To help homeowners and builders determine which work and material defects are covered by the statutory warranty, Tarion provides two detailed reference guides. 

The Third Edition of the Construction Performance Guidelines for new homes and residentail condominium units is now available. For more information on this document, please see below.  

The Common Element Construction Performance Guidelines is designed for the common elements of residential condominium construction. For more information on this document, please see below.   

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 in new homes and residential condominium units 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.

Search the Construction Performance Guidelines - Third Edition

The Construction Performance Guidelines - Third Edition provide objective and uniform criteria that set out the minimum performance required in the construction of new homes in Ontario . They relate to work and materials deficiencies and complement the Ontario Building Code. In any case where a guideline is not consistent with a provision of the Ontario Building Code, the Ontario Building Code will prevail.

The Third Edition of the Construction Performance Guidelines apply to conciliations, claim inspections and warranty reviews conducted by Tarion on or after January 1,2013.

You can search the guidelines to help you better understand what is and isn't covered by the warranty. Using the keyword search, type the specific nature of problem (i.e., "crack"), and check the applicable section(s) (i.e., foundation/basement) where the problem exists. Please be sure to provide values for the mandatory search criteria.

Browse the Construction Performance Guidelines - Third Edition

The Construction Performance Guidelines – Third edition  provide objective and uniform criteria that set out the minimum performance required in the construction of new homes in Ontario . They relate to work and materials deficiencies and complement the Ontario Building Code. In any case where a guideline is not consistent with a provision of the Ontario Building Code, the Ontario Building Code will prevail.

The Construction Performance Guidelines – Third Edition apply to conciliations, claim inspections and warranty reviews conducted by Tarion on or after January 1, 2013.

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).

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.

Common Element Construction Performance Guidelines 

The Common Element Construction Performance Guidelines (the CE CPGs) relate to how Tarion will decide disputes between builders and condominium corporations about defects in work or materials. 

Specifically, these guidelines provide objective and uniform criteria that set out the minimum performance required in the construction of the common elements of new residential condominium homes in Ontario.

These criteria will be used by Tarion when determining whether or not a condition is covered by the statutory warranty. These guidelines reflect current common understanding of how situations described within would be assessed by Tarion. The CE CPGs are intended to supplement the existing Construction Performance Guidelines for the New Home Building Industry (see document above) and have been prepared in consultation with various industry groups.

How to Use this Document

This document is divided into articles based on construction sequence. When you open it, a Table of Contents will appear on the left hand side of your screen to help you locate the condition you’re researching. As a PDF, the CE CPGs can also be searched.
To do this, simply press the Control button and the letter F on your keyboard, and a search field will appear on your screen.  

Search the Common Element Construction Performance Guidelines

The Common Element Construction Performance Guidelines relate to how Tarion will decide disputes between builders and condominium corporations about defects in work or materials.

Specifically, these guidelines provide objective and uniform criteria that set out the minimum performance required in the construction of the common elements of new residential condominium homes in Ontario.

These criteria will be used by Tarion when determining whether or not a condition is covered by the statutory warranty. These guidelines reflect current common understanding of how situations described within would be assessed by Tarion.
Using the keyword search, type the specific nature of problem and check the applicable section(s) where the problem exists. Please be sure to provide values for the mandatory search criteria.

You can search the guidelines to help you better understand what is and what isn't covered under the statutory warranty. Using the keyword search, type the specific nature of problem and check the applicable section(s) where the problem exists. Please be sure to provide values for the mandatory search criteria.

Browse the Common Element Construction Performance Guidelines

The Common Element Construction Performance Guidelines relate to how Tarion will decide disputes between builders and condominium corporations about defects in work or materials.

Specifically, these guidelines provide objective and uniform criteria that set out the minimum performance required in the construction of the common elements of new residential condominium homes in Ontario.

These criteria will be used by Tarion when determining whether or not a condition is covered by the statutory warranty. These guidelines reflect current common understanding of how situations described within would be assessed by Tarion.

You can browse the Guidelines to help you better understand what is and isn’t covered under the statutory warranty.