New build inspection · Calgary and Alberta
What to watch for in a new build, system by system
New does not mean flawless. A house is assembled by many trades working to a schedule, and municipal inspections sample for code compliance rather than checking every hanger, duct and flashing. These guides cover the defects that recur, what each one costs you if it is missed, and the moment in the build when you can still see it.
Should I get a new build inspected?
Reviewed · 2026-09-03Yes, and the timing matters more than the inspector. Book a pre-drywall inspection while framing, wiring and plumbing are visible, a pre-possession inspection before you take the keys, and a further look before the one-year warranty coverage expires. The defects found most often in Alberta new homes are lot grading that drains toward the house, bathroom fans venting into the attic, incomplete garage fire separation, missing kick-out flashing and ventilation systems that were never balanced.
The guides
One guide per building system
Grading and drainage7 flagsGrading and drainage defects in a new buildGrading is the defect category that produces the most new build warranty claims in Alberta, because the lot is finished last, often in the wrong season, and a negative slope of even a few centimetres sends water at the foundation for the life of the house.Best seen at first winterFoundation and basement6 flagsFoundation and basement defects in a new buildThe foundation is the one part of the house covered by the longest warranty period and the one most buyers never see, because it is backfilled within days of being poured.Best seen at excavation and foundationFraming and structure7 flagsFraming and structural defects in a new buildFraming defects are cheap to fix while the walls are open and expensive afterwards, which makes the pre-drywall walkthrough the highest-value hour a new build buyer will spend.Best seen at pre-drywallRoof and flashing6 flagsRoof and flashing defects in a new buildNew roofs rarely leak through the shingles. They leak at the places where the roof meets something else, and almost all of those places are flashing details a buyer can see from the ground.Best seen at pre-possession walkthroughCladding and envelope6 flagsCladding and building envelope defects in a new buildThe wall assembly is designed to shed water at the cladding and drain anything that gets past it, and most envelope defects are small openings that break the second half of that system.Best seen at pre-possession walkthroughWindows and doors6 flagsWindow and door defects in a new buildWindows are where the wall, the air barrier and the water barrier all have to work together, which is why they produce more callbacks than any other opening in the house.Best seen at first winterAttic and insulation6 flagsAttic and insulation defects in a new buildThe attic is the easiest place in a new house to find real defects, because almost nothing up there is hidden and almost nobody looks.Best seen at pre-possession walkthroughHeating and ventilation7 flagsHeating and ventilation defects in a new buildNew homes are built airtight enough that mechanical ventilation is no longer optional, and the ventilation system is the component most often installed but never commissioned.Best seen at pre-possession walkthroughPlumbing6 flagsPlumbing defects in a new buildPlumbing defects in a new home are rarely dramatic leaks; they are missing shut-offs, unsupported pipe and drainage details that only reveal themselves after a season of use.Best seen at pre-possession walkthroughElectrical7 flagsElectrical defects in a new buildElectrical defects in new homes cluster around protection devices and labelling rather than wiring itself, and most of them can be found with a cheap outlet tester and half an hour.Best seen at pre-possession walkthroughGarage and fire separation6 flagsGarage and fire separation defects in a new buildAn attached garage has to be sealed and fire separated from the living space, and the details that do that work are among the most frequently incomplete items in a finished new home.Best seen at pre-possession walkthrough
Timing
What to check, and when it is still visible
Most of these defects have one window when they can be seen without demolition. Miss it and the item is either invisible or expensive. This is every flag on the site, sorted by the stage it belongs to.
Excavation and foundation2 items
- Foundation and basementDamp proofing missed at corners and penetrationsThe black coating on the outside of the foundation is the primary barrier against soil moisture. It is sprayed quickly, and corners, form-tie holes and pipe penetrations are the spots that get missed.
- Foundation and basementWeeping tile installed without protection or fallThe perforated pipe at the footing carries groundwater to the sump. If it is laid without clean gravel and a filter membrane, silt fills it, and a blocked weeping tile cannot be cleaned once buried.
