The Third Edition of the Construction Performance Guidelines is now available, and will apply to all conciliations beginning on January 1, 2013.

The Construction Performance Guidelines is a handy reference guide intended to help builders and homeowners understand which work and material defects are covered under the statutory warranty.

Since the Guidelines were last revised in 2003, Tarion has collected input based on the most common issues encountered by consumers, builders and employees who use this reference manual. This culminated in a number of changes to the guidelines, including ninety three revisions to current items, the addition of sixteen new items, and the deletion of four items. Here is the Final List of Changes (highlighted in yellow) that have been made from the Second Edition of the Construction Performance Guidlines.


For conciliations that occur on or after January 1, 2013, items that fall within the Construction Performance Guidelines will be assessed by Tarion staff in accordance with the Third Edition of the Guidelines. The dates of possession or enrolment do not matter. More details are provided in the Summary.

Until the Third Edition of the Guidelines take official effect, the Second Edition will continue to be used to address the over 240 possible conditions and provide objective criteria that set out the minimum performance required in the construction of new homes in Ontario.

Search the Second Edition of the Construction Performance Guidelines

To help you access it quickly and easily, you can search the Guidelines for a specific condition. Simply enter the type of problem in the "Keyword" window and check the applicable section(s) (i.e., foundation/basement) where the problem exists. 

Browse the Second Edition of the Construction Performance Guidelines

You can browse the Guidelines to help you better understand what is and isn’t covered under the statutory warranty. When you select the browsing option, a list appears of all the areas in the home where potential problems can occur. Simply select one of these areas, (i.e., cabinets and countertops) and a list of related guidelines will appear.

You can also download the complete Second Edition of the Construction Performance Guidelines(2 MB). Please note, download times for this file using a dial-up connection may exceed 10 mins.

The Guidelines complement the Ontario Building Code, which addresses structural integrity and health and safety matters. In any case where a guideline is not consistent with a provision of the Ontario Building Code, the Ontario Building Code will prevail. The Guidelines are designed to be supplemented by any applicable guidelines or standards produced by industry associations. They do not replace manufacturer warranties.

The Guidelines are designed primarily for conventional low-rise, wood frame construction, the predominant method of residential construction in Ontario. Therefore, they may not be applicable in all respects for other types of construction or assemblies.