The well is nobody's responsibility but yours

A private well is not monitored by any authority. Testing is the owner's job, which means it becomes your job the day you take possession.

Before you remove conditions, test for bacteria — E. coli and coliform — and for nitrates, and run a flow and recovery test so you know the well produces enough water and recovers at a usable rate. A home inspection usually excludes all of this.

The septic system needs its own inspection

Septic fields and holding tanks require a separate, dedicated inspection. Most home inspectors do not include them. A failed field is a five-figure surprise, and it is one of the few problems on a rural property that can stop you occupying the house at all.

Permits, and who holds them

Confirm that permits were pulled and finalised. Outside Winnipeg this runs through the local planning district or provincial Inspection and Technical Services rather than the City, so the first question is which authority is responsible for this particular parcel. Inside the city, ask for the lot grading certificate.

If it is a new or ready-to-move build

New home warranties are not mandatory in Manitoba. That single fact surprises most buyers. The province's standard tiers run roughly one, two and seven years — one year on workmanship and materials, two on systems and water or envelope defects, and major structural to seven, with some private programmes extending structural to ten.

Because enrolment is voluntary, the question to put to any builder is simple: are you enrolled with a third-party warranty provider, and may I see the certificate? No certificate, no protection. For a ready-to-move home, coverage applies once it is set on a permanent foundation.

And on any build, read the specification sheet

The floorplan sells the idea; the specification sheet is the truth. Verify the R-value of the insulation — Manitoba is a cold-climate zone — the window type and ratings, and the grade of lumber.

Phase inspections beat a final walkthrough. Have someone who understands construction look at the framing and the rough-in, so errors are found before drywall hides them, and document every deficiency in writing at the pre-possession walkthrough.

The inspector question

Manitoba does not license home inspectors, so credentials matter: InterNACHI, CAHPI or NHICC. And an inspection remains a visual assessment of structure and major systems — not a guarantee, and not a substitute for the well test, the septic inspection, or the permit search.

More in the answers, or see how I work on land and building questions.