Pre-close diligence · 13 jurisdictions · 134 markets
Diligence is a calendar problem before it is a cost problem
Scope the Phase I, Phase II, building condition and geotech work a Canadian commercial deal needs — costed by province, sequenced against your condition period.
01Scope a deal
Diligence cost and timeline estimator
Enter the asset and the site history. The estimator decides which reports a lender and the Ontario regulator will actually require, prices each one, and sequences them into a calendar you can hold against your condition period.
Modelled cost
$11,000–$43,500
Midpoint $19,900
Critical path
23 days
Engagement to reviewed drafts
Risk screen
Low
No flag driving sampling
Condition period
22 days spare
Scope fits
| Report | Status | Cost band | Days | Lands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roof / envelopeA 41-year-old roof is usually the largest single line in the reserve table; a dedicated review turns a range into a number. | Recommended | $2,500–$11,000 | 12 | Day 12 |
| DSS / hazmatA 1985 building is pre-ban construction: the survey is legally required before any renovation or demolition is tendered, and the abatement number belongs in the purchase price. | Required | $2,800–$13,000 | 14 | Day 14 |
| Phase I ESAEvery lender on a commercial file requires a Phase I addressed to it with reliance, dated within six months of funding. | Required | $2,200–$5,500 | 15 | Day 15 |
| BCA / PCAThe lender's reserve requirement is set off the BCA's capital table, so it is a funding condition, not a nice-to-have. | Required | $3,500–$14,000 | 18 | Day 18 |
Out of scope, and why
- Phase II ESA — No area of potential environmental concern was flagged, so the Phase I should close without sampling. If it does not, add roughly the Phase II band to both cost and calendar.
- Geotech — An existing building with a known grading history rarely needs a geotech at acquisition; add one before any addition.
- Elevator — No elevating devices in the asset.
Take this with you
Diligence scope memo
A scope of work you can send to a consultant, attach to a lender package, or hold against a condition-period calendar. Print to PDF — nothing leaves your browser.
- Prepared
- 2026-10-09 by Envirolor
- Jurisdiction
- Ontario — O. Reg. 153/04 (Records of Site Condition)
- Asset
- 50,000 sf industrial, built 1985
- Site area
- 87,120 sf
- Risk screen
- Low (score 1)
- Condition period
- 45 calendar days
- Modelled cost
- $11,000–$43,500
- Critical path
- 23 calendar days
Scope of work
1. Roof and Building Envelope Review — Recommended
Roof-level inspection with core cuts where warranted, moisture scanning, flashing and parapet review, and an envelope assessment covering cladding, sealants and glazing, with remaining service life and replacement cost.
$2,500–$11,000 · engage day 0 · draft day 12
2. Designated Substance and Hazardous Materials Survey — Required
Bulk sampling and laboratory analysis for asbestos-containing materials, lead, mercury, silica and other designated substances, producing the inventory that must be handed to any contractor before demolition or renovation.
$2,800–$13,000 · engage day 0 · draft day 14
3. Phase I Environmental Site Assessment — Required
Records review (fire insurance plans, aerial photography, title, environmental registries), a site reconnaissance visit, and interviews with the owner, occupants and the municipality. The deliverable identifies areas of potential environmental concern (APECs) and states whether intrusive investigation is warranted.
$2,200–$5,500 · engage day 0 · draft day 15
4. Building Condition Assessment — Required
A walk-through of structure, envelope, roofing, mechanical, electrical, vertical transportation, life safety and site works, followed by an immediate-repair list and a capital reserve table projecting replacement costs over the study period.
$3,500–$14,000 · engage day 0 · draft day 18
Verdict
This scope runs 3 required and 1 discretionary report, for a modelled $11,000–$43,500 and a 23-day critical path from engagement to a reviewed set of drafts.
Against the 45-day condition period entered, that leaves 22 days of slack — enough to absorb one lab delay, not two.
No area of potential environmental concern was flagged, so the base case is a Phase I that closes clean. If it does not, the Phase II adds roughly 30 days and the sampling band to this answer.
Modelled figures produced by the Envirolor scoping method from published cost bands and the Environmental Protection Act (O. Reg. 153/04 (Records of Site Condition)). Not a quotation and not professional advice. Confirm scope and fees with a qualified consultant before relying on this memo.
02Why this exists
Most commercial deals die on diligence timing, not diligence cost. A buyer signs a 30- or 45-day condition period drafted around financing, then discovers that the Phase I recommends sampling, that the drill rig is three weeks out, and that the lab needs another two. The extension request arrives from a position of weakness, and the price of the extension is usually the price of the deal.
Envirolor exists to move that discovery forward. Enter the asset and the site history and it decides which reports a lender and the provincial regulator will actually require, prices each one, and sequences them into a calendar you can hold against the condition period before you sign it.
