What is a pre-delivery inspection and how should I prepare?

The pre-delivery inspection is the most consequential two hours of the entire purchase, and most buyers treat it as a tour.

It is not a tour. It is the creation of a legal record.

What it is

Shortly before closing you walk the finished home with a builder representative and complete the PDI form. That form records the condition of the home at handover and becomes the baseline against which warranty claims are assessed.

Damage or missing items recorded on the form are the builder’s responsibility. Damage not recorded is much harder to claim later, because the presumption is that it was not there when you took possession.

Prepare properly

Bring someone. Two sets of eyes, and ideally one that has done this before. You can bring your own inspector; many buyers do, and on a $1M+ home it is money well spent.

Bring your documents. The agreement schedules, the specifications, your upgrade and selection orders. The point is to check the house against what you bought, not against what looks acceptable. What was included.

Allow two to three hours. If the builder has budgeted 45 minutes, say in advance that you need longer. Do not let the schedule set your thoroughness.

Bring a tape measure, a phone charger to test outlets, and a flashlight.

Photograph everything. Date-stamped photos of every room, every surface, the basement, the mechanicals and the exterior.

What to check

• Every outlet, switch, and light fixture.
• Every tap, drain and toilet, run them, check pressure and for leaks under sinks.
• Furnace, HVAC, hot water tank, HRV, on, running, and the models matching your paperwork.
• Windows and doors, open, close, lock, latch. Check screens.
• Floors, scratches, lifting, hollow spots, squeaks.
• Walls and ceilings, drywall seams, nail pops, paint coverage.
• Cabinets and counters, doors aligned, chips, scratches, the specified finishes.
• Appliances, present, correct models, functioning.
• Basement, moisture, cracks, floor drain, sump.
• Exterior, brick and siding, caulking, soffits, downspouts, garage door operation.
• Grading, sodding and driveway, note what is not done. Much of this is legitimately deferred, but record the state. Timelines.
• Upgrades, every single one you paid for, individually confirmed.

Rules for the form

Write down everything, however small. A scratch you overlook is a scratch you own.

Do not accept “we’ll take care of it” verbally. If it is not on the form, it does not exist.

Do not let anyone tell you an item is “normal” and leave it off. Record it; the determination comes later.

Keep your copy, signed, with your photos.

Afterwards

The PDI starts your warranty clock. The 30-day form and the year-end form are your main first-year claim windows, each with its own deadline. Coverage and deadlines.

Diarise both the day you close.