Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI)
Learn what a Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) is in Canadian real estate, what to look for, and how it protects buyers of newly built homes and condos.
May 22, 2025
What is a Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI)?
A PDI is a mandatory walkthrough of a newly built home or condo, conducted by the builder and buyer before the buyer takes possession.
Why do Pre-Delivery Inspections (PDI) Matter in Real Estate
In Canadian real estate — especially in Ontario under Tarion rules — the PDI gives buyers an opportunity to inspect their new property for defects, incomplete items, or damage prior to occupancy. This ensures the builder delivers the unit as promised in the purchase agreement.During the PDI, the buyer and builder go room by room, testing features like:
- Doors and windows
- Plumbing and electrical systems
- Appliances (if included)
- Flooring, walls, and cabinetry
The PDI also allows buyers to learn about maintenance responsibilities and how to operate home systems. It’s an essential part of protecting one’s warranty rights and ensuring a smooth handover.
Buyers should bring a checklist, take photos, and ask questions during the PDI. If serious deficiencies are found, occupancy may be delayed until they are resolved.
Example of a Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) in Action
A buyer attends their PDI for a new-build condo in Mississauga. They note paint defects and a missing light fixture, which the builder agrees to fix before move-in.
Key Takeaways
- Walkthrough of a new home before buyer takes possession.
- Required for most new builds in Ontario and other provinces.
- Ensures the builder has completed work as agreed.
- Deficiencies are documented for warranty coverage.
- Buyers should prepare thoroughly and inspect carefully.
Related Terms
- Home Warranty Program
- Tarion
- New Construction
- Deficiency List
- Final Closing
An overview of Hedge Road Landing. (Alliance Homes)
6525 Mississauga Road and its surrounding context. (RBC Capital Markets & CBRE)
Property details for 6525 Mississauga Road. (RBC Capital Markets & CBRE)
National average resale-price growth and housing-starts growth, smoothed over three months. The comparison illustrates the cycle; it does not establish how much a price change causes construction to change.
Trailing 12-month starts in centres of 50,000 or more remove the usual monthly seasonality. Ownership combines the homeowner and condominium categories; rental is shown separately.
Six-month averages of provincial starts, expressed at annual rates. The smoothing reduces the influence of individual apartment projects.
The same August benchmark compared with two different starting points. Three-month changes are not annualized.
Average sale prices show the difference in purchase costs across markets. They do not measure affordability relative to local incomes or construction costs.
Newfoundland and Labrador remains above its pre-pandemic sales pattern, but August activity was below last year. Historical lines retain their original release vintages.
Average and median describe different aspects of the same month’s transactions. Both are affected by the mix of homes sold.
Category averages compare different homes and locations; the gaps are not estimates of the cost to upgrade an otherwise identical property.
The five categories shown account for 5,000 of the board’s 5,057 sales. The remaining 57 transactions were in other housing categories.
Monthly observations are not seasonally adjusted. Active listings count properties available at month-end; they are not construction inventory.
Average and median prices share one dollar axis. These unadjusted transaction measures do not control for changes in the homes sold.
TRREB’s 416/905 categories compare the apartments sold in each area. The difference does not isolate a location premium for equivalent units.
Highlights from the Delta Golf & Country Club listing brochure. (Colliers)