Verification directory
A record answers a different question than an inspection does. This page maps which record types may exist, who holds them, what each one can and cannot establish, and how insurer underwriting questions differ from anything an inspector reports.
Through records rather than appearance. Request the municipal building-permit history for the address, then any electrical or gas permit records held provincially, then the seller's invoices. Verify contractor licensing with the provincial regulator. Ask the insurer separately, in writing, what it requires for that address.
| Record type | Usually held by | What it can show | What it does not show |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building permit history | Municipality (city, town, county, or regional office) | That a permit was issued for a described scope on a date, and whether inspections were finalised. | That the work matches the permit today, or that unpermitted work does not exist. |
| Electrical permit or certificate | Provincial safety authority or the municipality, depending on jurisdiction | That electrical work was declared and inspected under that permit. | The condition of circuits not covered by that permit, including anything original. |
| Gas or heating appliance record | Provincial safety authority, utility, or servicing contractor | Installation and, sometimes, service events for the appliance. | Current safe operation. That requires a licensed technician's present-day assessment. |
| Contractor licence status | Provincial regulator or licensing body | Whether a contractor holds a current licence, and often its class. | Workmanship quality, or licence status at the time of past work unless the register shows history. |
| Seller documentation | Seller | Invoices, warranties and reports that can corroborate a claimed upgrade. | Anything the seller did not keep. Absence is a gap, not evidence either way. |
| Insurer underwriting answer | The specific insurer | Whether that insurer will quote this address, and on what conditions. | How any other insurer will treat the property, or whether the property is safe. |
Responsibility is split differently in each province and territory, and municipalities hold most building records. Start with the official authority, then the municipality.
Explains how building, electrical, gas and plumbing permits are administered and who issues them locally.
Permit searches are handled by the municipality or the accredited agency that issued the permit. Ask for the permit list by address, the discipline of each permit, and the final inspection status.
Provincial permitting and licensing for electrical and gas work; also lists licensed contractors.
Building permits sit with the local government; electrical and gas permits may sit provincially. Request both, and confirm whether a permit was closed.
Administers electrical permits and certificates of inspection, and lists licensed electrical contractors.
Building permit history is a municipal record. Electrical work may have a separate provincial record. Ask for both, and verify contractor licensing separately.
Contractor licensing and building regulation; licence status can be verified by name or licence number.
Municipal permit records are requested from the city or borough. Confirm contractor licence status at the time the work was done, where the date is known.
Model codes are published nationally; each province and territory adopts and amends them with its own effective dates.
Start with the municipality for building permits, then identify the provincial or territorial authority responsible for electrical and gas work. Which body holds which record varies.
Describes what a visual inspection observed on one date, with stated limitations, and usually recommends further evaluation by specific trades. It is written for you.
Asks whether that insurer will accept the risk, and on what conditions. Requirements are set company by company, and are answered only by that insurer for that address. An inspection finding does not predict the answer.