Alberta's New Home Buyer Protection Act mandates a one-year warranty on workmanship and materials for all new homes. That warranty expires on the first anniversary of possession. An 11-month warranty inspection — commissioned in month 10 or 11 — surfaces deficiencies in time to submit a documented warranty claim before that window closes.
The value comes from how the home behaves through a full Calgary year. The first winter exposes drafts, window seal failures, attic frost, ice damming, furnace short-cycling, and humidity-related condensation. The first spring exposes drainage and grading issues, foundation moisture, and any pre-board deficiencies that have only now become symptomatic. The first summer exposes HVAC sizing problems, exterior caulking failures, and any assemblies that don't tolerate temperature swings.
An inspector at month 11 evaluates the full home with the benefit of operating data — what's been intermittent, what's been comfortable, what hasn't worked as expected. The report is structured for direct submission to the builder under the workmanship warranty, with photos, locations, and clear descriptions of each item.
Common findings in Calgary at 11 months: drywall cracks at corners and over openings (often normal first-year settlement, but documented), nail pops, door alignment changes, window operation issues, HVAC balancing problems, inadequate or improper bath/dryer venting that's now evident as ceiling staining, attic frost evidence, exterior sealant failures, settled grade against the foundation, and any builder-deferred items from the original possession deficiency list.
The inspection cost (typically $450 to $650 in Calgary) is recovered in even one or two warranty items addressed. The bigger value is documentation: claims submitted with photos, third-party descriptions, and a clear list are processed differently than verbal complaints. Many builders prefer the structured format because it streamlines their warranty trades.
Beyond the one-year workmanship warranty, the longer-term Alberta warranty milestones (two-year systems, five-year envelope, ten-year structural) become the framework for future inspections. The 11-month is the only one tied to a hard expiry date.
