Section 01
Start by defining what is out of scope
Ask your inspector directly which systems they will not assess. That list is your specialist checklist.
On a large custom house it commonly includes in-floor heating, HRV balancing, pools and spas, elevators, irrigation, snow melt and specialised glazing.
Section 02
Envelope performance in an Edmonton winter
Thermal imaging during cold weather reveals insulation gaps and air leakage that a summer walk-through cannot.
Ice damming history, attic ventilation and window condensation patterns are informative and easy to ask about.
Section 03
Mechanical complexity is where money hides
Boilers, manifolds, zone valves, HRVs and multiple furnaces each have service lives and service records. Verify age, capacity and whether the system was balanced.
A hydronic system that was never commissioned properly can be uncomfortable and expensive without ever failing outright.
Section 04
The site is part of the inspection
Grading, retaining structures, driveway drainage and, on slope properties, bank condition all belong in the assessment.
Where the property is escarpment or ravine adjacent, coordinate the geotechnical review with the inspection timeline.
Section 05
Documents are the fifth inspector
Permits, drawings, warranty documents, commissioning records and maintenance history explain what you are looking at and reveal what is missing.
Requesting them early gives your specialists something to verify against rather than merely observe.