Façade and parking structure inspection: bring your building into compliance, hassle-free.
As structural engineers and OIQ members, we produce the verification report required by the RBQ — for façades and parking slabs — then take care of what comes next: plans and specifications, tendering, construction supervision and the certificate of conformity.
- Structural engineers (OIQ)
- Façades and parking structures
- From the report to the certificate of conformity
Structural engineers
Report, plans and specifications, supervision: everything is signed by our engineers.
Façades and parking structures
Both components of Bill 122, handled by the same team.
Ready for the register
Report compliant with RBQ requirements.
All types of owners
Syndicates, rental, commercial and institutional buildings, property managers.
What the law requires of you, and when
Adopted in 2013 after accidents in Montreal, Bill 122 added maintenance obligations for façades and parking slabs to the RBQ’s Safety Code. It applies to every owner — co-ownership syndicates, rental, commercial or institutional buildings.
Who is coveredAny building with 5 storeys or more above ground, whatever its use or year of construction.
FrequencyA verification report by an engineer or architect once the building reaches 10 years, then every 5 years.
The reportIt describes the condition of the façades, the defects observed, the recommended corrective work and its schedule. It must be kept in the building register, available to the RBQ on request.
Dangerous conditionIf an element is at risk of detaching, the professional notifies you without delay and you must put emergency measures in place, then correct the situation.
Parking structuresConcrete parking slabs have their own obligations: an in-depth verification by an engineer every 5 years and an annual check by the owner.
PenaltiesFailure to comply exposes the owner to the fines set out in the Building Act — and to civil liability in the event of an accident.
Good to know: under the law, a façade includes every element attached to the envelope — cladding, balconies, guardrails, cornices, signs, equipment. That is why the inspection covers every face of the building, not just the front.
Are your façades and parking structure covered by Bill 122?
A few questions are enough to know whether you have a legal inspection obligation — façades, parking slabs, or both — and whether your next deadline has already passed.
This tool gives a general indication. Our team confirms your situation and exact deadlines free of charge.
Your façades
And your parking structure?
From your request to the signed report, in 6 steps — façades and parking structures
A proven process, a single point of contact, and a report your board of directors or management team can read and use.
1. Quote and preliminary analysis
You send us the address, year of construction and a few photos. We assess the number of façades, the height and the access constraints, then you receive a detailed quote.
2. Document collection
Architectural drawings, previous reports, work history, building register: we gather what exists to focus the inspection.
3. Choice of access method
Depending on the envelope: inspection from the balconies, or by rope-access technicians rappelling from the roof. We coordinate everything with your manager.
4. Visual inspection of every façade
Systematic survey by an engineer: cladding, joints, balconies, guardrails, anchors. Each deficiency is photographed and located on the façade drawing.
5. Signed verification report
Written to the National Master Specification (NMS): deficiencies ranked by priority, remediation strategy, schedule and budget estimate. Signed and sealed by an OIQ engineer.
6. Presentation and corrective work
We present the findings to the owner or board of directors, then can take care of what follows: plans and specifications, tendering, construction supervision and certificate of conformity.
A report designed to be read, understood and acted on
Many reports end up in a drawer. Ours is designed to become the basis of the plans and specifications for corrective work — and, for co-ownerships, of the reserve fund study.
Annotated drawings of every façade
Each deficiency is numbered and positioned on the corresponding elevation.
Linked photo report
Each number refers to one or more dated, annotated photos.
Clear prioritization
Dangerous condition, short term, medium term, maintenance: you know what to do first.
Schedule and budget estimate
Remediation costs per deficiency, to plan contributions without surprises.
Compliant with the RBQ register
Signed and sealed, ready to file in the building register.
After the report, we carry the corrective work through to the certificate of conformity
A report that identifies deficiencies is only the first step. Our strength is what comes next: designing the work, selecting the contractor, supervising execution and certifying conformity — for façades and parking slabs alike.
Plans and specifications
Design of the repair work by our structural engineers: drawings, technical specifications and bid schedule, ready for tendering.
Tendering
Selection of qualified contractors, comparative analysis of bids and award recommendation — you decide with full knowledge.
Construction supervision
Site surveillance by an engineer: conformity to the drawings, handling of unforeseen conditions, tracking of payments and deadlines.
Certificate of conformity
At the end of the work, we issue the signed and sealed certificate confirming the repairs — to be filed in your building register.
