Home Warranties on New Construction:

It is required by the British Columbia Homeowner Protection Act that each new home is to be protected with a recognized home warranty program. Most warranty providing companies such as The National Home Warranty, Willis, or St. Paul's provide a 2-5-10 year home warranty as follows:

Materials and Workmanship
(up to 2 years)

Defects in materials and labour are covered for the first year for single family homes and units in a multi-family structure. And for the first 15 months for common property, facilities and other assets of your Strata corporation. For a full two years your new home is covered for:

• Defects in materials and labour for the delivery and distribution systems for gas, electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
• Defects in materials and labour for the exterior cladding, caulking, windows and doors that may lead to damage to your new home or to common property.
• Defects in materials and labour that make your house unfit to live in.
• Coverage for non-compliance with the building code.

Building Envelope Warranty
(protection for 5 years)

For five years your new home is covered by the National for defects in the “building envelope” including water penetration that causes material damage to your home.

Structural Defects Warranty
(coverage for 10 years)

This coverage is for major structural defects in your new home. It includes defects for material and labour that results in a failure of a load bearing structure in your home. And it covers structural damage that makes your home unfit to live in.