. Before 1960, paint could contain up to 50 per cent lead. From 1960 to 1990, smaller amounts, mostly on exteriors. After 1990, virtually none. The danger is the dust: Health Canada advises against sanders, heat guns and blowtorches.

A buried oil tank. The Construction Code requires an out of service underground tank to be taken out of the ground, absent an attestation, and the owner must have the surrounding soil tested for contamination. An oil spill is also a common exclusion in home insurance policies.

Lead water service lines in Montreal. Buildings of 8 units or fewer built before 1970 are the most likely to have one; the City publishes an address by address map. Replacing the private portion is now mandatory under by-law 20-030, within 24 months of the notice of non compliance, and financial help is available. Ask whether the work was done.

Radon. The Canadian guideline is 200 becquerels per cubic metre. Health Canada recommends a long term detector placed for at least three months on the lowest lived-in level, through fall and winter: summer tests understate the annual level.

Iron ochre. Iron, oxygen and certain soil bacteria form an orange gelatinous deposit that blocks the perforations of the drain. A clogged drain stops draining, and water builds up against the foundation. Its appearance cannot be prevented: only periodic maintenance limits the effects.

Aluminum wiring. Installed mostly from the mid 1960s to the late 1970s. The problem is not the wire but the connections, which oxidize and loosen. An insurer may require a certificate of compliance from a master electrician.

Most of these eight subjects call for a separate test or assessment, and you have to ask for it; the inspector can point out the warning signs.

What you do with the report

The OACIQ promise to purchase is conditional on an inspection within a period, in days, written into the form. If the report reveals a factor likely to significantly reduce the value of the property or increase its expenses, you must notify the seller in writing and hand over a copy of the report, no later than the fourth day after that period expires, before 8 p.m. Outside that framework, the clause no longer protects you.

Then comes the distinction that decides everything. The seller warrants latent defects, not apparent ones, meaning those a prudent and diligent buyer can spot without consulting an expert. A defect written in black and white in your report is no longer hidden: it is known. You negotiate it now, or you own it. If the findings are heavy, reread the red flags that justify walking away.

The questions to ask, and why you should be there

Be there from start to finish: what the inspector says while pointing at something is often worth more than the written report.

Do you hold the RBQ certificate, and do you work to BNQ 3009-500?
Do you carry professional liability insurance, errors and omissions included?
What were you unable to see today, and why?
Of your findings, which are urgent and which are ordinary maintenance?
Which specialized test do you recommend here: pyrite, radon, asbestos, camera?
When will I get the written report, with photos?

Holding an inspection report and unsure whether the problem is major or normal? Send it to me and I will tell you plainly what is worth renegotiating.