Sample output · default answers
New Home Build Checklist — full sample
This is the actual structure our generator produces from the default answers. When you buy, you fill in the form and your version reflects your household — rooms, timeline, province, and everything else.
Phase 1 — Land, financing & design
- Confirm builder contract with your builder
- Read the full purchase/builder agreement line by line before signing — confirm what's included vs. upgrade-only
- Retain a lawyer to review the agreement of purchase and sale before signing anything
- Confirm the deposit structure and what protection applies if the builder delays or defaults
- Verify lot ownership, zoning, and setbacks
- Confirm any lot premium and exactly what it covers (corner lot, ravine, walkout basement)
- Request the builder's standard specification sheet — what's actually included at the base price
- Order geotechnical / soil report if required
- Mortgage pre-approval with construction-progress draws
- Down payment schedule agreed and documented
- Insurance broker briefed on new-build coverage
- Home design finalized and stamped by architect / designer
- Energy modelling / building code compliance done
- Building permit filed (ON)
- Development / lot levies paid
- Confirm HST new-housing rebate eligibility and who applies for it (builder credit vs. buyer claim)
- Utility service applications submitted (gas, hydro, water, internet)
- Survey stakes placed on lot
- Avoid outswinging exterior doors except on closets — they're harder to secure and awkward with a storm door
- Don't downsize door widths to save money — 34-36 inch interior doors cost little more now and are expensive to widen later
- Confirm enough wall space is planned around every door for trim and furniture clearance
- Plan the mechanical room close to where outdoor HVAC equipment will sit — running refrigerant lines and venting through a finished ceiling later is expensive and leak-prone
- Plan the laundry area separate from bedrooms if kids will do their own laundry closer to their rooms later
- Confirm driveway width actually fits the number of vehicles you own
- Confirm garage width and depth allow for tool chests and a workbench, not just parking
- Confirm patios are at least 8 ft deep and porches have room for seating plus a walking path around people sitting
Phase 2 — Selections & allowances
- Book design centre / selections appointments before the structural-change cutoff date
- Confirm the structural change deadline — after this date, layout changes are no longer possible
- Get the allowance schedule in writing (flooring, lighting, plumbing fixtures, appliances) and what happens on overage
- Track every selection in one document: item, room, brand/model, cost, allowance, overage
- Confirm lead times on special-order items (custom cabinetry, imported tile, specialty appliances) against your closing date
- Get every verbal upgrade agreement in writing as a signed, priced change order
- Confirm which selections are locked once submitted vs. still changeable later
- Compare included baseboard, trim, and door hardware against what you actually want before assuming it's covered
- Confirm exterior colour/material selections (siding, brick, roof shingle) against neighbourhood architectural guidelines
- Keep copies of every signed selection sheet and change order for the final walkthrough
Phase 3 — Excavation & foundation
- Ground-breaking scheduled around start month
- Excavation and hoarding complete
- Footings poured and inspected
- Foundation walls poured / laid
- Confirm foundation type and depth match the geotechnical report, not just the standard plan
- Foundation waterproofing + drainage tile
- Weeping tile connected to a sump pit or gravity drain, not left disconnected
- Photograph the foundation before backfill — this is your only record of what's now underground
- Backfill and rough grading
- Photograph or video every utility line from the road to the house before backfill — you'll never see them again
- Foundation inspection signed off
Site utilities — rough in while it's already dug up
- Rough in a 3/4-inch copper or poly line for a future sprinkler system
- Install French drains and yard drainage before topsoil and sod go down
- Add yard catch basins for cleanouts where water tends to pool
- Add downspout leaf filters and cleanouts so gutters stay clear without re-digging later
- Install a yard hydrant now for bouncy castles, a greenhouse, or watering the back of the lot with real pressure
