Golden Home Inspections – Home Inspection Markham: Attached Garage Step by Step

The attached garage is the room buyers walk through fastest at a showing. It’s usually full of the seller’s bikes, bins and boxes, and it doesn’t feel like part of the house. But the wall and door between the garage and your living space are there to keep car exhaust and fire out of the home, and the garage slab, foundation and ceiling often tell me things about the rest of the house. During a home inspection in Markham, Oakville or Pickering, I go through the garage in the same order every time. This post walks you through that process step by step, so you know what I’m looking at and what to ask about. Your inspector is Yama Nehan, a Certified and Registered Home Inspector with about 15 years of home inspection experience and a construction engineering degree from George Brown (Building Renovations). He is also a licensed contractor with about 20 years of construction experience and the owner of Nehan Construction, and that practical construction experience is one of the main reasons clients pick him. Yama Nehan is the only one trusted to do the inspections himself. Home inspections start from $499; the final price depends on the property. Call 647-704-7100 or book an inspection online.

Why the garage matters in Markham, Oakville and Pickering

Attached garages are standard on most detached homes, semis and freehold townhouses built in these cities from the 1970s onward, and the version you get depends on the era. In Markham, many 1980s and 1990s homes in areas like Unionville, Milliken and Markham Village have a bedroom or family room built over the garage, which makes the ceiling separation important. In Oakville, I see everything from 1960s and 1970s homes in Bronte and College Park, where garages were often converted, extended or had a door added later, to 2000s and 2010s homes in North Oakville and Glen Abbey with large double garages and rooms above. In Pickering, newer subdivisions in Duffin Heights and Seaton sit beside 1970s and 1980s homes in Bay Ridges and Amberlea, and the older ones are more likely to have had homeowner changes in the garage. For more on local inspections, see home inspection in Markham, home inspection in Oakville and home inspector in Pickering.

Attached garage inspection: step by step

Step 1: The door between the garage and the house

I start where the garage meets the living space. I check that the door closes and latches on its own from a fully open position, that the weatherstripping is intact around all sides, and that there’s no gap at the bottom where exhaust could get in. A situation we often see: the self-closer has been removed or disconnected because it was “annoying,” or the original solid door has been swapped for a hollow interior door or a door with a pet flap. I also note if the door opens into a bedroom, which the Building Code doesn’t allow. These are inexpensive items to correct, but they matter for health and fire safety.

Step 2: The shared wall and the ceiling

Next I look at the drywall on the wall shared with the house and on the ceiling, especially if there’s a bedroom or living space above. The drywall should be continuous and sealed so it acts as a barrier against exhaust and gas. I look for holes from old shelving or wall-mounted storage, unsealed openings where pipes, wires or ducts pass through, missing or damaged ceiling sections, attic hatches without a proper cover, and spots where someone has cut in a pot light or a ceiling fan box. Every unsealed opening is a path from the garage into the home.

Step 3: Ducts, vents and mechanicals in the garage

Some homes have a furnace, water heater or heating ducts in or passing through the garage. I note any supply or return air openings into the garage itself, because a return vent in a garage can pull exhaust into the home’s air. I also look at gas lines and appliances for protection from vehicle impact where they’re in the path of a car, and at venting that runs through the space.

Step 4: Electrical

I check the visible wiring, outlets and lighting. Garages in older homes often have extension cords run along the walls, open junction boxes, or wiring added by a past owner for a freezer, workshop or car charger. I test outlets I can reach for power, polarity and ground, and note whether there’s GFCI protection where I’d expect it. If there’s an EV charger, I note that it’s present and whether the installation looks tidy, but I don’t evaluate its load calculation; that’s a question for an electrician and the permit records.