Pre-drywall15 items
- Foundation and basementDiagonal or stepped cracking at openings and cornersVertical hairline cracks from shrinkage are ordinary. Diagonal cracks radiating from a window corner, or stepped cracking in block, suggest differential movement rather than curing.
- Foundation and basementSlab cracking with vertical displacementBasement slabs crack as they cure and that is normal. A crack where one side sits higher than the other indicates soil movement below the slab, which matters in Calgary clay.
- Framing and structureJoist hangers missing or not fully nailedA hanger carries the load of a joist into a beam. It only works when every hole is filled with the specified fastener. Hangers left with two nails in a dozen holes are among the most commonly reported new build findings.
- Framing and structureEngineered joists drilled or cut in the wrong placeEngineered wood joists have strict rules about where and how large a hole can be. A plumber or electrician cutting through a flange, or drilling a large hole near a bearing point, can compromise the member.
- Framing and structureOver-notched studs and top platesStuds carrying load can only be notched so far before they need reinforcement, and a top plate cut for a pipe needs a protective plate. Deep notches in a bearing wall are a structural issue, not a cosmetic one.
- Framing and structureMissing sheathing clips or fastener spacingRoof sheathing panels are tied to each other between trusses by clips, and fastened on a specified pattern. Missing clips and widely spaced nails show up later as a wavy roof plane and shingles that fail early.
- Framing and structureBeams and posts without continuous bearingA beam has to carry its load down through posts to the footing in a continuous path. Where that path is interrupted, or a post lands on a floor rather than on structure below, the load has nowhere to go.
- Framing and structureTemporary bracing left as permanent, or permanent bracing missingTrusses need permanent lateral bracing to stay in plane. Crews sometimes leave temporary bracing in place and never install the permanent bracing shown on the truss drawings.
- Framing and structureWet or visibly damaged framing closed inLumber that has been rained on will dry, and that is normally fine. Lumber closed into a wall while soaked, or showing surface mould, is a different problem, because it will dry into the assembly.
- Cladding and envelopeHouse wrap torn, reverse-lapped or unsealed at openingsThe weather barrier behind the cladding only works if the upper sheet laps over the lower one and openings are taped. Reverse laps funnel water inward, and this is only visible before cladding goes on.
- Windows and doorsNo sill pan or end dams under the windowWater that gets past the frame must be caught and drained back out. A sill pan under the window does that. Without one, the leak goes into the wall and the framing below.
- Windows and doorsGaps around frames left empty or over-foamedThe space between the window frame and the framing must be insulated and air sealed. Left empty it is a permanent cold bridge and draft; packed too hard with expanding foam it can bow the frame and stop the window closing.
- Heating and ventilationDuct runs disconnected or crushedFlexible duct pulls off its collar easily and rigid runs are sometimes never joined. A disconnected branch heats the floor cavity instead of the room above it, and nobody notices until winter.
- PlumbingPEX unsupported or unprotected through framingPEX needs support at intervals or it sags and moves, and it needs a nail plate where it passes through a stud so a future picture hook does not pierce it.
- ElectricalJunction boxes buried or left without coversEvery splice must be in an accessible box with a cover. Boxes buried in insulation, closed into a wall or left open are a fire risk and a code violation.
Pre-possession walkthrough48 items
- Grading and drainageDownspouts discharging at the wallA roof sheds a large volume of water into a small area. A downspout that ends at the foundation concentrates it exactly where you least want it, and short factory extensions are routinely left on at possession.
- Grading and drainageWindow wells without drainage or coversA basement window well is a hole beside the foundation. If it has no drainage to the weeping tile and no cover, it fills with rain, snow and debris and eventually finds the window.
- Grading and drainageSump pump discharging into the yardA sump discharge that ends a metre from the wall pumps groundwater straight back into the ground it just came from, recycling the same water and running the pump continuously.
