What is 2-5-10 Home Warranty?

The 2-5-10 New Home Warranty

Many many times we've come across the terms Two-Five-Ten. But what exactly is it? Well, here is a simple break down of what it is and what it covers (according to Homeowner Protection Office).




Home warranty insurance on new homes includes a minimum of 2 years on labour and materials (some limits apply), 5 years on the building envelope, including water penetration, and 10 years on structure. 

The 2-year labour and materials coverage is broken down as follows:
Any defect in materials and labour:
• 12 months on detached homes and on non- common property in strata units (includes fee simple homes)
• 15 months on common property of strata buildings
Defects in materials and labour related to the delivery and distribution systems (electrical, plumbing, heating ventilation, air conditioning, etc.):
• 24 months for all buildings.


But wait! There are always exclusions, so be careful when you think everything is covered.


General exclusions can include: landscaping; non- residential detached structures (however, parking structures, recreational and amenity facilities in multi-unit buildings are covered); commercial use areas; roads, curbs and lanes (however, driveways are covered); site grading and surface drainage; the operation of municipal services; septic tanks and fields; and water quality and quantity.

Defect related exclusions can include: normal wear and tear; normal shrinkage of materials from construction; use of new home for non-residential purposes; materials, labour and design supplied by the owner; damage caused by anyone other than the residential builder; damage caused by insects or rodents; failure of an owner to prevent or minimize damage and acts of nature.


Well, having this protection is better than nothing, but it still doesn't save us from the headaches of having a problematic building or uncooperative builder/ developer.

So in choosing which presale is right for you, the reputation of developers should be very high on your list of criteria. Ask around, or see other past projects that were built by the same builder. A responsible developer can save you many many hours of sleepless nights.

You can read up on the full details of the 2-5-10 Warranty on HPO: http://www.hpo.bc.ca/files/download/Bulletins/2-5-10.pdf