New build inspection · Windows and doors
Window and door defects in a new build
Windows 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.
What goes wrong with windows and doors in a new build?
Reviewed · 2026-09-03Windows 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.
Why it matters
Windows and doors in a new home
A window is a hole cut in the wall and then made watertight, airtight and insulated again. Three separate systems meet at the frame, installed by different trades at different times, and every one of them has to be right.
In Calgary the test comes in the first cold snap. Air leakage that was invisible in October announces itself in January as a cold draft, frost on the frame or condensation running onto the sill. That is useful information, and it arrives inside the first-year warranty window if you act on it.
Basement windows carry an additional requirement. Any bedroom below grade needs an egress window of a size and configuration that a person can escape through, and the window well must allow it. This gets missed most often when a basement is finished after possession.
Best moment to look
First winter
Check operation and sealing at the walkthrough, then check for drafts, frost and condensation during the first genuinely cold week and report everything at once.
In Alberta
A new Calgary home carries a large amount of construction moisture through its first heating season, and some window condensation in year one is normal rather than defective. The way to tell the difference is to control humidity first: run the ventilation system, keep indoor humidity moderate in cold weather, and see whether the condensation persists. If it does, or if moisture appears between the panes of a sealed unit, that is a product failure and a warranty item. Sealed unit failures are usually covered by a manufacturer warranty that runs longer than the builder workmanship period, so ask for the window manufacturer and the certificate.
The flags
What to look for
Each item lists what the defect is, how to spot it without tools, and the stage of construction when it is still visible. None of this replaces a licensed inspector. It makes you a useful witness on your own site.
01No sill pan or end dams under the window
Water and envelopeWhat it is. Water 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.
How to spot it. Only visible before cladding and drywall. At pre-drywall, look at the bottom of each rough opening for a formed or membrane pan turned up at the ends.
Visible at: Pre-drywall
02Gaps around frames left empty or over-foamed
Comfort and costWhat it is. The 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.
How to spot it. At pre-drywall, look into the gap around each window. You want it filled evenly with low-expansion foam or packed insulation, not empty and not bulging the frame.
Visible at: Pre-drywall
03Windows and doors that bind, rub or fail to latch
FinishWhat it is. An 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.
How to spot it. Open, close, lock and unlock every window and every door, including the ones nobody uses. Listen for rubbing and look at the gap around the sash for consistency.
Visible at: Pre-possession walkthrough
04Weather stripping missing, pinched or not making contact
Comfort and costWhat it is. Exterior 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.
How to spot it. Close the door on a piece of paper and pull. If it slides out with no resistance at a spot, the seal is not making contact there. Check all four edges.
Visible at: Pre-possession walkthrough
05Basement bedroom without compliant egress
SafetyWhat it is. A 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.
How to spot it. Open the basement window fully and look at the clear opening and the well beyond it. If a finished basement is being sold as having bedrooms, ask for the permit and the inspection record.
Visible at: Pre-possession walkthrough
06Heavy condensation and frost in the first winter
Water and envelopeWhat it is. Some 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.
How to spot it. During the first cold week, check every window in the morning. Photograph any frost, standing water or staining, and note the indoor humidity if you can.
Visible at: First winter
Put it in writing
Questions for the builder
Ask these by email rather than on site. A written answer is a record, and a builder who answers clearly in writing is telling you something useful about how the rest of the build will go.
- Are sill pans installed under every window, and can I see one at pre-drywall?
- Who is the window manufacturer and what is the sealed unit warranty period?
- What indoor humidity do you recommend in the first winter, and how should I run the ventilation?
- If a basement bedroom is included, can I see the permit and the egress inspection record?
FAQ
Questions about windows and doors
Not necessarily in the first winter. A new house is full of moisture from concrete, framing and drywall compound, and that has to dry out through the first heating season. Manage humidity, run the ventilation system, and watch. Condensation that continues into a second winter, water pooling on sills, or fogging between the panes of a sealed unit all point to a real problem.
An egress window has to provide a minimum unobstructed opening that a person can pass through, be openable without tools or special knowledge, and open into a well large enough to climb out of. Exact dimensions come from the building code in force for your permit. If a bedroom is below grade, ask for the permit and inspection record rather than taking a sales description at face value.
Doors do move as a house dries and settles in the first year, and adjustment is a normal warranty callback. That is exactly why it should be reported and fixed inside the first-year period rather than lived with. Report every sticking door in writing, even the minor ones, before the workmanship coverage ends.
Source note
- Sources
- Alberta New Home Warranty program information
- National Building Code, Alberta Edition, as adopted for the permit in force
- City of Calgary building inspection and lot grading information
- Health Canada radon guidance for homeowners
- Jurisdiction
- Alberta, with Calgary-specific notes
- Applies to
- New residential construction purchased from a builder.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-03
- Limitations
- General guidance written for buyers, not a code interpretation and not a substitute for a licensed home inspector or a professional engineer. Code requirements depend on the edition in force when the permit was issued. Warranty periods and coverage depend on your own warranty certificate.
- What you should verify
- The requirements that applied to your permit, the coverage periods on your warranty certificate, and any defect with a licensed inspector before you rely on it in a claim.
Work with REP YYC
Bring your own representative to the walkthrough.
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.