Quick answer: A home inspector checks the visible and accessible parts of a property: roof and exterior, grading and drainage, foundation and basement, attic insulation and ventilation, electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, and the interior including safety items like railings and alarms. It is a non-invasive visual inspection. Nothing gets opened up, taken apart, or predicted into the future.
A showing tells you how a house feels. An inspection tells you how it is performing.
That difference matters more than most buyers expect. Staging is very good now. Fresh paint, new flooring, styled shelves and a diffuser going in the hallway can sit directly on top of a 40 year old roof, a 60 amp electrical service, and a basement that takes water every spring. None of that shows up in the listing photos.
Here is what actually gets checked, in the order most inspectors work through a property.
The exterior, roof, and drainage
Inspectors usually start outside, because the outside explains most of what you will later find inside.
Water is the main story in this region. Between spring thaw, summer storms that overwhelm older sewers, and the freeze and thaw cycle that works on masonry all winter, GTA properties get tested hard on drainage every single year.
On the exterior walk, an inspector is looking at:
- Grading. Soil should fall away from the foundation. Around older Scarborough and East York homes, decades of settlement often reverse that slope so rain runs straight back at the wall.
- Downspouts. A downspout that dumps at the base of the foundation is one of the most common and most fixable causes of a wet basement.
- Masonry and cladding. Spalling brick, failed mortar joints, gaps at penetrations, and separated caulking around windows.
- Decks, steps, porches, and railings. Rot at the ledger board and loose guards are safety findings, not cosmetic ones.
- Window wells and below grade entries. These fill and overflow if they are not drained or covered.
The roof gets inspected from wherever it can be safely reached: the ground, a ladder, the roof edge, or with a drone when access is unsafe or the pitch is too steep. Missing or curled shingles, worn flashing at valleys and chimneys, and sagging along the ridge all get documented. Snow cover in winter genuinely limits what anyone can see, and a good report says so plainly instead of pretending otherwise.
Foundation, basement, and crawl space
The basement is where a house tells the truth.
Inspectors look for cracks, but more importantly for what kind of crack. A hairline vertical crack in a poured wall is common and often just needs monitoring or sealing. A horizontal crack with inward displacement, or a stair step crack through block that has widened, is a different conversation and usually means bringing in a structural engineer.
Moisture evidence gets read the same way. Efflorescence, that chalky white mineral deposit on concrete, means water has moved through the wall at some point. Rust lines on the bottom of steel columns, a water line on stored boxes, or a musty smell that hits you at the bottom of the stairs all point to a history the seller may not mention.
If the property is in Toronto, it is worth knowing that the City runs a Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program. As of 1 May 2026 it covers up to $6,650 per property toward backwater valves, sump pumps, battery backups, and severing weeping tile connections. If the inspection flags drainage risk, that program is often the first call.
Attic, insulation, and ventilation
Almost nobody goes into their attic. That is exactly why it is worth checking.
When the hatch is safely accessible, the inspector looks at insulation depth and coverage, whether soffit vents are blocked by insulation pushed into the eaves, whether bathroom fans actually terminate outside or just dump warm wet air into the attic, and whether the sheathing shows dark staining or frost history.
Ontario winters make this a performance issue, not a detail. Warm indoor air leaking into a cold attic condenses on the underside of the roof deck. Do that for enough seasons with poor ventilation and you get stained sheathing, compressed wet insulation, ice damming at the eaves, and a roof that wears out early.
Attics that are unsafe, blocked, or too tight to enter do not get inspected. A visual inspection means no cutting openings and no digging through insulation.
Electrical system
The electrical review covers the service entrance and size, the panel and its breakers or fuses, visible grounding and bonding, GFCI protection where required, and a representative sample of outlets, switches, and fixtures.
A few things come up constantly in GTA housing stock:
- 60 amp services. Still present in older homes. Many insurers and lenders want 100 amps or more, so this can affect more than convenience.
- Knob and tube wiring. Common in homes built before roughly 1950. Insurance underwriting is often the deciding factor here.
- Aluminum branch wiring. Widely installed from the mid 1960s into the mid 1970s. It is not automatically a hazard, but connections need proper devices or pigtailing done by a licensed electrician.
- Double tapped breakers, missing panel covers, reversed polarity, and open grounds. Cheap to correct, worth documenting.
One step most buyers never take: the Electrical Safety Authority keeps records of electrical permits and Certificates of Acceptance. If a seller says the panel was upgraded or the basement was rewired, a record search can confirm whether it was ever inspected. An ESA survey found that 40 per cent of Ontario homeowners have never checked whether permits were pulled for electrical work in their own home.
