The BNQ qualification of deficiencies
Chapter 8 of the BNQ 3009-500 standard distinguishes three natures of deficiency, each of which requires different content in the report. The BNQ qualification records that nature on the narrative: Lumos then knows what each field should cover, and can point it out at the right moment.
The qualification is optional. An unqualified narrative behaves exactly as before — no warning, no blocking.
The three qualifications
Apparent defect (art. 8.1)
The anomaly was observed directly: it is visible, measurable, witnessed. The standard asks for a description of the problem, its impact on the condition of the inspected parts, and the risks if left uncorrected.
Examples: cracked brick on the facade, damaged parging on the foundation, fractured door glazing.
Indication of deficiency (art. 8.2)
A sign suggesting a problem that is not directly observable. The inspector records the sign — they do not conclude on the cause. The standard makes the recommendation mandatory, and it must be objectively justified by the sign described.
Examples: efflorescence traces at the bottom of a foundation wall, water stains on a ceiling, persistent condensation.
Special case set out by the standard: the end of useful life of a system or component is explicitly an indication of deficiency, even when visible.
Safety risk (art. 8.3)
A condition that exposes people to a danger for their safety or physical integrity. The standard requires a recommendation aimed at eliminating the risk, along with a statement of the risks of not acting on it.
Examples: guardrail climbable by young children, permanently installed extension cords, uneven steps.
Qualification and severity: two distinct axes
The qualification answers “what is it, in the standard’s terms”. Severity answers “how serious is it”. The two combine freely:
- a safety risk rated Hazard = an observed, confirmed risk;
- a safety risk rated Possible risk = signs suggesting a risk, to be confirmed by technical expertise — the typical case of asbestos, vermiculite, or mold.
Because the qualification lives on the narrative and not on the severity, you can freely customize your severity scales without ever touching the normative compliance of your reports.
Where the qualification appears
- In the narrative edit modal, on the same row as Type and Severity — only when the type is Deficiency and the inspection is a pre-purchase one (pre-handover inspections are not governed by BNQ 3009-500).
- In the narrative bank forms, under the same conditions.
- Lumos bank narratives are being progressively qualified by our team; your personal narratives can be qualified by you, at your own pace.
Bank → report inheritance
The qualification follows the same lifecycle as the narrative’s texts: it is inherited when you add a bank narrative to a report, editable on the instance (if you rewrite the Identification to the point of changing its nature — for example from “signs of deformation” to “beam sagging 3 cm, laser-measured”), and it only flows back into the bank through the “Save to bank” action.
What your client never sees
The qualification never appears in the interactive report or in any buyer-facing interface. “Apparent defect” carries direct legal weight (art. 1726 of the Civil Code of Québec): that assessment ultimately belongs to the courts, not to a UI label.