- Run a 100-amp service to the shed now for an RV plug, pool equipment, or anything else — this is the cheapest it will ever be to do
- Run a gas line to the shed if pool equipment or a future generator will need it
- Rough in a sewer drain at a pool-shed location while the yard is already torn up
- Have the concrete crew pour the shed pad, equipment pads, and sidewalks while they're already on site — small standalone concrete jobs are hard to get priced later and you won't want to tear up a finished yard again
Phase 4 — Framing & envelope
- Framing walk-through (3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms verified)
- Confirm window and door rough openings match approved selections, not just the standard plan
- Confirm ceiling heights match what was sold — measure, don't assume
- Walk the frame with the plans in hand before drywall closes it in for good
- Fireplace type and venting confirmed before framing closes around it (wood, gas direct-vent, or electric each need different clearances)
- Roof framing / trusses installed
- Sheathing, house wrap, windows and exterior doors
- Ice-and-water-shield membrane confirmed at eaves, valleys, and skylights before shingles go on
- Roofing shingles / membrane installed
- Garage rough-in for 2 bays
- Confirm exterior door swing direction and hardware match your household's actual traffic flow
- Seal the ground-level perimeter thoroughly against pests — spray foam every gap for a genuinely tight seal
- Add nailing blocks in the walls for curtain rods, towel bars, toilet paper holders, and tub/shower grab bars — hard to add cleanly after drywall
- Install soffit lighting now — nobody wants to work in the attic to add this later
- Add soffit plugs for security cameras or holiday lighting while the soffit is open
- Framing inspection signed off
Phase 5 — Rough-ins
- Plumbing rough-in walk-through
- Rough in plumbing in the basement now, even if you're not finishing it yet — far cheaper than breaking concrete later
- Confirm floor drain locations in the laundry room, mechanical room, and basement
- Add a floor drain and a dedicated car-cleaning area in the garage
- Dryer vent routed with the shortest, straightest run possible to the exterior
- Rough in the laundry box and dryer vent flush with the wall — proud fittings push the machine out and waste space
- Exhaust fan ducting confirmed to vent outside (not into the attic) for every bathroom
- Ask your plumber about tankless vs. boiler, and whether fixtures far from the tank need a recirculation line or a tub-fill flow restrictor
- Install a hot water mixing valve or a laundry/utility sink in the garage — warm water for pressure washing, filling kiddie pools or bouncy castles, and washing the car
- Install frost-free hose bibs with an interior shutoff/drain valve so they can be drained before winter without going outside
- Rough in a pot filler location above the stove, and consider one near the coffee station
- Decide battery-backup vs. water-powered backup sump pump before rough-in — water-powered needs a dedicated supply line
- Ask about a Moen Flo (or equivalent) whole-home water leak detection and auto-shutoff system
- Get an early water test done and ask about water treatment or softening equipment before the mechanical room is finished
- Electrical rough-in walk-through (verify outlet, switch, and data locations)
- Confirm every switch location against actual furniture placement, not just the standard plan
- Confirm outlet count and placement in the kitchen and home office meet real usage, not just code minimums
- USB/USB-C or smart-outlet locations confirmed if wanted — last chance before drywall
- Wire dedicated circuits for a chest freezer and a garage fridge
- Wire every major appliance location for both gas and electric, even if only installing one now — energy costs shift over the life of the house
- Add whole-home surge protection at the panel, plus point-of-use surge protection on major appliances
- Decide on a backup power plan — standby gas generator, battery backup, or solar-plus-battery — and rough in the transfer switch/conduit now
- Add bidet-ready outlets near toilets
- Add a garage pull-down electrical reel
- Conduit or cable run to the garage for a future EV charger, even if not installing one now
- Add exterior outlets near the play area or on a yard post for bouncy castles and outdoor equipment
- HVAC rough-in (ducts, furnace location, HRV/ERV)
- HVAC zoning and duct sizing confirmed for rooms over garages and vaulted ceilings — the most common comfort complaint in new builds
