Home inspection is not a licensed profession in Ontario. The Home Inspection Act, 2017 was passed but the e-Laws record states “THIS ACT IS NOT YET IN FORCE. It comes into force on a day to be named by proclamation” — and the Government of Ontario’s own page, updated 28 July 2026, says “At this time, Ontario does not have mandatory requirements for home inspectors.” The Act has been amended three times while not in force and has no regulations. The province also states plainly that an inspection “is not a pass or fail test”, that “an inspector cannot see or find everything”, and that inspectors do not provide warranties or guarantees. Typical fees are given as $350 to $600.
Ontario passed a law to license home inspectors in 2017. Nine years later it has never been turned on.
The e-Laws record for the Home Inspection Act, 2017 carries this note: “THIS ACT IS NOT YET IN FORCE. It comes into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.” And the Government of Ontario says the consequence plainly on its own buying-a-home page, updated 28 July 2026: “At this time, Ontario does not have mandatory requirements for home inspectors.”
Anyone in this province can call themselves a home inspector today. There is no licence to check, no registry to search, and no regulator to complain to.
What the Act would have done
Section 37(1), written in the future tense because it has never operated: “No person shall perform a home inspection unless the person is licensed as a home inspector.” Section 38 would have allowed exemptions by regulation. Section 2 would have excluded architects and professional engineers holding a licence under their own statutes. Licensing appeals would have gone to the Licence Appeal Tribunal.
Two details make the situation stranger than a simple case of a law waiting its turn:
- The Legislature has amended the Act three separate times while it was not in force, most recently by 2024, c. 2, Sched. 1, s. 19 — an amendment to a section of an Act that has never operated.
- No regulations exist. The e-Laws regulations endpoint for the Act returns “not found”. Since the licensing scheme depends almost entirely on regulations that were never made, proclamation alone would not produce a working system.
What an inspection is, in the province’s own words
The Ontario page is unusually candid, and these four statements are worth reading before you hire anyone:
- “A home inspection is an on-site, in-person examination of a home’s condition and structure.”
- “A home inspection is not a pass or fail test.”
- “An inspector cannot see or find everything.”
- “An inspector does not provide warranties or guarantees on a home’s condition.”
The same page puts typical fees at $350 to $600 and describes a typical inspection as covering the foundation, roof, exterior walls, plumbing and electrical systems, heating and cooling, attics, insulation, ventilation and structural integrity.
Read those three limits together and the practical point emerges. An inspection is a visual, non-invasive snapshot by someone who does not have to be licensed, carries no warranty, and cannot see inside walls. It is genuinely worth having. It is not a guarantee, and treating it as one is how people get hurt.
How to choose one, when there is no licence to check
The province’s own suggestions, from the same page: look for someone who provides written inspection reports, will give you references, and has experience with the type of home you are considering. Get quotes from more than one. Check the references.
Questions it suggests asking include: May I see a copy of the inspection report you use? Do you have insurance? Can you provide references?
The first of those is the most useful and the least asked. A sample report tells you more in two minutes than any credential list. You will see immediately whether the inspector writes findings in plain language with photographs, or produces a checklist of boilerplate disclaimers.
What to add on top of an inspection
Because an inspection is visual and non-invasive, the things it structurally cannot tell you are the ones that need a separate step. On an older Ontario house, these are the usual candidates:
| What an inspection will not resolve | What actually answers it |
|---|---|
| Radon | A 91-day test during the heating season — Health Canada is explicit that short-term measurements are not appropriate for mitigation decisions |
| Asbestos or vermiculite | Sampling and lab analysis by a qualified professional; Health Canada advises against disturbing vermiculite at all |
| Wiring condition behind finishes | An assessment by a Licensed Electrical Contractor, and an ESA Certificate of Acceptance where work is done |
| An underground oil tank | Registration status, and a physical search of the property |
| Outstanding municipal orders | A title search — orders under the Building Code Act can be registered on title and bind a later purchaser |
Each of those has its own page on this site, because each has its own rules and its own primary sources.
The honest summary
- There is no licence. The Act exists, has been amended three times, has no regulations, and has never been proclaimed.
- Ask for a sample report before you book.
- Ask about insurance — the province suggests it because nothing requires it.
- Budget for the tests an inspection cannot do, and build time for them into your conditions.
- Do not treat the report as a warranty. Ontario says in terms that it is not one.
Booking an inspection and want to know what to ask for?
Because there is no licence to check, the screening is on you — and the single most useful thing you can do is ask to see a sample report before you book. If you want a second opinion on an inspection report you have already received, or on what conditions to write given what it flags, send it to me. I am not an inspector and I will not pretend to be one, but I have read a great many of these and I will tell you honestly what looks thorough and what looks like boilerplate.
connect@jatindua.com · 437-987-1925 · Book a free consultation
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Frequently asked questions
Do home inspectors need a licence in Ontario?
No. The Home Inspection Act, 2017 would have required one — section 37(1) provides that no person shall perform a home inspection unless licensed — but the e-Laws record for the Act carries the note that it is not yet in force and comes into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor. The Government of Ontario states on its own buying-a-home page, updated 28 July 2026, that at this time Ontario does not have mandatory requirements for home inspectors.
Why was the Home Inspection Act never proclaimed?
