For buyers
Pre-purchase inspection
Timed to your subject-removal date. The whole home, roof to footings, with a walk-through of the findings on site.
Home inspector · North VancouverA careful look at the home before you commit to it.
Houses, townhouses and condos across the North Shore and Metro Vancouver. Thermal imaging included. A plain-language report with photographs, in your inbox the same day.
- Report
- Same day, by email
- Included
- Thermal imaging
- Insured
- E&O and general liability
- Repairs
- None. We inspect, we don’t fix.
- Referral fees
- None, from anyone
Thirty seconds
What a Watch House inspection covers.
Roof to foundation, thermal imaging, and a report written in plain language.
The right inspection for the home in front of you.
For sellers
Pre-listing inspection
Know what a buyer’s inspector will find. Fix the small things on your schedule and disclose the larger ones on your terms.
For new-home owners
New-home & 2-5-10 warranty
A close look before each warranty deadline, written so items go straight into a claim with the builder.
For strata buyers
Condo & townhouse
The unit in detail, the common property we can reach, and what to look for in the strata documents.
For older houses
Character & heritage homes
Pre-war houses, heritage homes and West Coast moderns, inspected by someone who spent years restoring them.
For efficient homes
Passive House & high-performance
Airtight, super-insulated homes with heat-recovery ventilation, inspected by someone trained in how they’re built.
Also available: presale and PDI walk-throughs for new condos and homes.
What’s inspected
The whole home, roof to footings.
Every inspection follows the HIABC Scope of Inspection. It’s visual and non-invasive: we look at what can be reached on the day, and where we couldn’t see something, the report says so.
- RoofCoverings, flashings, chimneys, skylights and vents. Walked where safe.
- AtticStructure, insulation, ventilation and signs of leaks or condensation.
- Exterior walls & windowsCladding, trim, sealants, windows, doors, decks and stairs.
- Gutters & drainageGutters, downspouts, grading and where the water goes.
- InteriorWalls, ceilings, floors, stairs, doors and signs of moisture.
- ElectricalService, panel with the cover off, wiring, outlets and alarms.
- Heating & coolingFurnace, boiler, heat pump, fireplaces, venting and HRV.
- PlumbingSupply and drain piping, water heater, fixtures and flow.
- Structure & foundationFoundation, framing and floors, basement and crawlspace.
Included with every inspection
No upsell list. This is the inspection.
- Thermal imagingAn infrared scan of walls, ceilings, windows and the electrical panel, with anything unusual checked with a moisture meter.
- Moisture testingA pin and pinless moisture meter on suspect areas: under windows, around tubs and showers, at the base of walls.
- Walk-through on siteWe go through the findings together at the end of the visit, at your pace. Bring your questions.
- Report the same dayPhotographs, a summary of the items that matter most, and what to do about each one.
- Maintenance diagramsRoutine maintenance items come with a diagram showing what to do and where.
- Questions afterwardCall or email about anything in the report, for as long as you own the home. No charge.
- The HIABC Scope of InspectionEvery inspection follows it, and a copy comes with every report.
- No referral feesWe don’t do repairs and we don’t take money from contractors or trades. The report answers to you.
The report
Written so you can act on it.
Most inspection reports are long lists with a photo beside each line. Ours is organised around what you need to decide. Every finding says what was observed, why it matters, what to do about it, and roughly when. The Summary at the front holds only the significant items, so a loose downspout never sits beside a rotted beam as though they were the same thing.
Reports are produced in Spectora, so they read well on a phone, and every photograph is captioned and located.
Summary
- Prior to subject removal5.3.1 StructureMain beam on temporary shoring posts
- Prior to subject removal7.4.1 ElectricalBreaker too large for the circuit wiring
- Upon possession2.7.2 ExteriorGrade slopes toward the foundation
- Upon possession7.7.1 ElectricalNo carbon monoxide alarms
- At your discretion4.4.1 RoofService mast boot, minor buckling
Screw jack bearing on the main beam
5.3.1 · Prior to subject removal
Main beam on temporary shoring posts
ObservationThe main beam is held up at two points by adjustable temporary posts, one cast into the basement floor.
ImplicationTemporary posts aren’t rated for permanent loads and corrode at the slab. Settlement would move the floor above.
RecommendationHave a structural engineer specify permanent columns and footings, installed by a qualified contractor.
About
Twenty years of building homes, now spent looking at them.
Watch House is run by Nick Hawley. Before inspecting homes he spent two decades building and repairing them in British Columbia: residential carpentry, heritage restoration on the older houses of Vancouver and the North Shore, and commercial construction. He is also a Certified Passive House Tradesperson.
An inspector who has framed a roof, flashed a window and opened up a rotten wall knows what a defect looks like from the inside, not only from the surface.
- Calm. We don’t market urgency. If something is a safety item we say so plainly, then we say what to do.
- Observant. We report what we saw. Where we couldn’t see, the report says that too.
- Specific. “The cedar trim above the south dormer” beats “exterior wood.” You can hand our report to a contractor as it is.
- Available. The inspection ends when your questions do, not when the visit does.
- LicensedConsumer Protection BC licence #90625
- MemberHome Inspectors Association BC
- InsuredErrors & omissions and general liability
- StandardHIABC Scope of Inspection
Where we work
Based in North Vancouver. Across the bridges most days.
The North Shore is home ground. We also inspect regularly in Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster and the Tri-Cities, and further out by arrangement.
Send the address. We’ll take it from there.
Most inspections are booked within a day or two. If you’re in a subject-removal window, say so.