HPO Warranty Reviews
New residential buildings in BC are protected under the Homeowner Protection Act. Warranty coverage is structured in phases tied to specific defect categories, and each phase has a defined deadline for submitting claims. Once a coverage period closes, deficiencies that were not documented and submitted become the responsibility of the owner – regardless of when they first appeared or how they developed.
DG Engineering performs building envelope warranty reviews timed to each phase of BC's new home warranty coverage. Our reviews are carried out by registered professional engineers and are structured to identify and document deficiencies while they remain eligible for coverage.
Warranty Coverage Phases in BC
Minimum warranty coverage is defined in the Homeowner Protection Act Regulation (BC Reg 29/99). Coverage is structured in four phases:
12-month / 15-month warranty – covers defects in materials and labour across the building, and building code violations that present a health or safety risk or have resulted in material damage. The 12-month period applies to individual units; the 15-month period applies to strata common property, common facilities, and other assets of a strata corporation.
2-year warranty – covers defects in materials and labour supplied for delivery and distribution systems (electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning). Also covers defects in exterior cladding, caulking, windows, and doors that may lead to detachment or material damage to the home, and defects that render the home unfit for occupancy.
5-year building envelope warranty – covers defects in the building envelope, including defects that permit unintended water penetration causing, or likely to cause, material damage to the new home. This is the most consequential coverage period for building envelope performance.
10-year structural warranty – covers structural defects.
From a building envelope perspective, the 2- and 5-year milestones are important for stratas and developers managing building envelope risk. The 2-year milestone is also relevant, as it covers exterior cladding, caulking, windows, and doors for defects leading to detachment or material damage. The 5-year milestone is the primary coverage period for water ingress and envelope performance deficiencies.
What a Warranty Review Includes
Our warranty reviews include a site review of the building envelope – cladding, roofing, windows, doors, balconies, flashings, and transitions – to identify deficiencies that may be eligible for coverage under the applicable warranty phase. Findings are documented in a written report with photos and descriptions, structured to support deficiency submission to the warranty provider.
We recommend commissioning reviews several months before each milestone to allow time for the site review, report preparation, deficiency documentation, and submission before the coverage period closes
Who This Is For
Developers use warranty reviews to systematically track and manage deficiency submissions across multiple units and buildings within each coverage period, protecting their warranty obligations and managing holdback release.
Strata corporations of newer buildings use reviews to ensure common property deficiencies are identified and submitted before coverage expires – protecting owners from costs that should be covered under warranty.
Individual homeowners use reviews to document unit-specific deficiencies before a coverage period closes.
Why DG Engineering
Building envelope performance – water penetration, flashing integrity, cladding condition, and window and door details – sits at the centre of the 2-year and 5-year warranty milestones, and it is the core of our practice. Our team has experience with all common construction types and cladding systems used in BC residential new construction, and understands how to identify and document deficiencies in a way that supports the claims process.
We serve developers, strata corporations, and homeowners across Metro Vancouver, the Sea to Sky corridor, and the Sunshine Coast.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Homeowner Protection Act requires that new residential buildings in BC be enrolled in a mandatory home warranty insurance program. Coverage is provided by approved warranty providers and is structured in phases – 12 or 15 months for materials and labour, 2 years for specific systems and exterior components, 5 years for the building envelope, and 10 years for structural defects – with minimum standards set out in the Homeowner Protection Act Regulation (BC Reg 29/99).
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We recommend commissioning each review several months before the relevant warranty milestone. For example, a 5-year review should be commissioned around the 4-year and 6-month mark to allow time for the site review, report preparation, and deficiency submission. For strata common property, the first-phase materials and labour review should be commissioned before the 15-month coverage period closes. Contact us to discuss your building's timeline.
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The 2-year warranty covers defects in materials and labour in the delivery and distribution systems (electrical, plumbing, HVAC), and also covers defects in exterior cladding, caulking, windows, and doors that may lead to detachment or material damage. It does not cover building envelope water penetration – that is addressed by the 5-year warranty. A review before the 2-year milestone is still relevant for identifying cladding and window defects that fall under the material damage provisions.
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The 5-year building envelope warranty covers defects in the building envelope that permit unintended water penetration causing, or likely to cause, material damage to the new home. Common deficiencies include failed or missing sealants at windows and penetrations, inadequate flashings, improper drainage details at cladding systems, and envelope defects that allow water to reach the building structure or interior finishes.
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Once a coverage period has closed, deficiencies that were not documented and submitted during that period are no longer eligible for warranty coverage. The cost of addressing those deficiencies becomes the responsibility of the owner or strata corporation. A timely warranty review is the most effective way to protect against this outcome.