The reference case — a 50,000 sf lender-financed Ontario industrial building with no flagged history — models at $11,000–$43,500 over 23 calendar days. That is the floor, not the expectation: one confirmed area of potential environmental concern moves both numbers materially.
Envirolor facts
- Envirolor publishes diligence rules for all 13 Canadian provinces and territories and tracks 134 markets.
- 7 report types are scoped and costed: Phase I, Phase II, building condition, geotech, roof and envelope, elevating devices, and designated substances.
- The Phase II is the only report that cannot run in parallel, so it lands on the critical path in full.
03Jurisdictions
Start with the province
Contaminated-site law is provincial, so this is where the answer actually changes.
- OntarioO. Reg. 153/04 (Records of Site Condition)
- British ColumbiaB.C. Reg. 375/96 (Contaminated Sites Regulation)
- AlbertaAlta. Reg. 154/2009 (Remediation Regulation)
- QuebecEQA, ss. 31.51–31.53 (cessation of a designated activity)
- ManitobaC.C.S.M. c. C205
- SaskatchewanS.S. 2010, c. E-10.22, Part V
- Nova ScotiaN.S. Reg. 64/2012 (Contaminated Sites Regulations)
- New BrunswickR.S.N.B. 1973, c. C-6, with the Petroleum Product Storage Regulation
- Newfoundland and LabradorSNL 2002 c. E-14.2, with the department's impacted-sites guidance
- Prince Edward IslandR.S.P.E.I. 1988, c. E-9
- YukonContaminated Sites Regulation, O.I.C. 2002/171
- Northwest TerritoriesS.N.W.T. 2019, c. 21
- NunavutR.S.N.W.T. (Nu) 1988, c. E-7, as duplicated for Nunavut
04Report catalogue
What each report buys you
Phase I Environmental Site Assessment
Records review (fire insurance plans, aerial photography, title, environmental registries), a site reconnaissance visit, and interviews with the owner, occupants and the municipality. The deliverable identifies areas of potential environmental concern (APECs) and states whether intrusive investigation is warranted.
Stage one · runs in parallel
Phase II Environmental Site Assessment
Intrusive investigation of the APECs the Phase I flagged: boreholes, monitoring wells, soil and groundwater sampling, laboratory analysis against the applicable standards, and a delineation of any exceedance. Where an exceedance is confirmed, a remedial cost estimate normally follows.
Stage two · critical path
Building Condition Assessment
A walk-through of structure, envelope, roofing, mechanical, electrical, vertical transportation, life safety and site works, followed by an immediate-repair list and a capital reserve table projecting replacement costs over the study period.
Stage one · runs in parallel
Geotechnical Investigation
Boreholes and test pits to characterise soil stratigraphy, bearing capacity, groundwater elevation and settlement risk, with foundation recommendations and excavation guidance.
Stage two · critical path
Roof and Building Envelope Review
Roof-level inspection with core cuts where warranted, moisture scanning, flashing and parapet review, and an envelope assessment covering cladding, sealants and glazing, with remaining service life and replacement cost.
Stage one · runs in parallel
Elevating Devices Condition Review
Review of maintenance records and regulator inspection history, a controller and machine-room assessment, and a modernisation estimate with expected remaining life per device.
Stage one · runs in parallel
Designated Substance and Hazardous Materials Survey
Bulk sampling and laboratory analysis for asbestos-containing materials, lead, mercury, silica and other designated substances, producing the inventory that must be handed to any contractor before demolition or renovation.
Stage one · runs in parallel
05Questions
What does pre-close environmental diligence cost in Canada?
On a 50,000 sf lender-financed industrial building with no site-history flags, a clean Ontario scope models in the low five figures over roughly six weeks. Add a confirmed area of potential environmental concern and the Phase II adds both its cost band and its full duration, because it cannot start until the Phase I finishes.
Why does Envirolor organise by province rather than by city?
Contaminated-site law in Canada is provincial. The statute decides what has to be investigated, who may sign the report and what filing closes the file, so the province is the unit that actually changes the answer. Cities appear where a municipal rule genuinely changes the scope.
Does Envirolor perform assessments or take referral fees?
No. Envirolor publishes benchmarks and scoping tools. It does not perform assessments, remediate sites, or take a fee from consultants.
Envirolor publishes environmental due-diligence benchmarks and scoping tools for commercial real estate. Envirolor does not perform assessments, remediate sites, or provide professional advice.
Not advice — Envirolor is a data publisher. We do not perform, certify, or supervise professional work, and nothing here is a quote, an engagement, or professional advice. Figures are indicative benchmarks for comparison and must be confirmed with a qualified professional before you rely on them. About Envirolor