Moving toward 3 inspections per building!

GCR has unveiled its 2025-2029 Inspection Program. This 10th edition is another major turning point in inspection as GCR commits to carry out 3 inspections from 2029 on each new home subject to the mandatory guarantee plan, including one before the contractor closes up the building walls with drywall.

→ To download the 2025-2029 Inspection Program

While GCR has inspected each new home at least once since 2023, it will inspect more buildings each year during the new approach deployment, with 3 inspections for all registered buildings by early 2029.

The 2025-2029 Inspection Program deployment plan in two key milestones:

• Starting in 2027 : At least two inspections for all buildings
• Starting in 2029 : At least three inspections for all buildings

*The full inspection plan consists of three inspections: one done before the walls are closed up (before the drywall is installed), and two done at two of the four other main stages of the construction process.

GCR performs inspections at one of the five main stages of the construction process.

The GCR inspector will check a number of elements on site at each stage of the construction process.

The inspector’s job is to ensure that the construction project is compliant with current construction norms and regulations, including the Quebec Construction Code. The inspector also takes into account the construction plans, the contractor’s contractual obligations and manufacturer requirements.

For more information, please consult the following insert (in french):

A. The types of observations that the report might include

Preventive notification

If, based on what it observes on site, GCR anticipates that any elements that have not been carried out or completed may contain deficiencies once finished, it will issue the contractor a preventive notification. The expectation is that the contractor will take any necessary action to bring the elements into compliance by the time the construction is completed. The contractor must provide evidence of the corrections. If the evidence is deemed insufficient, GCR may deduct points from the contractor’s inspection rating and require further corrective action.

Non-compliance

An incident of non‑compliance occurs if the GCR inspector finds any element of the construction to be non‑compliant with the current Quebec Construction Code, regulations, best practices and/or manufacturer requirements. Incidents of non-compliance are automatically categorized by level of risk.

Low-risk : these incidents meet the analysis criteria for risk level A or B

Average-risk : these incidents meet the analysis criteria for risk level A and B

High-risk : these incidents meet the analysis criteria for risk level C

In the plan implemented by GCR as of 2025, Pre-wall closing inspection is a keystone of GCR’s new strategy. The reason is quite simple: this type of inspection allows the inspector to check and observe the greatest possible number of elements of the construction. Once the walls are closed up, many of these elements are simply impossible to observe.

GCR must complete the inspection in a timely manner so there are no delays in the construction work. To this end, the information that GCR has must be correct. Just as the contractor has responsibilities with regard to letting GCR perform the inspection prior to closing up the walls, GCR is responsible for performing the inspection within the time limit, time limit to be determined at a later date following the Tournée GCR 2024 where the contractors will be consulted on this.

For more information, please consult the following insert (in french):

Under the 2025–2029 Inspection Program, GCR will be ramping up its inspections every year through 2029, and will count on the cooperation and professionalism of contractors to carry out this important undertaking. In addition to being responsible for the quality of the buildings delivered to their clients, contractors must fulfill the responsibilities described below.

For more information, please consult the following insert (in french):

GCR’s mandate is to administer the mandatory guarantee plan, and it does so in accordance with the Regulation respecting the guarantee plan for new residential buildings. Under the Regulation, buyers of new homes – and the public at large-have access to certain types of information about construction contractors’ work.

Buyers have access to inspection reports

Under section 73 of the Regulation, buyers of new properties covered by the mandatory guarantee plan can request access to documents concerning their building, including all GCR inspections. If a buyer so requests, GCR will provide all inspection reports and evidence that any incidents of non-compliance that GCR found have been corrected.

Incidents of non-compliance in GCR’s directory

Under both section 73 of the Regulation and the RBQ’s Politique d’information sur l’entrepreneur, GCR provides information about every company in its Accredited Business Directory. Anyone can consult this public directory free of charge to find out a company’s accreditation status, the number of claims recognized by GCR, and any arbitration decisions concerning the company. Each company’s profile also includes all incidents of non-compliance found in GCR inspections in the last two years.

The fact that this information is available to buyers of new homes and the general public is all the more reason for contractors to ensure a high level of building quality for new home buyers.

For more information on the topic, watch this video (in french):