- Grading and drainageFlatwork sloped toward the houseDriveways, walkways and patios placed before final grade sometimes end up pitched back at the building. Concrete is expensive to correct once it is cured.
- Grading and drainageGrade covering the cladding or the weep holesSiding and brick need clearance to the ground. Soil piled against them wicks moisture into the wall assembly and blocks the weep holes that let a brick veneer drain.
- Foundation and basementNo radon rough-in, or a rough-in that goes nowhereAlberta requires new homes to include a rough-in for a future radon mitigation system: a sealed pipe from below the slab, capped and labelled, ready to be fitted with a fan. It is frequently installed incorrectly or left unlabelled.
- Foundation and basementSump pit without a pump, lid or alarmMany builders provide the pit and leave the pump as an upgrade. A pit with no pump is a hole that fills. An uncovered pit also vents soil gas, including radon, directly into the basement.
- Roof and flashingMissing kick-out flashingWhere a sloped roof edge meets a vertical wall, a small angled flashing must divert water out onto the wall cladding. Without it, the entire roof edge drains straight down inside the wall. This is one of the most damaging and most commonly omitted details in residential construction.
- Roof and flashingStep flashing replaced with a bead of caulkingWhere a roof runs alongside a wall, individual step flashings must be woven with each shingle course. A continuous strip of metal, or a line of sealant, will fail as soon as the sealant does.
- Roof and flashingVent boots and pipe flashings not sealedPlumbing stacks and exhaust vents penetrate the roof and are sealed by a boot. The rubber collar is the part that fails first, and boots installed with the shingle order reversed leak immediately.
- Roof and flashingMissing drip edge at eaves and rakesDrip edge is the metal at the roof perimeter that keeps water from running back under the shingles and rotting the sheathing edge and fascia. It is inexpensive and sometimes skipped.
- Roof and flashingValley detail done badlyValleys carry the most concentrated water on the roof. Whether woven, closed cut or open metal, the detail has to be consistent and the cut line clean, with underlayment beneath.
- Roof and flashingExposed fasteners and shiners in the atticNails driven through the roof surface outside the sealed zone are a leak path. Nails that missed the truss entirely show as bright points in the attic and indicate poor fastening.
- Cladding and envelopeInsufficient clearance from siding to gradeCladding needs a gap above the finished ground so it does not wick moisture and so the wall can drain. Fibre cement and wood products in particular fail early where they sit in soil or mulch.
- Cladding and envelopeWall penetrations left unsealedEvery hose bib, dryer vent, gas line, electrical box, light fixture and satellite bracket is a hole through the water barrier. Each needs sealing or flashing, and the ones on the back of the house are the ones that get missed.
- Cladding and envelopeBrick veneer weep holes missing or blockedA brick veneer is a drained assembly. Open joints at the base of the brick let water out. If they were never left open, or are filled with mortar droppings, water sits on the flashing inside the wall.
- Cladding and envelopeDeck ledger fastened without flashingA deck bolted to the house without flashing above the ledger board channels water into the rim joist. This is a structural failure mode as well as a water one, and deck collapses are usually ledger failures.
- Cladding and envelopeSealant used as the primary defenceCaulking is a secondary seal with a service life measured in years. Where it is doing the job that flashing should do, the wall is on a countdown rather than a system.
- Windows and doorsWindows and doors that bind, rub or fail to latchAn opening that does not operate smoothly at possession will not improve. It usually means the unit is out of square, the frame was distorted during installation, or the house has already moved.
- Windows and doorsWeather stripping missing, pinched or not making contactExterior doors seal against a compressible strip. If it is torn, folded in the corner or not contacting the slab, the door leaks air and, at the threshold, water.
- Windows and doorsBasement bedroom without compliant egressA below-grade bedroom requires a window that opens large enough to escape through, and a well that provides room to climb out. Undersized wells and windows are a life-safety issue and a resale problem.
