Alberta · Energy · checked September 28, 2026

Thermal imaging (thermographic) inspections in Lethbridge

An infrared camera shows missing insulation, air leaks and damp spots without opening a wall, but only when it's at least 10°C colder outside than inside. Lethbridge's long heating season gives you months of good scanning weather.

Get matched in Lethbridge → How an infrared scan works
Hands holding an infrared camera aimed at a ceiling corner beside a frosty window; the screen shows a cold streak

Cost

Usually included; confirm

Best conditions

≥10°C inside/outside difference

Too little difference and leaks barely show

Winter design temperature

−26.1°C

The cold day heating is sized for

Houses built before 1961

19%

Older houses usually leak more and have less insulation

How Lethbridge is built

Lethbridge's houses by when they were built Ten house shapes, one for each tenth of Lethbridge's 33,945 houses. Before 1961: 19%, 1961–1990: 35%, 1991–2000: 11%, 2001 or later: 35%. Older houses glow hotter.
  • Before 1961 19%
  • 1961–1990 35%
  • 1991–2000 11%
  • 2001 or later 35%
Each house stands for one in ten of Lethbridge's 33,945 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row and duplex), drawn by when it was built. The glow shows the usual pattern: older houses tend to be leakier and less insulated. More snow in the drawing means more heating degree-days: a longer, colder heating season. Sources: Statistics Canada 2021 Census (table 98-10-0233-01), NRCan HOT2000 climate data.

When to book in Lethbridge

Lethbridge gets about 4,274 heating degree-days a year, a measure of how much heating its climate needs, and its winter design temperature, the cold day heating systems are sized for, is −26.1°C. Those figures come from the climate data for Lethbridge in HOT2000, the home-energy software Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) gives energy advisors. That gives Lethbridge a long window, roughly late fall to early spring, when the inside-outside difference comfortably exceeds the 10°C an infrared scan needs.

A 1950s brick bungalow on a snowy suburban street at dusk, lamplight in the front window
The same bungalow as an infrared camera sees it: heat glowing around the door, window frames, eaves and the rim joist above the foundation
Illustration: the same house in visible light and in infrared. A winter scan shows where heat escapes: door and window edges, the eaves, and the rim joist above the foundation.

What the camera finds in Lethbridge houses

Of Lethbridge's 33,945 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row houses and duplexes), 19% were built before 1961 and 54% before 1991, according to the 2021 Census. Older houses are where the camera earns its keep: empty or settled wall cavities, gaps at the top of walls, and cold corners where framing bridges the insulation. Run it with the blower door test depressurizing the house and every leak shows up as a cold streak.

What it costs

Most EnerGuide advisors include an infrared scan with the evaluation, but it isn't required, so confirm when you book. There's no provincial rebate or price list; the City of Edmonton's guidance is to expect more than $400 and to get two or three quotes.

Prairies Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba

What this means in Lethbridge’s climate

Long, very cold, very dry winters: air sealing, radon testing and humidity balance lead.

Why it matters here: Deep cold makes missing insulation and air leaks stand out clearly.

Best timing: November to March, avoiding sunny walls and windy days.

  • Seal the top and bottom of the house. In deep cold, warm air rises and escapes through attic leaks while cold air is pulled in down low. Sealing both saves heat and helps prevent attic frost and ice dams. Ask: Ask the registered energy advisor to find attic bypasses, rim joist gaps and basement penetrations during the blower door test.
  • Insulate the basement and rim joists. Basements can account for about 20% of a home's heat loss. Check for cracks and water entry first; Manitoba's clay soils cracked some foundations during the 2021 drought. Ask: Ask whether the basement is dry enough to insulate from inside, and how much air leaks at the rim joist.

What else homes in Lethbridge need →

Sources for this climate guide · checked October 26, 2026

NRCan-licensed service organizations serving Lethbridge

A service organization is a company that Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) licenses to deliver EnerGuide evaluations; its registered energy advisors do the home visit. Most EnerGuide advisors bring an infrared camera, but it isn't a required part of the evaluation, so confirm when you book. The scan is most useful with the blower door running.

Source: NRCan list of licensed service organizations, checked September 28, 2026. Call to confirm your street is covered and ask about wait times.

Programs and local help in Lethbridge

Provincial · needs an evaluation Clean Energy Improvement Program (Alberta) Property-tax financing in 27 Alberta municipalities, with an EnerGuide evaluation required; Calgary is closed until winter 2026/27 and Edmonton is waitlisting Open · deadline

Thermal imaging inspection in Lethbridge: common questions

When is the best time for a thermal imaging inspection in Lethbridge?

Late fall through early spring, when it is at least 10°C colder outside than inside. Cold, overcast days with no direct sun on the walls give the clearest images.

Can a thermal camera see through walls?

No. It reads surface temperatures. Missing insulation or an air leak shows up because it changes the temperature of the wall or ceiling surface.

Who does thermal imaging in Lethbridge?

Most of the 21 NRCan-licensed organizations serving Lethbridge bring an infrared camera to an EnerGuide evaluation; confirm when you book.

Is thermal imaging the same as a thermographic inspection?

Yes. Thermography, thermal imaging and infrared scanning all mean reading surface temperatures with an infrared camera.

Thermal imaging inspection near Lethbridge

Thermal imaging inspection in Calgary177 kmThermal imaging inspection in Red Deer296 kmThermal imaging inspection in Sherwood Park427 kmThermal imaging inspection in Edmonton433 kmThermal imaging inspection in Kelowna475 km All 70 cities →

Sources

Checked September 28, 2026. Census figures are for the municipality (Alberta); climate data is NRCan's HOT2000 station Lethbridge (4 km away).

Get matched with a registered advisor in Lethbridge

Tell us your postal code and what you’re planning. We’ll connect you with one licensed service organization serving your area. No spam, no shared lead lists.

By submitting you agree we may share your request with one registered service organization serving your area. Participating advisors pay us a referral fee — you pay nothing, and it never affects the directory. See our privacy note.