An inspector reports what is visible. Repairs and any further evaluation belong to a Licensed Electrical Contractor.
Plumbing system
The plumbing review covers visible supply and drain piping, fixtures, the water heater, shutoff valves, the sump pump if there is one, and any evidence of past or active leaks.
Fixtures get run. Drains get watched. Cabinets under sinks get opened, because that is where slow leaks quietly destroy the base of a vanity for two years before anyone notices.
Pipe material tells you a lot about the timeline of the house. Galvanized steel supply lines corrode from the inside and restrict flow. Kitec, installed in a lot of Ontario homes and condos between roughly 1995 and 2007, has a known history of fitting failures and was the subject of a class action settlement. Polybutylene shows up in some 1980s builds. None of these are automatic dealbreakers, but they are budget items you should know about before you waive a condition, not after.
Wells, septic systems, and pools sit outside a standard inspection scope. Those need dedicated services and, in some cases, water testing or a tank pump out by a specialist.
Heating, cooling, and ventilation
Equipment gets checked for what it is, how old it is, whether it operates on call, and whether anything about the installation looks wrong.
Age matters for budgeting. A furnace in year 18 of a 20 year expected life is not a defect, but it is a number you want in your first year plan. Same with a 2009 air conditioner or a water heater with a 2011 date code on the label.
The inspector also looks at combustion venting, clearances, filter condition, visible ductwork, and whether the rental equipment stickers suggest a contract you will inherit. Anything that needs internal work goes to a licensed HVAC contractor, and anything involving fuel appliances falls under the Technical Standards and Safety Authority framework.
Interiors, kitchens, bathrooms, and safety
Inside, the inspector reviews walls, ceilings, floors, stairs, railings, windows, doors, cabinets, and a representative sample of outlets and lights.
Kitchens and bathrooms get extra attention because that is where plumbing, ventilation, electrical safety, and moisture all meet in one small room. Failed caulking at a tub surround, a toilet that rocks on its flange, a bath fan that runs but moves no air, and a missing GFCI beside a sink are all standard findings.
Safety items get called out regardless of how minor they look: missing handrails, guards with gaps a child could pass through, damaged treads, and alarm placement.
That last one changed recently. The Ontario Fire Code was amended by O. Reg. 87/25, and as of 1 January 2026, homes with a fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace, or an attached garage must have a carbon monoxide alarm adjacent to each sleeping area and on every storey, including storeys with no bedrooms. Smoke alarms are still required on every storey and outside all sleeping areas. Plenty of homes on the market right now do not meet the updated CO requirement. See the TSSA summary of the change.
Tools help. They do not replace judgement.
Depending on the property and the scope you book, an inspection may involve a moisture meter, an infrared camera, electrical testers, a combustible gas detector, and a drone.
Thermal imaging is the one that gets oversold. An infrared camera does not see through walls. It reads surface temperature differences, which can suggest missing insulation, air leakage, or a wet area behind a finish. What it produces is a lead worth confirming, not a conclusion on its own.
What a home inspection does not do
Being clear about the limits is part of doing this properly.
A standard inspection will not open walls or ceilings, lift flooring, dismantle equipment, move heavy furniture or stored belongings, or guarantee that a system will keep working after closing. It does not include environmental testing, code compliance certification, or a warranty.
Anything locked, buried under snow, blocked by tenant possessions, or unsafe to reach does not get inspected, and the report should say so specifically. That is the honest boundary of a visual inspection, and it is the reason attending in person and reading the whole report, not just the summary, matters.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a home inspection take?
Most residential inspections run two to three hours. Larger, older, or multi-unit properties take longer, and adding services like thermal imaging or a drone roof review extends the appointment.
How much does a home inspection cost in Toronto and the GTA?
360 Inspection residential pricing starts at $350. Final pricing is confirmed before the appointment based on property type, size, age, location, inspection scope, and added services.
Should I attend the inspection?
Yes, if you can. Walking the property while the findings are being explained is worth more than reading about them afterward. You will also learn where the shutoffs, panel, and filter are.
Do home inspectors need a licence in Ontario?
No. Ontario passed the Home Inspection Act, 2017 but never proclaimed it into force, so there is no provincial licence. That makes credentials, insurance, and standards adherence the buyer's responsibility to check. See our guide on how to choose a home inspector in Ontario.
When do I get the report?
A full digital report with photos is provided after the inspection. Confirm the expected turnaround time before booking, since timing can vary by property type, inspection scope, and any added services. Ask to see a sample report first.