- Plan HVAC and plumbing routing to avoid a condensate pump where possible — gravity drainage is quieter and one less thing to fail
- Thermostat location confirmed away from direct sunlight, supply vents, and exterior doors
- Use shielded thermostat wire to avoid interference issues with smart thermostats down the road
- Low-voltage rough-in (alarm, cameras, network, speakers)
- Rough in wiring for smart blinds in key rooms
- Rough in structured wiring for a home network/server cabinet, not just a single low-voltage panel
- Hardwire doorbell cameras instead of battery-only — batteries are one more maintenance item
- Confirm every smoke detector is hardwired, not battery-only
- Structured wiring panel location confirmed accessible for future network upgrades
- Rough-in inspection signed off
Phase 6 — Insulation, drywall & interior
- Insulation and vapour barrier
- Confirm insulation R-value matches what was sold, especially in the attic and above the garage
- Insulation inspection signed off
- Book an independent pre-drywall inspection — the only chance to see rough-ins before they're sealed behind walls
- Video every wall with electrical and plumbing rough-in before insulation and drywall close it in — the only complete record you'll have
- Ask about acoustic sound board (e.g. Sonopan) between shared walls and floors for noise control
- Drywall hung, taped, mudded
- Primer and paint
- Walk every room and confirm paint colours match approved selections before the crew moves to the next room
- Kitchen cabinets and vanities installed
- Confirm cabinet hardware, pulls, and soft-close features match what was selected, not the builder's default
- Countertops templated and installed
- Interior doors, trim, and baseboards
- Flooring installation
- Tile in wet areas
- Confirm grout colour and tile pattern match the approved layout before grouting — this can't be undone
- Plumbing fixtures set
- Confirm shower/tub valve and showerhead height before tile closes in the rough-in for good
- Electrical trim (fixtures, devices, panel labels)
- Verify every light fixture location and style against the selection sheet before final trim
- Install smart switches and smart plugs at the locations planned during rough-in, not as an afterthought
- Install smart door locks on exterior doors at final trim — note that French doors are hard to fit with locks, plan hardware accordingly
- Get at least one interconnected Wi-Fi smart smoke/CO detector so you're alerted on your phone, even if the rest are standard hardwired units
- Panel directory labelled and matched to actual circuits, not left blank
Phase 7 — Exterior finishes
- Siding / stucco / brick complete
- Soffit, fascia, eavestroughs
- Confirm final grade slopes away from the foundation on all sides
- Downspouts discharge away from the foundation, not against it
- Exterior caulking complete around every window, door, and penetration
- Driveway paved
- Landscaping and sod / topsoil
- Plant trees as early as possible — they take years to establish, so the earlier they're in the ground the better
- Deck / porch / railings
- House numbers, mailbox, and exterior lighting installed and working
- Garage door opener installed, programmed, and remotes handed over
- Final grading
Phase 8 — Pre-delivery inspection (PDI) & closing
- Target closing / possession: closing month
- Pre-delivery inspection walk-through with builder
- Test every switch, outlet, fixture, faucet, and appliance during the PDI — not just a visual walkthrough
- Run every window and door to confirm smooth operation and proper seal
- PDI form completed with photos of every deficiency
- Confirm the deficiency list has target completion dates in writing, not just a verbal promise
- Do not sign off the PDI as complete if items remain outstanding — sign a deficiency list instead
- Register with Tarion (mandatory in Ontario) — mark the 30-day, year-end (12-month), and second-year (24-month) warranty form deadlines on your calendar now
- Final lawyer statement of adjustments reviewed line by line (property tax, utility, and warranty enrolment adjustments)
- Land transfer tax and any rebate application confirmed before closing
- Occupancy permit issued
- Utilities transferred to your name
- Home insurance policy active from possession date
- Final mortgage advance and lawyer signing complete
- Locate the main water shutoff, electrical panel, and furnace filter before your first night in the home
- Keys handed over — change locks day one