How to Document Deficiencies for Tarion Submission

Last Tuesday on King Street East, I walked into what should have been a perfect new build and immediately heard the unmistakable hum of an overloaded electrical panel. The builder had installed the cheapest 100-amp service they could get away with, and three months after closing, the homeowners were already tripping breakers every time they ran the dishwasher and dryer simultaneously. The smell of warm plastic was starting to drift from the basement panel. Sound familiar?

I've been doing PDI inspections for 15 years now, and what I find most concerning isn't the obvious stuff like crooked outlets or missing cover plates. It's the code violations that slip through municipal inspections because inspectors are rushed and builders know exactly which corners they can cut without getting caught.

New builds in Hamilton might look shiny, but don't let that fool you. Last spring I inspected a brand new townhouse in the Dundas area where the electrical contractor had used 14-gauge wire on a 20-amp breaker circuit. That's a fire hazard waiting to happen. The wire will overheat long before the breaker trips. When I pointed this out during the PDI, the builder's rep actually argued with me until I showed them the Ontario Electrical Safety Code section 12-108.

You'll find this type of mismatch more often than you'd think. Buyers always underestimate how many shortcuts get taken during the final push to occupancy. Developers are paying interest on construction loans, and every day past the scheduled closing costs them money. Guess what suffers when they're rushing to meet deadlines?

The electrical rough-in happens early, but the final connections and testing happen in the last frantic weeks. I've seen GFCI outlets in bathrooms that weren't actually wired to trip properly. I've found bedroom outlets on the same circuit as the garage door opener. In one new build on Barton Street last month, the electrical panel wasn't even properly labeled. Half the breakers were marked "spare" when they were actually feeding specific circuits throughout the house.

Here's what really gets me fired up. The cost to fix these issues after you've taken possession jumps dramatically. That improperly wired 20-amp circuit I mentioned? During construction, fixing it might cost the builder $340 in materials and an hour of labor. After you've moved in and the drywall's painted, you're looking at $2,850 minimum because now we need to open walls, fish new wire, patch, and repaint.

I always tell my clients to pay special attention to the electrical service capacity during their PDI. Most new builds in Hamilton come with 200-amp service, but I've seen builders skimp and install 100-amp panels in smaller units. With heat pumps becoming standard and electric vehicle charging becoming more common, 100 amps isn't enough for modern living. Upgrading your electrical service after the fact will cost you $4,200 to $6,800, depending on the complexity of your installation.

The kitchen circuits deserve extra scrutiny too. I inspected a place in Westdale last April where the contractor had put the dishwasher and garburator on the same 15-amp circuit as the counter outlets. Every time my client tried to run the dishwasher while using their coffee maker, the breaker would trip. The electrical code requires dedicated 20-amp circuits for major appliances, but builders sometimes "forget" this requirement when they're trying to save on copper wire costs.

What really surprised me recently was finding aluminum wiring in a 2024 build. I couldn't believe it when I opened that panel on James Street North. Aluminum wiring was common in the 1960s and early 1970s, but it fell out of favor because of fire risks when connections get loose. This builder was using it for the main feeder cables to save money, but hadn't properly treated the connections with anti-oxidant compound. That oversight could cost the homeowner $12,400 to rewire those circuits with copper.

Don't assume that because your home passed the ESA inspection that everything's perfect. Municipal electrical inspectors are checking for basic code compliance, not quality workmanship. They might spend fifteen minutes in your house checking a handful of circuits and connections. I spend two hours going through every outlet, every switch, every junction box I can access.

I always test GFCI and AFCI protection during PDIs because these safety devices are frequently installed incorrectly. Last week in a new build near Locke Street, three of the AFCI breakers weren't working properly. Arc fault circuit interrupters are supposed to detect dangerous electrical arcs and shut off power before a fire starts, but if they're not wired correctly, they provide zero protection. The homeowner would never know until it's too late.

The outdoor electrical work often gets rushed too. I've found exterior outlets without proper weather-resistant covers, landscape lighting wired through regular interior-rated cable, and pool equipment circuits that weren't properly bonded to ground. These aren't just code violations, they're serious safety hazards that could result in electrocution.

Here's my advice after fifteen years of crawling through basements and attics in this city. Hire an experienced home inspector for your PDI even if you think you don't need one. The electrical issues I catch during these inspections are almost always cheaper to fix before you take possession than after you've signed off on the home. Hamilton's new construction market is moving fast, but your safety shouldn't be compromised for anyone's timeline.