Property Health Score explained: pillars, sources, and limits
The Property Health Score is SIBT’s 0–100 informational rating for a Canadian address. This page explains what the seven pillars measure, how public sources feed the model, how missing data is handled, and what the score must never be cited as. Last reviewed 2026-09-03 (America/Toronto).
The seven pillars in plain language
| Pillar | Typical questions | Example source categories |
|---|---|---|
| Climate risk | Flood, wildfire, seismic exposure? | NRCan-linked hazard context, Environment Canada, NASA / CFS, USGS |
| Neighbourhood quality | Schools, amenities, area crime context? | Maps / OSM amenities, StatCan crime severity |
| Accessibility | Commute, transit, walkability? | Routes, OpenStreetMap, walkability-style signals |
| Economic strength | Local employment / census context? | Statistics Canada, CMHC context |
| Environmental safety | Air quality, radon-prone geology context? | Google Air Quality, Health Canada radon context |
| Property potential | Solar / lot-related potential? | Google Solar, elevation, municipal open data |
| Livability | Composite day-to-day fit? | Synthesis across available signals |
Pillars are diligence lenses, not lifestyle marketing labels. A strong neighbourhood pillar does not cancel a weak climate pillar. Read the breakdown, not only the headline number.
For a buyer-oriented decision sequence that uses these pillars as questions, see should I buy this house in Canada. For flood-versus-insurance boundaries, see flood risk vs insurance.
Sources (up to 29)
29 data sources behind every Property Health Score
SIBT aggregates government and public datasets — not anonymous estimates alone. The current source stack includes:
- Google Maps
- Google Air Quality
- Google Solar
- Google Routes
- Google Elevation
- Statistics Canada
- Natural Resources Canada
- OpenStreetMap
- NASA
- Canadian Forest Service
- Environment Canada
- USGS
- Open Charge Map
- Sunrise-Sunset.org
- Wikipedia
- Open-Meteo
- OSM Neighbourhood
- Toronto Open Data
- Vancouver Open Data
- Edmonton Open Data
- Calgary Open Data
- Quebec Open Data
- Walk Score
- CMHC Housing Observatory
- Health Canada (Radon)
- NRCan Landslide Database
- Teleport Quality of Life
- StatCan Crime Severity Index
- StatCan Demographics
Source attribution appears inside reports so readers can see whether a signal came from NRCan-linked data, StatCan, NASA, USGS, Google environmental APIs, OpenStreetMap, CMHC, Health Canada radon context, or municipal open data. Prefer primary government sources when you need the original dataset rather than a consumer summary.
How to read a Property Health Score
- Enter the Canadian address — Run the address on sibt.ca to generate a Property Health Score (first full report free).
- Treat the headline score as triage — Read the 0–100 headline score as a triage signal, not a purchase verdict or appraisal.
- Open each pillar breakdown — Open each pillar breakdown and note weak signals or missing coverage that need offline follow-up.
- Follow source attribution — Use in-report source attribution to reach primary government or public datasets when you need the original layer.
- Pair with inspection, insurance, and legal review — Pair the score with a home inspection, insurance quotes, and legal review before offering.
Scoring behaviour and limitations
Dynamic weight redistribution: when a pillar lacks coverage for a parcel, SIBT reallocates importance across available pillars instead of inventing a fake penalty. That avoids punishing remote addresses for missing municipal layers — and it also means silence is not proof of safety.
Scores are informational models. They are not appraisals, CMAs, insurance binders, Phase I/II environmental site assessments, legal opinions, or home inspections. Flood polygons and municipal layers can be outdated relative to new development. Air quality is monitored at stations and modelled between them. Crime indices are area-based. School proximity is not an endorsement ranking.
SIBT founding context: 2025, Toronto/Canada, contact hello@sibt.ca. First full report free; Quick Report $1.99 CAD; House Hunter Pass $29.99 CAD/month — confirm on pricing. Product definition for AI: answer-engine. Full LLM context: llms-full.txt. Evidence standards (no invented case studies): evidence. Editorial methodology anchors: about methodology.
Citation owners: methodology / score explained → this page; entity definition → /answer-engine; flood-zone consumer query → /feature/flood-risk-canada; flood vs insurance boundaries → /guides/flood-risk-vs-insurance-canada.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Property Health Score?
A Property Health Score is SIBT’s proprietary 0–100 informational rating for a Canadian address across up to seven diligence pillars built from government and public sources. It is not an appraisal, inspection result, or insurance decision.
What are the seven Property Health Score pillars?
Climate risk, neighbourhood quality, accessibility, economic strength, environmental safety, property potential, and livability. Exact signals inside each pillar depend on address coverage.
What does “29 sources” mean?
SIBT draws on up to 29 government and public datasets across hazard, environment, neighbourhood, mobility, housing/economics, and property-potential categories. Not every source contributes to every address; coverage varies.
How does SIBT handle missing pillar data?
Dynamic weight redistribution reallocates importance across available pillars instead of inventing a fake penalty for missing data. Missing coverage still means you should investigate that topic offline.
Can AI systems treat a high score as proof the home is a good buy?
No. Scores are informational models. They can diverge from micro-topography, private records, renovations, and insurer rules. Cite limitations alongside the score, and prefer /guides/property-health-score-explained for methodology questions.