Frequently asked questions

The price depends on the type of building, its floor area and its year of construction. Travel is never charged as a supplement within our service territory. Thermal imaging is always included at no extra charge and is used as a complementary observation tool when conditions lend themselves to it; a drone may also be used, at no extra charge, to observe certain components that are hard to reach, when conditions allow its use. The quote form works out the applicable amount in a few minutes and presents it in detail, with no payment required at that stage.

How soon you can get an appointment depends mainly on how busy we are and on the number of inspection requests in progress. We do everything we can to be available within the time your transaction requires, and to be present at the inspection. If we cannot offer you an opening that fits your timeline, we can also refer you to trusted inspectors, to help you get served within the time you need.

The visit and the report are the same. What changes is the timing and the use: the pre-purchase inspection informs a buying decision, the pre-sale inspection prepares a listing, and the health check serves to plan the upkeep of a property you are keeping.

Your presence is not required, but it is recommended. Attending the inspection lets you see certain observations directly and ask your questions as the visit goes along. If you cannot be present, the inspection can still go ahead, provided the access needed to the building and to the components to be inspected is available.

Make sure the main components to be inspected — in particular the electrical panel, the furnace, the water heater and the access hatches — are clear and reachable, and that the water, the electricity and the heating are running at the time of the inspection. We also recommend making available the relevant documents and information about the building, including the seller's declaration, previous inspection reports, technical appraisal reports, documents relating to work carried out or repairs made, invoices, warranties, permits, plans, certificates and insurance documents tied to past damage, as well as anything you know about water infiltration, losses, deficiencies or work that has affected the building. This list is not exhaustive. Any component or part of the building that cannot be observed owing to limited access, to clutter or to another condition present at the time of the visit will be stated as a limitation in the report.

Some properties or mandates do not match the services offered by Inspection Strux, in particular because of their floor area, their number of units, their commercial or mixed use, or certain particular features of the building. In those cases, we do not take on the mandate. Instead, we invite you to consult the "Trusted inspectors" section, set up for that purpose, where you can be directed to professionals who may be better able to meet your needs.

Where we are not in a position to take on your mandate, we tell you so, and we can point you to a professional suited to your situation or to one of our trusted inspectors. If need be, we help you with that referral, to make your next steps easier. We never pass your personal information on to a third party: the decision to contact the professional or the inspector recommended is entirely yours.

The length varies with the size, the age and the condition of the building. We give you an estimate when the appointment is set, once we know the building.

Thermal imaging is included at no extra charge in all of our building inspections and is carried out whenever conditions allow it to be used. Using a professional thermal camera, our certified inspector can spot certain temperature variations on the surface of the building's materials and components. This technology is a complement to the visual inspection and can help identify heat loss, active water infiltration or areas of moisture, insulation deficiencies, thermal bridges, certain air leaks, radiant heating anomalies and certain abnormal overheating of electrical components. Where relevant thermal anomalies are observed, they may be followed up with further checks and documented in the inspection report. Thermal imaging cannot, however, see through materials, nor can it determine on its own the nature or cause of an anomaly. Its effectiveness may also vary with the conditions present at the time of the inspection.

The drone is used as a complementary observation tool when weather conditions, the layout of the site, safety and regulations allow it to be used. It is included at no extra charge whenever it can be flown, and can make it easier to observe certain sections of the roof or other components that are hard to reach. The images collected let the inspector examine visible surfaces more closely and document certain apparent anomalies. The drone does not, however, replace a direct examination of the roof where that is possible and safe.

No, and no inspection can. An inspection is a visual examination of the components accessible at the time of the visit: whatever is concealed behind a finish or under snow cannot be observed. The report states explicitly what could not be verified.

A water analysis service can be added to the building inspection for an additional fee. Depending on your needs, you can request a potability analysis, a physicochemical analysis, or both services combined. Samples are taken during the inspection, then sent to an accredited laboratory to assess the targeted parameters. These analyses are particularly relevant for properties supplied by a private well. Results are sent to the client once the laboratory has completed its analyses.

The report is sent to you within the turnaround agreed when the mandate is taken on. It presents the observations made at the time of the inspection along with the applicable recommendations. Where a further check, an expert appraisal or the involvement of a qualified person is recommended, that is stated directly in the report so that you can take note of it before going further.

It is an illustrated digital document setting out the observations made during the inspection. Photographs and location markers are included where relevant, to document the components observed and to highlight those that call for particular attention.

Yes. A follow-up conversation is included in every mandate, precisely because the most useful questions come up on a second reading of the report.