New Strata Building Defect Leak Inspection Across BC
Find construction defects in BC's new strata buildings before the 2-year and 5-year warranty periods expire
Overview
BC's Homeowner Protection Act provides strata owners with a 2-year warranty on labour and materials defects and a 5-year warranty on building envelope defects. Many construction defects — particularly in building envelopes, window installations and roofing flashings — do not produce visible interior symptoms until the second or third year, after the owner has moved in and before the warranty has been noticed. A specialist inspection before warranty expiry identifies defects while the developer remains responsible for repair.
Why This Matters for Your Strata
- Envelope defects can take 1–3 years to produce visible interior moisture — well within the 5-year warranty window
- Without a documented inspection before warranty expiry, owners have no evidence of when defects were present
- Warranty claims require evidence that the defect existed during the warranty period
- Developer disputes often hinge on whether a defect is original construction or subsequent owner-caused
- Early identification prevents minor construction defects from becoming major moisture damage
How It Works
- 1
We review the building's design documents and RDT (Registered Depreciation Report) if available.
- 2
A scope is agreed covering which envelope components to test — full building or a representative sample.
- 3
Inspections are performed and documented with photos, thermal imagery and test results.
- 4
The report is structured to support a formal warranty claim to the warranty provider.
- 5
We can provide a supplementary technical opinion letter if the developer disputes the findings.
What You Receive
- Building envelope thermal inspection identifying active moisture infiltration
- Window and door water infiltration testing (AAMA 501.2 method) for a representative sample
- Roof flashing inspection covering all penetrations, transitions and parapet details
- Balcony and deck membrane moisture survey
- Written report citing specific defects, their location, and the warranty provision they fall under
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New Building Defect Inspection — BC Locations
Serving strata corporations across all of British Columbia.
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Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to inspect for warranty defects?
For the 5-year building envelope warranty, inspect in year 3 or 4 — early enough to allow time for claim processing before expiry, late enough that defects producing slow moisture damage have had time to manifest. For the 2-year warranty, inspect at 18–20 months.
Can you find defects that haven't caused visible damage yet?
Yes. Thermal imaging during or after rain can identify moisture infiltrating through a defective window or flashing before it has soaked through the gypsum board to create a visible stain. Finding these earlier — while the warranty is active — is the whole point of a proactive inspection.
The developer says the defects are normal settling — how do we counter this?
A documented inspection report citing the specific defect, its location, the test method used, and the relevant section of BC Building Code or manufacturer installation requirements provides the technical basis to challenge a developer's 'normal settling' response.
New Building Defect Inspection — Expert BC Strata Inspection
LeakInspections.ca is a division of Anyleak.ca and part of the Leak.ca family — BC's specialist leak detection network since 1999.