- Attic and insulationInsulation shallower than specified, especially at the edgesBlown insulation is specified to an average depth, and the perimeter above exterior walls is the hardest place to reach. Thin edges cause cold ceilings, ice damming and the highest heating bills in the house.
- Attic and insulationMissing or crushed ventilation bafflesBaffles hold insulation back from the soffit vents so outside air can wash the underside of the roof. Without them the insulation blocks the vents, the attic stops venting, and moisture accumulates.
- Attic and insulationBathroom or kitchen fan venting into the atticAn exhaust duct that terminates in the attic instead of through the roof or wall pumps moist air into the cold space every time the fan runs. It is one of the most damaging defects found in new homes and one of the easiest to see.
- Attic and insulationAttic hatch not insulated or weather strippedThe hatch is a hole in the insulated ceiling. Uninsulated and unsealed, it leaks warm moist air continuously and frosts over on the attic side.
- Heating and ventilationHRV installed but never balanced or commissionedA heat recovery ventilator has to be balanced so the volume coming in matches the volume going out, and set to run on a schedule. Without commissioning it may be moving almost nothing, or unbalancing the house.
- Heating and ventilationRooms with supply but no return pathAir blown into a room must have a way out. A bedroom with a supply register, no return and a door that seals will pressurise, push air out through the walls, and stay uncomfortable.
- Heating and ventilationDryer vent too long, crushed or terminating badlyDryer ducting has a maximum length and must not be kinked. A restricted vent is a fire risk and a slow dryer, and one terminating under a deck or into a soffit dumps lint and moisture where it will accumulate.
- Heating and ventilationCombustion air and venting compromisedFuel-burning appliances need a reliable air supply and a clear vent. Blocked intakes, vent terminations too close to windows or ground level, and mechanical rooms sealed by a later basement development all create combustion risk.
- Heating and ventilationFilter and service access blockedA furnace filter that cannot be reached will not be changed. Equipment installed with no service clearance costs money at every future repair.
- Heating and ventilationNo documented heat loss calculation for the equipmentFurnace and duct sizing should follow a heat loss calculation for the specific house. Oversized equipment short cycles, heats unevenly and wears out faster.
- PlumbingMissing or inaccessible shut-off valvesEvery fixture should have its own shut-off so a repair does not mean shutting down the house. Missing or buried valves turn a small failure into an emergency.
- PlumbingHose bibs not frost-free or wrongly slopedAn exterior tap in Calgary must drain when closed. A standard bib, or a frost-free unit installed level or sloping back, holds water that freezes and splits the pipe inside the wall.
- PlumbingSlow drains and unvented fixturesA fixture that gurgles or drains slowly in a brand new house usually indicates a venting problem or debris left in the line, not a temporary condition.
- PlumbingWater heater venting, relief valve or drain pan issuesA gas water heater needs correct venting and a temperature and pressure relief valve piped to a safe discharge point. Tank units in finished spaces should sit in a pan with a drain.
- PlumbingLeaks that only appear after useCompression fittings under sinks and appliance connections often weep rather than gush, and the trace can take a day to show. Nothing at the walkthrough does not mean nothing at all.
- ElectricalMissing ground fault protection at wet locationsReceptacles near sinks, in bathrooms, in the garage, outdoors and in unfinished basements need ground fault protection. It is occasionally omitted, or one device is expected to protect a circuit it does not actually cover.
- ElectricalMissing arc fault protection on living area circuitsArc fault breakers detect arcing faults in wiring and are required by current codes over most of the living space. Substituting a standard breaker is invisible unless you open the panel.
- ElectricalPanel directory blank, generic or wrongA panel labelled "bedroom, bedroom, kitchen" is nearly useless in an emergency. Directories are commonly filled in from the plan rather than by testing what each breaker actually controls.
- ElectricalReversed polarity and open groundsA receptacle wired with hot and neutral reversed, or with no ground connection, will run an appliance normally and still be a shock hazard.
