Does an Ottawa home inspection come with any guarantee?

No. Ontario.ca says an inspector "does not provide warranties or guarantees on a home's condition."

What you get is a written report. Ontario.ca says it will normally show the condition of every major system and component, anything unsafe or needing repair or replacement now or in the near future, anything not working properly, and any evidence of past problems. That is information for your decision, not a promise about what happens after you take possession.

Two more limits from the same sources:

• The federal Office of Consumer Affairs says a report "will be limited to describing conditions in the areas of the home that the inspector can see or has access to."
• Ontario.ca says a home inspection "is not a pass or fail test" and does not assess whether a home meets zoning or building codes, and that an inspector cannot see or find everything.

What does apply is consumer protection law on the service itself. Ontario's Consumer Protection Act, 2002 deems services supplied under a consumer agreement to be of a reasonably acceptable quality, and says a contract term that tries to negate that is void. That is about the quality of the inspection service, not a warranty on the house.

On insurance, ontario.ca says inspectors are currently not required by law to have insurance coverage, although many do have general liability or errors and omissions policies. Ask whether they choose to carry it and get the details in writing.

If an inspection agreement includes a clause limiting the inspector's liability to the fee, we found no rule on whether that is enforceable in Ontario; that is a question for a lawyer.

Ask any inspector you are considering whether they carry insurance, and read the liability section of their contract before the inspection day.