Step 5: The garage slab and foundation walls

This is often where I learn the most about the rest of the house. I look at the concrete floor for cracks, heaving, settlement and whether it slopes toward the overhead door so water from melting snow drains out rather than toward the house. Where the foundation walls are exposed, I look for cracks, efflorescence and staining that point to moisture. A sunken slab at the front edge is common in older homes and usually relates to soil or drainage under the apron. For more on what cracks can mean, read foundation cracks and basement moisture and the grading and drainage checklist.

Step 6: The overhead door and opener

I operate the overhead door with the opener and look at the panels, tracks, rollers, springs and weatherstripping. I test the auto-reverse safety features where it’s safe to do so, including the photo-eye sensors near the floor. A door that doesn’t reverse when something is in its path is a real safety concern, especially in homes with children. I don’t adjust springs; broken or badly worn springs are a job for a garage door technician.

Step 7: Signs of conversions and past changes

Finally, I look for evidence that the garage has been changed: a partly finished room, a heated workshop, a converted garage that’s now living space, added windows or a new man door. Changes aren’t automatically a problem, but they’re worth asking about. Was a permit pulled? Was the fire separation kept? Is there heating in a converted space, and where does it come from? Your agent can ask for permit records, and the city can confirm what’s on file.

What I check vs what you should ask about

Attached garage checklist for buyers

• Ask the seller to clear stored items away from the shared wall, the house door and the overhead door before inspection day.
• Check that the door into the house closes and latches on its own.
• Look for holes or openings in the drywall on the shared wall and ceiling.
• Confirm there are working carbon monoxide alarms near the bedrooms.
• Look at the slab for cracks, sinking at the front edge and slope toward the overhead door.
• Watch the overhead door reverse when the photo-eye beam is blocked.
• Ask about permits for any conversion, added circuits or EV charger.
• Read the garage section of the report together with the foundation, electrical and heating sections.

What a home inspection covers here, and what it doesn’t

A home inspection is a visual, non-invasive look at the home’s accessible systems and components. In the garage, that means I check what I can see and safely operate. I don’t move heavy stored items, open finished walls, test fire ratings, adjust garage door springs, or confirm whether past work had permits; the city’s records answer that. If you’re buying an older home and the garage has old ceiling or wall materials you’re unsure about, read about home hazard testing in Toronto and the GTA. The full scope of a standard inspection is on the home inspections page. Buying a townhouse with an attached garage? See townhouse inspection mistakes.

Choosing your home inspector

Choose your inspector carefully and ask about certifications, experience and what the report includes. Yama Nehan is a Certified and Registered Home Inspector with about 15 years of home inspection experience. He is also a licensed contractor with about 20 years of construction experience and the owner of Nehan Construction, so he knows how garage walls, ceilings, slabs and doors are built and where shortcuts tend to show up later. Yama Nehan is the only one trusted to do the inspections himself. Reports reach clients within 24 hours.

FAQ

Does a home inspector check the garage?

Yes. An attached garage is part of a standard home inspection. I check the door into the house, the shared wall and ceiling, visible electrical and mechanicals, the slab and foundation, and the overhead door and opener.

Does the door from the garage into the house need a self-closer in Ontario?

The Ontario Building Code calls for the door between a house and an attached garage to be tight-fitting, weatherstripped and fitted with a self-closing device, and it must not open into a bedroom. If yours is missing any of these, I’ll note it in the report.

Is a crack in the garage floor a big problem?

Often not. Many garage slabs have shrinkage cracks. I pay more attention to cracks that are wide, offset, growing or paired with sinking, water staining or cracks in the foundation walls, and I explain in the report which kind I found.

How much does a home inspection cost in Markham, Oakville or Pickering?

Home inspections start from $499, and the final price depends on the property, including its size, age and type. Condo inspections start from $399. Call 647-704-7100 for a quote.

How do I book?

Call 647-704-7100, email contact@goldenhomeinspections.ca, or book your home inspection online. Golden Home Inspections is based in Toronto, Ontario, and inspects homes across Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa and the rest of the west, east and north GTA. Hours are 9 AM to 8 PM, seven days a week.