What does a pre-purchase inspection not see? The limits to know

A pre-purchase inspection is visual and non-destructive: the inspector examines what is visible and accessible on the day of the visit, without drilling, dismantling or moving heavy furniture. They do not see inside the walls, under the slab, inside the drain, or the roof under snow.

What they cannot examine is recorded as a limitation in the report. These limitations are not details: they map what you are buying without knowing it.

Under the BNQ 3009-500 standard of practice, the inspector examines the visible structure, the envelope, the accessible roof, exposed plumbing and electrical, heating, ventilation, the interior, and reports signs of problems. They do not test for pyrite, radon, mould or asbestos, do not check code compliance, do not opine on value, and do not open finishes.

Nor do they opine on the remaining life of a component beyond an estimate, or on a condo’s common areas, except what is visible.

Read them as a to-do list. Every limitation calls for a response: ask for access (locked room, attic, crawl space), ask for a document (test, invoice, minutes), or order a check (camera, laboratory, specialist). What stays unknown by your choice will not be a hidden defect.

Season and weather matter: a roof under snow, frozen ground, air conditioning that cannot be tested in deep cold are frequent limitations. Note them and negotiate a later check or a seller’s warranty.

From nothing (asking for access) to a few hundred dollars (camera in the drain, laboratory analysis, specialist visit). It is almost always cheaper than the unknown it hides.

Before you buy, here is what I would do.

1. Highlight every limitation in the report and write next to it how to resolve it.
2. Ask the seller for access to closed spaces and for missing documents before the condition expires.
3. Order the checks the inspector recommends, in order of risk.

I pull every limitation out of your report into its own section, “what the inspection did not cover”, with the step to resolve each one.

Does your report mention this? Send it to me. In five minutes, I tell you what is priority, what to have checked and what to ask the seller.

Not for what they excluded as a limitation, nor for what was invisible without dismantling. Their liability covers visible, accessible items they should have reported under their standard of practice.

Yes, it remains useful, but with more limitations. Note what could not be seen and plan a spring check, or a clause to that effect.

Not necessarily. Many pages describe items with no deficiency. What matters is the list of deficiencies, signs and limitations.