No official explanation was located. What the record shows is that the Act was passed in 2017, has been amended three separate times while remaining not in force, most recently by 2024, c. 2, Sched. 1, s. 19, and that no regulations have ever been made under it — the e-Laws regulations endpoint for the Act returns not found. Since the licensing scheme depends heavily on regulations that do not exist, proclamation on its own would not create a working system.
How much does a home inspection cost in Ontario?
The Government of Ontario states that inspection fees typically range from $350 to $600. That figure is from its page What to know before buying a home, updated 28 July 2026. Actual fees depend on the size and type of property and on what is included, and any figure quoted elsewhere should be checked against what the inspector will actually put in writing.
What does a home inspection cover?
The Government of Ontario describes a typical inspection as an on-site, in-person examination covering the foundation, roof, exterior walls, plumbing and electrical systems, heating and cooling, attics, insulation, ventilation and structural integrity, with a report documenting the condition of every major system and component. The same page states that an inspection is not a pass or fail test, that an inspector cannot see or find everything, and that an inspector does not provide warranties or guarantees on a home’s condition.
What will a home inspection not tell me?
Anything that requires testing, sampling or destructive investigation. Radon requires a measurement of at least 91 days during the heating season under Health Canada’s guide. Asbestos and vermiculite require sampling and laboratory analysis. The condition of wiring behind finished walls requires an assessment by a Licensed Electrical Contractor. An underground fuel oil tank requires a check of registration and a physical search. And outstanding municipal orders are found by a title search, because orders under section 15.2 of the Building Code Act, 1992 can be registered against title and a later purchaser is deemed to have been served with them.
How do I choose an inspector when there is no licence?
The province suggests looking for an inspector who provides written inspection reports, will give you references, and has experience with the type of home you are considering; getting quotes from more than one; and checking references. It suggests asking to see a copy of the inspection report the inspector uses, whether they have insurance, and for references. Asking for a sample report is the most informative of those and the least often done.
Related reading
- Radon in Ontario homes: the 91-day rule most tests fail
- Asbestos and vermiculite: what the rules actually require
- Knob-and-tube and aluminum wiring: neither is illegal
- Kitec plumbing: the claims deadline closed in 2020
Sources
Every figure on this page traces to one of these, and each was read on 1 September 2026. Primary sources only — statute, regulation, and the government or agency that administers the rule. Where I could not verify something from a primary source, the page says so instead of guessing.
- Home Inspection Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 5, Sched. 1. Government of Ontario e-Laws, consolidation period from 6 March 2024, read 2 September 2026. The record carries the note “THIS ACT IS NOT YET IN FORCE. It comes into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.” Section 37 would provide that no person shall perform a home inspection unless licensed. The Act has been amended three times while unproclaimed, most recently by 2024, c. 2, Sched. 1, s. 19. The e-Laws regulations endpoint returns not found: no regulations have been made under it. Accessed 1 September 2026.
- What to know before buying a home — Government of Ontario. Government of Ontario, page updated 28 July 2026. States that “At this time, Ontario does not have mandatory requirements for home inspectors”, that a home inspection “is not a pass or fail test”, that “an inspector cannot see or find everything” and does not provide warranties or guarantees, and that inspection fees typically range from $350 to $600. Accessed 1 September 2026.
- Guide for radon measurements in homes — Health Canada. Health Canada, last updated 22 May 2026. Requires a minimum of 91 days of measurement with at least 91 days during the heating season to estimate an annual average, recommends testing the lowest lived-in level, and states that short term measurements are not appropriate for informing mitigation decisions. Accessed 1 September 2026.
- O. Reg. 278/05, Designated Substance — Asbestos on Construction Projects and in Buildings and Repair Operations. Government of Ontario e-Laws, consolidation period 1 July 2026, last amended by O. Reg. 115/26. Defines asbestos-containing material as material containing 0.5 per cent or more asbestos by dry weight. Section 2(4) states that the regulation does not apply to an owner of a private residence occupied by the owner or the owner’s family, or to an owner of a residential building of not more than four dwelling units one of which is occupied by the registered owner or their family. Accessed 1 September 2026.
- Notifications and inspections — Electrical Safety Authority. Electrical Safety Authority, read 2 September 2026, page undated. States that the Ontario Electrical Safety Code requires almost all electrical work to be reported to the Authority by filing a notification before the work starts, and that homeowners may do their own electrical work but must file a notification. Accessed 1 September 2026.
- Building Code Act, 1992, S.O. 1992, c. 23. Government of Ontario e-Laws, read 2 September 2026. Section 15.2(4) permits an order to be registered against the title to a property, and a subsequent purchaser is deemed to have been served with it. This is the mechanism that makes an outstanding order discoverable on a title search. Accessed 1 September 2026.
About the author — Jatin Dua, Broker of Record
I’m the Broker of Record at RE/MAX Quantum Realty, 799 The Queensway in Etobicoke, and I work with buyers and sellers across the west GTA. I am not an inspector, an engineer, an electrician or a remediation contractor, and nothing on this page is a substitute for one.
What I can do is read the primary source and quote it accurately. Everything below comes from Health Canada, the Government of Ontario, a regulator or a municipality, with the date the source itself carries, so you can check it rather than take my word for it. Where a widely repeated claim turns out not to be in any official document, the page says so. connect@jatindua.com or 437-987-1925.