Pre-delivery inspection · 62 checks

The PDI checklist — every check, in the order you walk the house

Your one formal look at the finished home before you take possession. Print it, take it, and record everything.

Last verified: July 30, 2026

The pre-delivery inspection is your one formal look at the finished home before you take possession. Everything incomplete, damaged, missing, inaccessible or not operating properly belongs on the PDI Form — because proving a defect existed before you moved in is far harder afterwards.

Tarion is explicit about what belongs on the form: anything incomplete, damaged, missing, inaccessible or not operating properly, inside and outside the home. You or a designate must attend, and you will be asked to sign.

One thing worth being precise about, because it is often overstated: failing to note an item does not automatically end your warranty rights. What it does is leave you having to prove the damage was there before you moved in — which is a much harder conversation than writing it down was.

62 items across 7 groups

Tick items as you go — your progress is saved in this browser and prints with the sheet.

Print the PDI checklist

1. Before the appointment What to arrange and bring

Back to top

2. Shell and openings Doors, windows, walls, ceilings, floors

Back to top

3. Systems Electrical, plumbing, heating and ventilation

Back to top

4. Kitchen and bathrooms Cabinets, counters, fixtures, appliances

Back to top

5. Basement, garage and storage The rooms people rush at the end

Back to top

6. Exterior Tarion is explicit that the outside counts too

Back to top

7. Before you sign The part that decides what the form is worth

Back to top

After the PDI

Possession starts the warranty's own clocks, and they are not the PDI's. Keep the deficiency list running from day one and report through the official forms rather than by conversation — how the Tarion warranty actually works sets out which form covers which window.

The new build process — all 13 steps The 15 construction stages Tarion warranty explained

Source: Tarion — the Pre-Delivery Inspection. Verified July 30, 2026.

Ottawa Property Guide is an independent information publication — not a brokerage, real-estate agent, or financial advisor. Content is general educational information, not professional advice. Full disclaimer.