Home Inspection in Toronto

Golden Home Inspections provides home, condo and commercial property inspections across the City of Toronto, including the old city, East York, York, North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke. Inspections are led by Yama Nehan, a Certified and Registered Home Inspector with 15 years of home inspection experience. You get a written report with photos that tells you what’s wrong, how serious it is and what to deal with first.

What does a Toronto home inspection include?

A Toronto home inspection is a visual, non-invasive look at the home’s major systems, from the roof down to the foundation. We follow the InterNACHI Standards of Practice and check:

• Roof coverings, flashings, chimneys, gutters and downspouts
• Exterior walls, grading, drainage, walkways, decks and porches
• Foundation and structure, where visible
• Electrical service, panel, wiring type and a sample of outlets and fixtures
• Plumbing supply and drain lines, water heater and visible leaks
• Heating and cooling equipment, and ventilation
• Attic insulation and ventilation
• Interior walls, ceilings, floors, windows, doors and stairs
• Signs of moisture and water damage, using thermal imaging where it helps

Most inspections take about two to four hours, depending on the size and condition of the home. You’re welcome to attend, and we recommend it. Walking the house together is the quickest way to understand what the report says. You get your written report with photos within 24 hours.

What problems do we see most in Toronto homes?

The most common issues in Toronto come from age. Much of the city’s housing stock was built before 1960, and even well-renovated homes often hide original systems behind new finishes.

Older houses in the old city, East York and York

Victorian and Edwardian semis and row houses in the Annex, Cabbagetown, Leslieville, Riverdale, Roncesvalles and the Junction are full of character, but they often have:

• Knob-and-tube or mixed wiring. It’s often partly replaced. We note where we see it so you can get an electrician’s quote before your condition date.
• Galvanized steel or lead water lines. The City of Toronto notes that homes built before the mid-1950s may have a lead water service pipe.
• Damp basements and low ceilings. Rubble or block foundations with limited waterproofing are common, along with underpinned or lowered basements that need a careful look.
• Shared walls and party-wall chimneys in semis and row houses, where one neighbour’s repairs affect the other.

Post-war bungalows and side-splits

Neighbourhoods such as Don Mills, Willowdale and Bayview Village in North York, Wexford and Agincourt in Scarborough, and Islington and Alderwood in Etobicoke have lots of 1950s to 1970s homes. In these we often find original electrical panels, aging cast-iron or clay drain lines with tree-root problems, older windows, and attics that were never insulated to today’s levels. Some also have vermiculite insulation, which we flag for testing.

Condos and newer towns

Downtown towers, CityPlace, Liberty Village, Yonge and Eglinton, North York Centre and Humber Bay Shores make up a large share of Toronto sales. For a condo, we focus on the unit: in-suite HVAC or fan coils, windows and balcony doors, plumbing leaks, appliances, electrical and signs of water coming from above or next door. See our condo inspection page for more.

Toronto home type	Where you see it most	What we pay closest attention to
Pre-1940 semi or row house	Leslieville, Riverdale, the Annex, Roncesvalles, the Junction	Wiring type, water service pipe, foundation moisture, shared walls
1950s–1970s bungalow or side-split	North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke	Electrical panel, drain lines, attic insulation, windows, vermiculite
Infill or fully renovated house	Across the city	Workmanship, roof and flashing details, drainage, basement waterproofing
Condo apartment	Downtown, Liberty Village, Yonge and Eglinton, North York Centre	In-suite HVAC, windows and balcony door, leaks, appliances
Commercial or mixed-use	Main streets across the city	Roof, building envelope, HVAC, electrical service, accessibility of systems

Should you inspect before or after making an offer in Toronto?

In a competitive Toronto market, many buyers inspect before making an offer, so they can bid without an inspection condition. Others make the offer conditional on a satisfactory inspection, usually with a short deadline. Both work. What matters is booking early. Call as soon as you know your timeline, and we’ll do our best to fit your condition date. Our pre-offer inspection guide explains the trade-offs.

If you’re selling, a pre-listing inspection lets you fix problems or price them in before buyers find them.

How much does a home inspection cost in Toronto?

Home inspections in Toronto start at $499, condo inspections at $399 and commercial property inspections at $599. The final price depends on the property’s size, age, type and any extra services, such as a secondary suite or a detached garage. Call us with the address for an exact quote, or read our guide to home inspection cost in Toronto and the GTA.

When should you add hazard testing?

Add hazard testing when the inspection turns up suspect materials or when you’re planning a renovation. In older Toronto homes, that often means vermiculite in the attic, old pipe wrap in the basement, or plaster and tiles you plan to remove. Radon testing makes sense in any home. Golden Home Inspections offers home hazard testing for asbestos, vermiculite, radon and mould, with samples analysed by accredited labs.

Toronto inspection checklist: before inspection day

• ☐ Confirm the inspection time with your agent and the seller’s agent
• ☐ Make sure the electrical panel, furnace, water heater and attic hatch can be reached
• ☐ Ask whether the basement has been waterproofed, underpinned or flooded, and get any paperwork
• ☐ Ask the age of the roof, furnace and air conditioner
• ☐ For a condo, ask your lawyer to review the status certificate. That covers the building’s finances, which an inspection doesn’t
• ☐ Plan to attend for the last part of the inspection so we can walk you through the findings

Frequently asked questions

How long does a home inspection take in Toronto?

Most Toronto home inspections take about two to four hours. A condo is usually shorter, and a large or older detached home can take longer. You’re welcome to attend. You get your written report with photos within 24 hours.

Do you inspect condos and commercial properties in Toronto?

Yes. We inspect condo apartments, townhouses, detached homes and commercial properties across Toronto, including North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, East York and York. Condo inspections start at $399 and commercial inspections at $599. The final price depends on the property.

How should I choose a home inspector in Ontario?

Choose your inspector carefully. Ask about certifications and experience, the standards they follow and what their report includes. Yama Nehan is a Certified and Registered Home Inspector with about 15 years of home inspection experience and an InterNACHI member.

Will you find knob-and-tube wiring or a lead water pipe?

We look for both. We identify wiring type where it’s visible at the panel, in the basement and in the attic, and we check the visible water service pipe where it enters the house. Hidden wiring inside finished walls can’t be seen in a visual inspection, so we’ll say when something needs an electrician to confirm.

Can you test for asbestos or radon during the inspection?

Yes. We offer hazard testing for asbestos, vermiculite, radon and mould. Samples are analysed by accredited labs. Radon needs a longer test, so it’s usually set up separately. See our home hazard testing page for details.

Also serving the rest of the GTA: Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville in the west; Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Markham in the north; and Pickering, Ajax, Whitby and Oshawa in the east. Neighbourhood guides: North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke. Services: home inspections, condo inspections and commercial property inspections.