The Complete Ontario Home Building Checklist: Lot to Keys, Nothing Skipped

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The Complete Ontario Home Building Checklist: Lot to Keys

Every item on this list is something I have watched someone skip. Print it, tick it, and argue with your builder about it. That is what it is for.

Short version: Six stages, sixty-one checks. The ones that save the most money are at the top: a conditional offer on the lot, a budget before the drawings, and complete drawings before the price. Everything after that is discipline.

Before you buy the lot

Zoning allows a house of the size and type you want (zoning compliance letter from the township) Legal, year-round road access, or a road agreement you have read Room for septic and well if unserviced; a septic feasibility review done Conservation authority and floodplain status checked Survey in hand; easements and shore road allowances understood Soil and water table known, or a geotechnical report ordered Hydro at the lot line, or a connection quote Offer conditional on all of the above Development charges and permit fees looked up

Before you design

All-in budget set: lot, servicing, build, design, permits, HST, contingency Builder consulted on the budget before drawing Designer chosen (BCIN or architect) with a written scope and fee Heating system and foundation type decided in principle List of must-have rooms with real dimensions Aging-in-place and accessibility decisions made

Before the permit

Permit drawings complete, including site plan and energy compliance Engineering for trusses, beams, tall walls and anything outside Part 9 tables Heat loss calculation done Septic permit or approval in hand if required Conservation authority permit if required Window sizes and locations final Plumbing fixture locations final Stair design final Builder contract signed, fixed-price or cost-plus understood, allowances shopped Selections schedule signed with dates Construction financing approved, draw schedule matched to the contract Builder insurance and WSIB clearance confirmed Tarion enrolment confirmed if a licensed builder is building to sell

During construction

Contingency rule agreed: surprises only, nothing in month one Every change on a signed change order before the work Log and photos at every stage, especially before anything is covered Inspections booked two days ahead and attended Draws paid on completed stages only, holdback retained Selections made on schedule Cabinets, windows and long-lead items ordered on time Builder communication in writing on anything that matters

Before you move in

Occupancy inspection booked and passed PDI done and every deficiency on the form (Tarion homes) HRV balancing report, engineer letters, energy compliance form collected As-built drawings and manuals collected Final grading at least roughed; water runs away from the house Alarms tested; electrical final from the ESA Holdback release scheduled against the lien period HST rebate paperwork started

First year

30-day and year-end Tarion forms filed on time Humidity watched through the first winter; drywall cracks noted for the year-end list Deferred items (deck, landscaping, basement) priced and scheduled Warranty items reported in writing as they appear

The guides behind each stage

Lot: 49 things to check before buying a lot and is this lot buildable. Design: the seven decisions that set the cost. Permit: how to get a building permit. Contract: what a good contract includes. Construction: the inspection sequence. Move-in and warranty: what Tarion covers. The long version of all of it is the free book, How to Build a Home Without Going Broke.

Related guides on this site

The custom home building process49 things to check before buying a lotDesigning a custom home: 7 decisionsHow to get a building permitWhat a good contract includesBuilding inspections, every stageconstruction contingency ontarioontario home building glossary

Sources and further reading

Citizen's guide to building permits
Tarion: pre-delivery inspection
Construction Act, R.S.O. 1990

Questions people ask

What is the most commonly skipped step in building a house?

The conditional offer on the lot. People buy land on a handshake and find out about the floodplain, the easement or the failed septic test after closing. A condition costs nothing.

In what order should I hire people?

Builder or at least a builder conversation first, then the designer, then the engineer and the heat loss, then the trades through the builder. Hiring the designer first is how plans come in over budget.

How do I keep the list useful during the build?

Print it, put it on the fridge, and review it with the builder at each draw. The checks under "during construction" are the ones that keep the money straight.

Building in Simcoe County or on Georgian Bay?

We are ICFhome.ca, a family builder in Tiny Township with 45 years of custom homes behind us. Pick the path that matches where you are.

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Reviewed and updated October 2026. Costs are Ontario ranges, not quotes; code references are to the Ontario Building Code in force at that date.