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Commercial Building Inspections
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Structural
Workshop provides the most comprehensive and detailed Commercial Building Inspection
Services available to Owners, Buyers,
and Sellers. We combine our unique and varied talents with several partners to provide a
complete product that you will not find elsewhere.
For Buyers:
An inspection is your best protection against property defects and
provides you with negotiating power before closing. A commercial
building is a large investment and we would never recommend buying one
without having the comprehensive inspection services we provide.
Inspection fees are minimal compared to the cost of the building and the
cost of repairing undiscovered defects.
For Sellers:
An inspection can allow you to correct deficiencies on your schedule and
budget and possibly save a deal. It can also give you negotiating power
by uncovering items that a buyer's inspection may discover.
For Owners:
An inspection is a great way to establish a baseline of property defects
and schedule repairs on your schedule and budget. It can help avoid
unexpected large expenses. We also offer other consulting services such
as security consulting and maintenance planning that owners may find
especially useful. |
Basic
Building Inspection
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A basic building
inspection is the minimum service we provide. It is a non-invasive,
visual only walk through of the building and property. It is intended to
be a general overview of the major building systems and to identify
readily accessible defects. We follow ASTM Standard E2018-01 as a guide
for a minimum level of service but strive to consistently provide a
higher level of service. Other firms that provide Commercial Building
Inspection Services may only send one person who may be an Engineer
and/or Home Inspector to the inspection. We bring an entire team of
inspectors and specialists with overlapping areas of knowledge. For more
information on our team see "The Team" below. This provides two major
advantages. First, each system in your building will be inspected by an
expert in that system. Secondly, there will be several sets of eyes
looking at the entire building. This allows us to catch many things a
single inspector may miss and also allows us immediate consultation with
other inspectors on site. This may seem like a labor and cost intensive
process, but we have developed scheduling and routines to keep your cost
to an absolute minimum. We compete on service, not on price, but you
will be pleasantly surprised when you compare our pricing and service to
others.
The basic
inspection includes an inspection of and a detailed report on following
components:
Building Photo
Survey, Site Work, Storm Water Drainage, Paving and Curbing, Parking,
Irrigation, Lighting, Signage, Utilities, Foundation, Structural Frame,
Exterior, Roof, Roofing, Windows, Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and
Ventilation, Electric, Life Safety, Fire Protection, Interior. |
Additional Services
Before your inspection we will evaluate
your needs and tailor an inspection package to them. Many clients do
decide to have additional services performed as part of the inspection.
Sometimes a client prefers to have a basic building inspection first,
and additional services performed later. With our varied talents we
offer the following services:
- Radon Testing
- Wood Destroying Insect/Pest
Inspection
- Document Search and Interview
per ASTM 2018-01
- Cost Estimating, Contractor Selection,
Construction Administration
- ADA Survey per ASTM 2018-01
- Maintenance Planning and Manual
Development
- Security Consulting
- LEED Consulting
- Underground Tank Inspection
- Septic System Inspection
- Feasibility studies for
achieving a LEED rating post renovation
Being Structural Engineers, we also
offer complete Structural Consulting Services including:
- Detailed Structural Condition
Assessments per SEI/ASCE 11-99
- Structural Assessments for
Renovations/Additions
- Seismic Retrofit
- Blast Loading Retrofit
-
Loading/Use Change Analysis and Retrofit
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The Team
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We will assess your needs and certain
aspects of the building prior to the inspection to determine what
members of our team will be present at the inspection. Our team consists
of a Licensed Civil and Structural Engineer, Licensed
Residential and Commercial Property Inspectors, a Licensed Radon
Technician, a Licensed Commercial/Industrial HVAC Technician, and a
Licensed Commercial/Industrial Electrician. |
Summary
of ASTM Standard E2018-01
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1. Scope
1.1 Purpose—The
purpose of this guide is to define good commercial and customary
practice in the United States of America for conducting a baseline
property condition assessment (PCA) of the improvements located on a
parcel of commercial real estate by performing a walk-through survey and
conducting research as outlined within this guide.
1.1.1 Physical
Deficiencies—In defining good commercial and customary practice for
conducting a baseline PCA, the goal is to identify and communicate
physical deficiencies to a user. The term physical deficiencies
means the presence of conspicuous defects or material deferred
maintenance of a subject property's material systems, components, or
equipment as observed during the field observer's walk-through survey.
This definition specifically excludes deficiencies that may be remedied
with routine maintenance, miscellaneous minor repairs, normal operating
maintenance, etc., and excludes de minimis conditions that generally do
not present material physical deficiencies of the subject property.
1.1.2 Walk-Through
Survey—This guide outlines procedures for conducting a walk-through
survey to identify the subject property's material physical
deficiencies, and recommends various systems, components, and equipment
that should be observed by the field observer and reported in the
property condition report (PCR).
1.1.3 Document
Reviews and Interviews—The scope of this guide includes document
reviews, research, and interviews to augment the walk-through survey so
as to assist the consultant's understanding of the subject property and
identification of physical deficiencies.
1.1.4 Property
Condition Report—The work product resulting from completing a PCA in
accordance with this guide is a PCR. The PCR incorporates the
information obtained during the Walk-Through Survey, the Document Review
and Interviews sections of this guide, and includes opinions of probable
costs for suggested remedies of the physical deficiencies identified.
1.2 Objectives—Objectives
in the development of this guide are: (1) define good commercial
and customary practice for the PCA of primary commercial real estate
improvements; (2) facilitate consistent and pertinent content in
PCRs; (3) develop practical and reasonable recommendations and
expectations for site observations, document reviews and research
associated with conducting PCAs and preparing PCRs; (4) establish
reasonable expectations for PCRs; (5) assist in developing an
industry baseline standard of care for appropriate observations and
research; and (6) recommend protocols for consultants for
communicating observations, opinions, and recommendations in a manner
meaningful to the user.
1.3 Considerations
Beyond Scope—The use of this guide is strictly limited to the scope
set forth in this section. Section and of this guide identify, for
informational purposes, certain physical conditions that may exist on
the subject property, and certain activities or procedures (not an all
inclusive list) that are beyond the scope of this guide but may warrant
consideration by parties to a commercial real estate transaction.
1.4 Organization of
This Guide—This guide consists of several sections, an Annex and two
Appendixes. Section 1 is the Scope. Section 2 on Terminology contains
definitions of terms both unique to this guide and not unique to this
guide, and acronyms. Section 3 sets out the Significance and Use of this
guide, and Section 4 describes the User's Responsibilities. Sections 5
through 10 provide guidelines for the main body of the PCA, including
the scope of the Walk-Through Survey, preparation of the Opinions of
Probable Costs to Remedy Physical Deficiencies, and preparation of the
PCR. Section 11 provides additional information regarding out of scope
considerations (see 1.3). Annex A1 provides requirements relating to
specific asset types, and where applicable, such requirements are to be
considered as if integral to this guide. Appendix X1 provides the user
with additional PCA scope considerations, whereby a user may increase
this guide's baseline scope of due diligence to be exercised by the
consultant. Appendix X2 outlines the ADA Accessibility Survey.
1.5 Multiple
Buildings—Should the subject property consist of multiple buildings,
it is the intent of this guide that only a single PCR be produced by the
consultant to report on all of the buildings on the subject property.
1.6 Safety
Concerns—This guide does not purport to address all of the safety
concerns, if any, associated with the walk-through survey. It is the
responsibility of the consultant using this guide to establish
appropriate safety and health practices when conducting a PCA. |
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