What to Expect at Your PDI (Pre-Delivery Inspection) in Ontario

This article is general information, not legal advice, and covers Ontario's Tarion program. Deadlines and forms are set out in your own documents and on Tarion's website; confirm the specifics there. Outside Ontario, your province's new-home warranty program has its own process.

If you have bought a brand-new home or condo in Ontario, one appointment matters more than almost any other before you move in: the Pre-Delivery Inspection, or PDI. It is your chance to walk through the finished home with the builder, before you get the keys, and to create the official record of the home's condition at possession. Done well, it protects you for years. Rushed, it can cost you. Here is what to expect.

What the PDI actually is

The PDI is a builder-led walkthrough of your newly built home with you (or someone you authorize to attend on your behalf), before possession, meaning before you take the keys and move in. Together you go through the home and document, on the PDI Form, anything that is:

• incomplete (not finished),
• damaged (scratches, dents, chips, cracks),
• missing,
• not operational (does not work), or
• inaccessible or obscured (you could not see or reach it to check).

That PDI Form becomes the official record of the home's condition before possession, and it is part of the Tarion new-home warranty process that covers new homes in Ontario.

One thing to understand clearly: the PDI Form is a condition record, not a warranty-service request. It documents the state of the home at that moment. Importantly, failing to list an item at the PDI does not automatically void your warranty coverage for it, you have later forms for that, but the PDI is your first and best chance to get the starting condition on paper.

Why it matters so much

Because the items you document at the PDI are on record, they establish what condition the home was in before you took possession. If a dispute comes up later about whether a scratch, crack, or defect existed at handover or happened after you moved in, that record is what everyone refers back to. A thorough PDI is, in effect, your evidence.

What to check, room by room

Bring your time, your phone for photos, and a methodical eye. Cover:

• Everything operational: run the heating and cooling, test plumbing fixtures and drains, check the electrical (outlets, switches, panel), open and close every window and door, and try the built-in appliances.
• Cosmetic and surface damage: scratches, dents, and chips on floors, counters, cabinets, fixtures, and glass; drywall cracks; paint and finish flaws.
• Missing or incomplete items: anything on your purchase agreement that is not there or not finished.
• Anything you cannot access or see: if something is blocked, covered, or not yet installed so you cannot inspect it, note it as inaccessible or obscured rather than assuming it is fine.

Take a photo of every item you record, and keep the signed PDI Form somewhere safe with your other closing documents.

How the PDI connects to your Tarion warranty forms

The PDI is the start of a sequence. In your first year of possession, Tarion's warranty process runs through three forms, each with its own window and each of which submits automatically on its closing day:

• The Initial Form. You can begin adding items 1 day after your possession date, and the form automatically submits on day 41. Use it for any PDI items not yet fixed, plus anything new you notice after moving in.
• The Mid-Year Form. You can begin adding items on day 42, and it automatically submits on day 183.
• The Year-End Form. You can begin adding items on day 183, and it automatically submits on day 365 (with a short grace period). It is your final chance to report items covered by the comprehensive one-year warranty.

(There are also later forms for the longer coverage, the two-year and the seven-year major-structural-defect warranties, but the three above are the ones that matter in your first year.)

Because each form submits itself on its day, the discipline is simple: add items as you notice them, and carry any unresolved PDI items into your Initial Form so they are formally on record with Tarion from the start.

Before, during, and after

• Before: confirm who is attending (you can authorize a designate), and bring your agreement of purchase and sale so you can check what was promised.
• During: do not rush. Test, look, and write down everything, including items you could not access.
• After: keep the signed form and photos, and diarize your Initial, Mid-Year, and Year-End form windows so you do not miss them. Storing these with your home documents from day one keeps the deadlines from sneaking up.

Frequently asked questions

What is a PDI? A Pre-Delivery Inspection is a walkthrough of a newly built Ontario home with the builder before you take possession, where you document the home's condition on the PDI Form. It is part of the Tarion new-home warranty.

What happens if I miss something at the PDI? Not listing an item at the PDI does not automatically void warranty coverage. You can still report items on your first-year warranty forms (Initial, Mid-Year, and Year-End), but the PDI is your best first record of the starting condition.

Which warranty forms do I submit in the first year? Three, each submitting automatically on its closing day: the Initial Form (add items from day 1, submits day 41), the Mid-Year Form (day 42 to day 183), and the Year-End Form (day 183 to day 365). Add items to whichever form is open as you notice them.

Is a PDI the same as a home inspection? No. A PDI is a builder-led condition record for a new build tied to the warranty. A home inspection is an independent assessment you arrange yourself, usually when buying a resale home, and it is not tied to a builder's warranty.

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A new home is a big purchase and a lot of paperwork; the households that stay ahead of it keep every form, photo, and deadline in one place. Habyn helps homeowners organize documents, warranties, and the dates that matter. See how Habyn helps homeowners.