Why didn't my inspection report include repair costs in Ottawa?

Because home inspectors are not supposed to price repairs. The federal Office of Consumer Affairs says a home inspector should not give you estimates of repair or renovation costs, either during the inspection or in the report. Your report is doing what the service is meant to do.

Ontario.ca describes what a report will normally show: the condition of every major system and component, areas or parts that are unsafe or need to be repaired or replaced now or in the near future, anything not working properly or needing to be changed, and any evidence of past problems. A dollar figure is not on that list.

Prices come from the people who would do the work, in writing. If the report notes knob-and-tube wiring, for example, the Electrical Safety Authority recommends an assessment by a Licensed Electrical Contractor. If it notes a suspected asbestos-containing material, Health Canada says to have a professional test it before any renovation.

If a contractor's written agreement includes an estimate, Ontario's Consumer Protection Act, 2002 says the final charge cannot exceed it by more than 10 per cent.

If you are still inside a condition period, ontario.ca lists your options as asking the seller to make certain repairs, accepting a defect and dealing with its consequences, asking for a price adjustment, or not buying the home. Which of those your offer allows is a question for your agent or lawyer, not the inspector.

Ontario.ca also says an inspection is a visual inspection of major elements and systems that cannot see or find everything, so the report is a starting point for those trade quotes rather than the last word on any item.

Take the relevant page of the report to each trade you call, so every quote is for the same item.