Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) — mandatory pre-possession walkthrough; PDI Form is not a warranty claim but failure to note items makes proof harder

Claim: The PDI is the mandatory pre-possession walk-through with the builder. The buyer or an appointed designate (paid home inspectors are permitted) must attend. The PDI Form records anything damaged, missing, incomplete, not operating properly, or that cannot be assessed at the time. The buyer/designate signs it.

Legal effect of the PDI Form:

• The PDI Form is not a request for warranty service. Failing to note an item does not by itself void warranty rights.
• However, if the problem concerns a damaged or missing item, it is much harder to prove it existed before move-in if it isn't on the PDI Form.
• The 2019 Auditor General found Tarion had ruled against homeowners in roughly 2,700 cases (2014-2018) because a defect wasn't noted at PDI — 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".

Source: https://www.tarion.com/homeowners/predelivery-inspection

Confidence: Verified.

Practical buyer guidance (Candid-actionable for buyer-facing client content):

• Bring: phone (photos + video), flashlight, tape measure, APS with all schedules, the finishes/features schedule.
• Bring someone — a designate or paid home inspector is allowed.
• Tarion's rule of thumb: about one hour per 1,000 sq ft.
• Test every faucet, appliance, window, door, light switch; the HVAC; the AC if seasonally appropriate.
• For anything you can't physically assess (snow on the roof, scaffolding still up, fresh paint), write that on the form — don't just sign past it.
• Note unauthorized substitutions against the APS.
• Photograph everything with date stamps.

Companion: Initial warranty claims after possession go via the 40-day Initial Submission (post-May 2024) — 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. The PDI Form is not that submission.