Home Maintenance & Warranty Guide

Completing the Exterior Work

It is unfortunately not possible to give you a timeframe of when your exterior work will be done. Whenever possible we complete work in the order of most outstanding, but to maximize the effectiveness of our crews, trades will start at one end of a street and work their way down, and will finish work in one area of the City or RM before moving on to the next. This does not guarantee that your home will be completed at the time a trade is on your street, but in most cases, it is a good indication.

There is some sequence to exterior work. The garage floor is poured before the driveway and approach, and the approach must be inspected before the driveway can be poured. The scratch coat has to cure before the final coat of stucco is applied, and all other exterior work must be complete before final lot grading can begin.

Temporary (gravel) Driveways and Garage Floors

Gravel driveways and garage floors will sink as the frost leaves the ground and you may need to park on the street for a short period until we are able to pour your garage floor and/or driveway. No amount of gravel or fill can prevent frost from causing the ground to sink, it will actually prolong the process, and so we do not typically re-fill driveways or garage floors. If you require a temporary path from the street to your home, please email seasonal work at seasonalwork@qualico.com.

Garage Floors

We cannot pour garage floors until the frost is out of the ground. We monitor each site for frost, so if you notice another garage floor being poured before yours, it is most often because there was little to no frost at that site. When possible, leave garage overhead doors open to help remove the frost.

We will notify you once your garage is scheduled to be poured, and you should expect to keep vehicles off the garage pad for approximately 7 days.

Driveways and Sidewalks

Our licensed contractors are required to take out permits from the City of Winnipeg, or the governing RM, to place driveway approaches. The City or RM will only issue these permits when weather and frost levels are adequate, which is traditionally around mid to late May.

Sometime after a permit is obtained, you will be notified that the driveway, approach and sidewalk (if applicable) are ready to be formed. Once they are formed, the rebar is laid and the City or RM is notified that the approach is ready for inspection. Only after it passes the inspection can we pour the driveway and approach. Once poured, you should expect to keep vehicles off the driveway for approximately 7 days.

Scratch Coats and Stucco

Scratch coat and stucco application require certain daytime and overnight temperatures. Once temperatures allow, we do our best to complete all outstanding scratch coats before beginning stucco applications. This is because scratch coats can be applied in lower temperatures, and because the paper and wire protecting your home should be covered as soon as possible.

If you see the stucco crew about to start work on your street, please ensure that your exterior lawn service is turned on and functional because they will need a small amount of water in order to complete your stucco. Appointments are not set for scratch coat and stucco application.

Exterior Painting

When the painters are in your area they will contact you directly to schedule an appointment. Front door painting requires someone to be at home to leave the door open for a short period to dry.

Lot Grading

Lot Grades are determined by the landscape engineer for your community and are set after all other exterior work is complete. This work can only begin in early to mid-summer when ground conditions permit.

Once the Engineer has placed the lot grade stakes, an independent contractor grades the lot to approximately 4" – 8" below the stake lines to allow room for landscaping materials. Once the grade is complete, the engineers return to inspect that all lot requirements are met, and that it is graded correctly.

Immediately after the final grade passes the inspection, Broadview Homes will send you notice that you can begin landscaping. This letter contains important information about landscaping guidelines, so do not proceed until you have received it. Once the final grade is set, you will want to take care not to alter it.

Exterior Window Cleaning

Exterior windows are cleaned shortly after final grade release so that we can remove the layer of dust that collects during the grading process. If you do not wish to wait until after final grading to have your windows cleaned, you can request this one-time service earlier by emailing the seasonal work department at seasonalwork@qualico.com. Please note that exterior window cleaning is only offered once, and is homeowner responsibility thereafter.

Weather, permits, frost levels, by-laws and material and labor availability will all dictate how quickly we are able to complete your exterior work. These factors are not always within our control, so we appreciate your patience and consideration.

If you still have concerns you can email us at seasonalwork@qualico.com.