A home built roughly in the last ten years. It has none of the era problems this library spends most of its time on, no knob and tube, no galvanized supply, no buried oil tank. That does not make it a blank page. It has a warranty that is probably part spent, a set of components reaching their first replacement, and one specific weakness that older homes have already worked through.
Servicing an HRV $150 to $300 a year; replacing a furnace tied HRV $2,000 to $4,300; a radon test $30 to $60 and mitigation $2,500 to $3,500Address soonStructureExteriorInsulation-Ventilation
The ten second check
What else is typical in a house this age?
You are reading the newly built homes page. Tell me the year the house was built and I will tell you what else tends to be true at that age, what it costs, and what to ask. Ten seconds.
Free. No account. Educational and impartial, not a home inspection.
Why it matters
New home warranty coverage runs from the date the first owner took possession, not from the date you buy. A home first occupied in 2020 and bought in 2026 has, in Ontario, one year of major structural coverage left and nothing else. The one and two year periods, which are the ones that cover workmanship, water getting through a basement wall, and the electrical, plumbing and heating distribution systems, are long gone. Coverage does travel with the home rather than the owner, in every province that has a programme, so the question is never whether it transfers. It is how much of it is left. Ontario runs one year, two years and seven years from possession. British Columbia runs two, five and ten. Alberta runs one, two, five and ten, with the five year envelope extendable to seven if the builder bought the extra. Quebec runs one and three years from reception and five years from the end of work, and does not cover condo buildings above four stacked units at all. The other reason it matters is where the money actually goes. Ontario's warranty provider paid $13.7 million on first year workmanship claims in 2024. The expensive claims that surface later are water penetration and major structural, and the largest single named cause inside major structural is soil settlement. That is the backfill around a new foundation consolidating over the first several years and tipping the ground back toward the wall.
How to spot it
Walk the perimeter and look at where the soil meets the foundation. You are looking for ground that dishes toward the house, patio stone or mulch laid over a low spot, downspout extensions that have been taken away, and window well fill sitting below the surrounding grade. Then look at the driveway, the walkway and the garage floor for the same settlement showing up in hard surfaces. Inside, find the heat recovery ventilator. Any Ontario house built from 2017 has one, because every energy efficiency compliance package requires it. Check that the filters are not black, that the core has been pulled and cleaned at least once, and that the intake and exhaust hoods outside are not blocked by landscaping. It is the most commonly ignored piece of equipment in a new house. Check the water heater's date and whether it is owned or rented. A tank lasts 8 to 12 years, so a 2018 build is at the front of that window, and many new builds shipped with a rental contract attached. Look at every window in raking light for fogging between the panes: at ten years the published field failure rate is about five percent, so one or two in a large house is ordinary rather than alarming.
What it costs
Servicing an HRV runs $150 to $300 a year and filters another $40 to $120. Replacing a furnace tied unit runs $2,000 to $4,300. A long term radon test is $30 to $60 and mitigation about $2,500 to $3,500, which is at the cheap end when the builder left a radon rough in, and homes have had a capped stub required since 2010. Re-grading has no defensible published range because it depends entirely on how much soil has to move.
What to do
Before you offer, look the home up in the public warranty registry for its province and get the original possession date, because that is the date the clock started. Ontario's is the Ontario Builder Directory, British Columbia's is the New Homes Registry, Alberta's is the Home Warranty Public Registry, Quebec's is run by GCR. Ask for the HRV commissioning paperwork and any service records. Test for radon regardless of the age of the house, because a tighter building envelope is a reason to test rather than a reason to skip it.
Education and triage, not a home inspection. A new house is not a checked house. Casaroo flags what tends to be true at this age and what to ask; a licensed home inspection is what tells you the condition of this specific home, and it is worth having on a new build for exactly the reasons above.
Common questions
What are newly built homes?
A home built roughly in the last ten years. It has none of the era problems this library spends most of its time on, no knob and tube, no galvanized supply, no buried oil tank. That does not make it a blank page. It has a warranty that is probably part spent, a set of components reaching their first replacement, and one specific weakness that older homes have already worked through.
Why does it matter for home buyers?
New home warranty coverage runs from the date the first owner took possession, not from the date you buy. A home first occupied in 2020 and bought in 2026 has, in Ontario, one year of major structural coverage left and nothing else. The one and two year periods, which are the ones that cover workmanship, water getting through a basement wall, and the electrical, plumbing and heating distribution systems, are long gone. Coverage does travel with the home rather than the owner, in every province that has a programme, so the question is never whether it transfers. It is how much of it is left. Ontario runs one year, two years and seven years from possession. British Columbia runs two, five and ten. Alberta runs one, two, five and ten, with the five year envelope extendable to seven if the builder bought the extra. Quebec runs one and three years from reception and five years from the end of work, and does not cover condo buildings above four stacked units at all. The other reason it matters is where the money actually goes. Ontario's warranty provider paid $13.7 million on first year workmanship claims in 2024. The expensive claims that surface later are water penetration and major structural, and the largest single named cause inside major structural is soil settlement. That is the backfill around a new foundation consolidating over the first several years and tipping the ground back toward the wall.
How can I spot it?
Walk the perimeter and look at where the soil meets the foundation. You are looking for ground that dishes toward the house, patio stone or mulch laid over a low spot, downspout extensions that have been taken away, and window well fill sitting below the surrounding grade. Then look at the driveway, the walkway and the garage floor for the same settlement showing up in hard surfaces. Inside, find the heat recovery ventilator. Any Ontario house built from 2017 has one, because every energy efficiency compliance package requires it. Check that the filters are not black, that the core has been pulled and cleaned at least once, and that the intake and exhaust hoods outside are not blocked by landscaping. It is the most commonly ignored piece of equipment in a new house. Check the water heater's date and whether it is owned or rented. A tank lasts 8 to 12 years, so a 2018 build is at the front of that window, and many new builds shipped with a rental contract attached. Look at every window in raking light for fogging between the panes: at ten years the published field failure rate is about five percent, so one or two in a large house is ordinary rather than alarming.
How much does it cost to fix?
Servicing an HRV runs $150 to $300 a year and filters another $40 to $120. Replacing a furnace tied unit runs $2,000 to $4,300. A long term radon test is $30 to $60 and mitigation about $2,500 to $3,500, which is at the cheap end when the builder left a radon rough in, and homes have had a capped stub required since 2010. Re-grading has no defensible published range because it depends entirely on how much soil has to move.
Warranty periods and registries are provincial; confirm the programme that applies where you are buying. Casaroo flags, it does not inspect.
Last reviewed 2026-08-05.
This guide is general education, not a home inspection and not advice for your specific property. Always
consult the appropriate licensed professional, and get a licensed home inspection before you remove conditions
or buy. Cost ranges are 2026 estimates that vary by region, size, and access; confirm specifics with a
qualified professional.