- ElectricalSmoke and carbon monoxide alarms missing, misplaced or unlinkedAlarms are required on every level and near sleeping areas, and in new construction they are generally required to be interconnected so all sound together. Placement too close to a kitchen or a bathroom causes nuisance alarms that lead owners to disable them.
- ElectricalExterior receptacles without weather-resistant coversOutdoor receptacles need covers that keep water out while a cord is plugged in, not just when closed.
- Garage and fire separationDrywall untaped or unsealed at jointsFire separation depends on a continuous membrane. Drywall hung and left with open joints, or with gaps at the top plate and the floor, does not provide the rated separation.
- Garage and fire separationPenetrations not sealedEvery wire, pipe, duct and bolt through the common wall is a path for smoke and carbon monoxide. These are supposed to be sealed with an appropriate material.
- Garage and fire separationMissing self-closing device on the house doorThe door between the garage and the house is generally required to be self-closing so it is never left standing open. The hardware is often omitted or removed.
- Garage and fire separationAttic access located in the garage without separationA hatch in the garage ceiling that opens into the same attic as the house breaks the separation entirely, giving smoke a direct route into the roof space above the bedrooms.
- Garage and fire separationGarage slab sloped toward the houseThe garage floor should fall toward the overhead door so melting snow, which in Calgary arrives on every vehicle all winter, drains outward rather than pooling at the common wall.
- Garage and fire separationOverhead door safety features not workingA powered overhead door needs functioning photo eye sensors and an auto-reverse. These get knocked out of alignment during construction and are rarely retested.
First winter5 items
- Grading and drainageNegative slope at the foundationThe ground should fall away from the house on every side. Where it falls toward the house, surface water and melt collect against the foundation wall and load the weeping tile and the damp proofing continuously.
- Grading and drainageSettlement trenches over the service linesThe trench cut for water, sewer and gas is backfilled loosely and settles for years. A depression that forms along the line becomes a channel that carries water back toward the house.
- Windows and doorsHeavy condensation and frost in the first winterSome interior condensation in a new home is expected, because construction moisture is still drying. Persistent frost on frames, water pooling on sills, or condensation between the panes is not.
- Attic and insulationAir sealing gaps at penetrationsEvery plumbing stack, wire, light fixture and duct through the ceiling is an air leak. Warm indoor air escaping through them carries moisture into the attic and shows as frost on the nails.
- Attic and insulationIce damming and uneven snow meltA well-insulated roof keeps snow on it. Bare patches, icicles and ice ridges at the eaves show that heat is escaping into the attic and melting snow from below.
FAQ
Questions about inspecting a new build
A new home is built by people working quickly to a schedule, and municipal inspections sample for code compliance rather than checking every detail. Independent inspections routinely find missing fasteners, exhaust fans venting into attics, unsealed garage separations and grading that runs toward the house. The value is highest at the pre-drywall stage, when the structure is still visible and defects are cheap to correct.
There are three moments worth booking. Pre-drywall, once rough-ins are in and before insulation, is when framing, plumbing and electrical are all visible. Pre-possession, before you take the keys, is when finish and safety items are still the builder's responsibility. And around month eleven, before the first-year warranty coverage ends, when a full heating season has revealed what the walkthrough could not.
Lot grading and drainage generates the most complaints in Alberta, because final grade is placed after possession and a slope of a few centimetres the wrong way sends water at the foundation permanently. After that come exhaust fans venting into attics, incomplete garage fire separation, missing kick-out flashing, and heating systems that were never balanced.
No. An independent inspection does not affect Alberta new home warranty coverage. What it does is generate a dated, written record of defects while they are still inside the coverage period, which is exactly what a warranty claim needs. The risk runs the other way: waiting until a period expires is what costs owners coverage.
Work with REP YYC
Buying new? Bring your own representative.
The builder's sales staff are paid to sell the builder's lots. REP YYC agents are paid by the builder too, but they work for you: lot choice, contract terms, incentives and the possession timeline. No cost to the buyer.