Tarion conciliation process — 120-day builder repair, $250 homeowner deposit, $1,000/$3,000 chargeable to builder if any item warranted, 10-year OBD record

Claim: Conciliation is Tarion's adjudication step. Standard flow:

1. Homeowner files a warranty form (Initial, Mid-Year, Year-End, Second-Year, or MSD — see Tarion claim forms post-May 2024 CSS reform — 40-day Initial, new Mid-Year, Year-End (with permanent 10-day grace), Second-Year, MSD) with both Tarion and the builder. This starts a 120-day builder repair period. MSD claims have a 90-day initial discussion period.
2. Builder attempts repair. Homeowner must provide reasonable access.
3. Request a conciliation if items remain unresolved. Homeowner pays a $282.50 ($250 + HST) deposit to book the inspection.
4. Tarion conciliation inspection. Warranty Services Representative attends with the builder and assesses each item against the ONHWPA and the Construction Performance Guidelines (CPG, 3rd Edition).
5. Conciliation Assessment Report issued.
6. If any item is warranted, the conciliation is "chargeable":
   • Builder invoiced $1,000 + HST per home/unit ($3,000 + HST per common-element conciliation).
   • Homeowner's $250 deposit refunded.
   • Chargeable conciliation stays on the builder's Ontario Builder Directory record for 10 years.
7. Final 30-day builder repair window after the Report.
8. Tarion settles directly if items remain unresolved — pays compensation from the Guarantee Fund or arranges the repair — then invoices the builder with a 15% administration fee.

Source: Tarion Registrar Bulletins 01 and 04; https://www.tarion.com

Confidence: Verified.

The 65% finding: The 2019 Auditor General found that in approximately 65% of the 6,485 conciliation requests Tarion assessed from 2014-2018, the builder should have fixed the defect under warranty but hadn't — see Tarion 2019 Auditor General Special Audit (Bonnie Lysyk) — 65% of conciliations found builder at fault, 9,700 dismissed for missed deadlines (1,300 by 1 day), OHBA "disproportionate influence".

Decision standard: Tarion applies the Ontario Building Code, the Construction Performance Guidelines (CPG, 3rd Edition), and the ONHWPA s. 13 warranties/exclusions.

Companion: Disagreement with the conciliation outcome triggers the dispute-resolution paths — see Tarion dispute resolution — DRS review, independent mediation (often NDA-bound), Builder Arbitration Forum (builders only), LAT, civil court.