Façades and parking structures. Cladding, balconies, guardrails, masonry, concrete slabs, membranes, drainage: our structural engineers work on both components of Bill 122.
What our clients count on, mandate after mandate
Structural engineers from start to finish
The inspection, analysis, report, plans and specifications and supervision are handled by structural engineers who are members of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec — not by a technician whose report is signed after the fact.
One partner, from diagnosis to conformity
No need to coordinate one firm for the report, another for the drawings and a third for supervision: the same team follows you through to the certificate of conformity.
A partner who understands your reality
Co-ownership syndicates, property managers, owners of rental, commercial or institutional buildings: we know your constraints — meetings, budgets, tenants, continuous operations.
Group pricing for building portfolios
Managers and owners of several buildings: group them in a single mandate and benefit from coordinated pricing and scheduling.
From diagnosis to construction, and beyond
The report identifies the deficiencies; our structural engineers design, oversee and certify the work; and for co-ownerships, the reserve fund study and the maintenance log complete the picture. One team, no inconsistencies between providers.
Façade and parking structure inspection
Verification report every 5 years: façades of buildings with 5 storeys or more, concrete parking slabs.
Plans and specifications, tendering, supervision
Our structural engineers design the work, manage the tendering, supervise the site and issue the certificate of conformity.
Reserve fund study and maintenance log
Long-term contribution planning and a living register of your components, including the façade report.
Everything we get asked about façade and parking structure inspections
Is my 4-storey building covered?
No. The law covers buildings with 5 storeys or more above ground. The ground floor counts as a storey; levels entirely below ground do not. In case of doubt (mezzanine, split level, sloped lot), we can rule free of charge from your drawings.
How often must I have my façades inspected?
A first verification when the building reaches 10 years, then every 5 years. If your last report is more than 5 years old, or if you have never had one although the building is more than 10 years old, you are non-compliant.
Who is allowed to sign the report?
Only an engineer or an architect. At Groupe Darheim, all our reports are prepared and signed by engineers who are members of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec.
What does the verification report contain?
A description of each façade and its condition, the deficiencies observed, located on drawings and documented with photos, their priority level, the recommended corrective work, a schedule and a budget estimate. It is signed and sealed for filing in the building register.
Rope access or balconies: how do you decide?
If every façade can be inspected up close from the balconies, that is where we work from. Otherwise — blind walls, high cladding, no balconies — rope-access technicians rappel down the façade from the roof under the engineer’s direction. Both methods are included in the preliminary analysis.
How much does a façade inspection cost?
The price depends on the number of façades, the height, the access method and the existing documentation. We provide a detailed quote, free of charge and without obligation. For managers, group pricing applies when several buildings are combined.
What happens if you find a dangerous condition?
We notify you immediately, in writing, and tell you which emergency measures to put in place (safety perimeter, removal of the element, shoring). You must then have the situation corrected. These measures must be recorded in the register.
What about parking slabs?
Yes, we inspect them too. Bill 122 also requires an in-depth verification of concrete multi-level or underground parking structures by an engineer every 5 years, plus an annual check by the owner. Our structural engineers carry out both mandates — façades and parking — often during the same visit.
Do you also handle the corrective work?
We are not contractors, but we take care of everything around the work: preparing the plans and specifications, tendering and bid analysis, site supervision by an engineer and the certificate of conformity at completion. As structural engineers, this is our specialty, for façades and parking structures alike.
Do you only work with co-ownerships?
No. Bill 122 applies to every owner of a building with 5 storeys or more: co-ownership syndicates, but also owners of rental, commercial, industrial or institutional buildings, and property managers. We adapt our approach to each context.
Which documents must I keep?
The building register must contain the verification reports, the description of the work carried out and of the emergency measures taken, as well as the design and construction documents. It must be available to the RBQ on request.
Can the inspection be combined with the reserve fund study?
For co-ownerships, yes, and that is what we recommend: the site visit serves both mandates, and the façade report’s estimates are integrated directly into the study. You save time and money and avoid inconsistencies between two firms.
Get your free quote
Describe your building in two minutes. An engineer calls you back to confirm your situation and send you a detailed quote.
- No obligation, no charge for the preliminary analysis
- You speak directly with the engineer who will do the inspection
- Detailed, itemized quote
Prefer to call?
514-929-8752 · info@groupedarheim.ca