5 Things Home Insurance Companies May Not Accept in Edmonton Homes

When buying a home in Edmonton, certain features and aging components can make obtaining home insurance difficult or require repairs before coverage is approved. Here are five specific things buyers should watch for so that the home inspection doesn’t come with major surprises!

1. Homes Built Between 1900 and 1960: Foundation Issues

Horizontal foundation crack. Not all are so obvious!

While all ages of home may have foundation issues caused by settlement, moisture, or deterioration over time, it is much more likely in a home built prior to 1960. These issues can be difficult to spot before a home inspection, particularly when the foundation is concealed behind finished basement walls.

Look for horizontal cracks in exposed basement foundation walls or foundation walls that appear to be leaning inward. Significant structural concerns may affect insurability, can be extremely expensive and invasive to repair, and require further assessment by a structural engineer.

2. Homes Built Between 1970 and 1976: Aluminum Wiring

Aluminum wiring causing a short in an electrical outlet.

Homes built during this period are particularly likely to contain aluminum wiring. Improper or deteriorating connections can overheat and create a fire hazard.

Most insurers restrict coverage unless the wiring is professionally assessed or upgraded. One common solution is pig-tailing, where short copper wires are connected to the existing aluminum wiring using approved connectors. A qualified electrician should complete this work, providing a letter a completion that can be provided to the insurance company.

3. Homes Built in the 1990s: Poly-B Plumbing

Poly B piping at the homes plumbing manifold.

Polybutylene, commonly called Poly-B, is grey plastic water-supply piping found in many homes built during the 1990s. Over time, the material can deteriorate and become prone to cracking or leaking, potentially causing significant water damage.

Poly-B is a major insurance concern in Edmonton. Very few home insurance companies are willing to insure homes containing this piping, making replacement an important consideration for buyers.

Often, repairing the drywall once the Poly B has been replaced can be just as expensive.

4. Older Hot Water Tanks: Typically 10–12 Years Old

Many 20+ year old tanks look exactly the same as modern versions.

Conventional hot water tanks generally last around 8–12 years. As they age, the risk of leakage and failure increases.

Many insurers now require older tanks to be replaced once they reach a specified age. Checking the age of the tank can be done by referencing the serial number, though this differs between manufacturers and is sometimes not easily done.

5. Roofs Nearing the End of Their Service Life

Major granular loss on shingles can be very difficult to see from the ground.

An aging roof can make obtaining insurance more difficult, with some insurers requiring replacement or restricting coverage.

From the ground, look for curling shingles, significant granule loss, or visibly deteriorated roofing materials. These can indicate that the roof may need replacement soon. Since not all roof surfaces are visible from the ground, it can be very difficult to properly assess without the use of a ladder or a drone.

Before You Buy

Insurance requirements vary, so always confirm insurability by contacting your provider. A home inspection can help identify potential concerns before they become unexpected expenses and provides you with the answers that your insurance company will ask.

As always, feel free to give me a call or shoot me a text/email if you have any questions!

Zach Pentyliuk

780-777-6204

zachpentyliuk@gmail.com

Pre-Listing Inspection in Edmonton

Why Pre-Listing Inspections Are Becoming More Common

A big thanks to everyone that has been getting pre-listing inspections! I am certainly doing a lot more of them these days, and the trend is seeming to continue upwards.

The main advantage is simple: no surprises.

When a seller already knows the condition of their home, it avoids that awkward moment during a buyer’s inspection when everyone is standing in the basement staring at something unexpected.

Sometimes sellers decide to fix a few small things ahead of time, and sometimes they just prefer to know what might come up so they can price or negotiate accordingly.

Personally, I see a couple different approaches to this:

Some sellers choose to do a full pre-listing inspection, while if the realtors paying they usually prefer a simple one-page overview outlining the age of the major systems in the home so they have a clearer picture of what buyers are likely to ask about.

Either way, having a little more information upfront tends to make the entire process smoother for everyone involved.

New Home Inspections

New Homes Aren’t Always Perfect

Never do I pay for myself more than on a new construction home. Even on the nicest home built by the best builder, it doesn’t take much to justify my inspection fee once everything is said and done.

Modern homes are often built on tight timelines, and when dozens of trades are working on a house in a short period of time, small things sometimes get overlooked. Most of the time these issues are minor, but occasionally they can turn into expensive problems if they aren’t caught early.

• Last week I did a home built by one of the bigger builders in Edmonton that was completely missing insulation in the attic, and had damaged floor joists in the basement! The site supervisor was furious (and clearly embarrassed) that these didn’t get caught sooner. Everything got put on the builders to-do list right away.

• 2 years ago I did an inspection in Belgravia where they had forgoten to use the tie-down straps to attach the home to the foundation… The house ended up having so many severe issues that it ended up getting torn down a couple of months later (Yes, literally torn down back to the foundation…)

While the majority of deficiencies I find in new homes are minor, none of them are things buyers expect to see in a brand new home, but they are more common than people realize—especially with smaller builders working on tight timelines.

Most of the time they are easy fixes. The important part is simply catching them early while warranty coverage is still in place.

A Guide to the Alberta New Home Warranty

The Alberta New Home Warranty Program is a legislation designed to provide peace of mind for new homebuyers and ensure builders uphold construction quality standards. Since the introduction of the New Home Buyer Protection Act in 2014, all newly built homes in Alberta must include a mandatory warranty that meets or exceeds minimum coverage terms. For home buyers, understanding the structure and implications of this warranty is vital in going through a new home purchase and having accurate expectations. The warranty is dictated by the Construction Performance Guide, but we will just call it the New Home Warranty Guide!

The 1-2-5-10 model.

One year for materials and labor, two years for delivery and distribution systems (such as plumbing, electrical, and HVAC), five years for the building envelope (including the roof and exterior walls), and ten years for structural integrity (such as foundations and load-bearing walls).

For example, a homeowner noticing cracking in drywall during the first year is eligible for a warranty claim, but a homeowner finding a bowing floor board at 13 months after possession might be left out to dry.

Not all Builders Offer the Same Level of Warranty Service

While many builders are fast acting and quick to service the home when a new owner finds a deficiency (like at a home inspection), others are not (not a big surprise to those in the industry). My role that I play as a home inspector with new home warranty knowledge is to keep an open line of communication with the owner and offer continued support so that their home is in perfect condition by the time the warranty expires. It is not uncommon for me to have 10 to 20 email exchanges with the owner and/or builder to get issues resolved. These emails often require me to back up my findings with code references or snap shots from the warranty guide itself.

So, what does the New Home Warranty Guide Look Like?

It is a 340 page document that covers most obvious problems a new home can have. From basics such as drywall cracks, flooring issues, and grade tolerances to what type of foundation cracks require repair and what type of rock a window well should be filled with. It is a fantastic resource that comes in very handy when a builder needs to be held accountable.

If you are at all like me and like to nerd out on 340 page technical documents, here is the link so you can cruise through it! New Home Warranty Guide

For Realtors:

From a realtor's perspective, it's important to emphasize that not all builders offer the same level of service and warranty. While the minimum terms are standardized by law, some builders enroll with third-party warranty providers like the Alberta New Home Warranty Program and offer extended or enhanced protection beyond what the legislation requires. Realtors should also be aware that coverage begins at substantial completion, occupancy, or transfer of possession—whichever comes first—so resale of a new home within the first ten years often includes remaining coverage, which can be a strong selling point.

As always, feel free to give me a call or shoot me an email if you have any questions!

Zach Pentyliuk

780-777-6204

zachpentyliuk@gmail.com