What is the difference between a Home Inspection and a Commercial Real Estate Inspection?

Commercial inspections in the whole usually deal in money. The basic question is “How much?” “How much can I make on this investment?”, is the main question that most commercial real estate buyers are looking at. The bottom line, how much will it cost to install the new heating and AC system it needs, the new roof, how much can I make on the new rents or retail space? Most importantly most inspection companies (90% !!) insurance does not cover commercial inspections and only deals with residential. Protect yourself and require them to put it in writing. WE CARRY COMMERCIAL INSURANCE!!!!

Certified Inspectors

With a commercial inspections we are looking at life spans of the five major systems, electrical, plumbing, heating and AC, roofing and the structure. The focus is usually much more on the major systems than the interior cosmetic issues of a commercial inspection. If the carpet is a bit worn in a commercial inspection we will note it but the buyer usually doesn’t really care. He wants to know “What do I have to spend money on now or in the near future on this place?”

With commercial inspections we stress the industry standards for life expectancies. These can vary greatly depending on the system and the quality of the original construction but generally speaking the industry standards for electrical systems is if it is approx 50 years old or older it is time to upgrade it, plumbing is approx 40-60 years depending on many variables, commercial roofing is usually a flat roof and these for the most part are approx. 10-15 years, Heating and AC systems that are roof mounted are approx. 15-17 years of expected life. The structure is the biggest variable. These can last from 70-100+ years depending on many things. We will most likely give you a report for a commercial inspection within 24 hours.

We can print out the report on the site but this is not nearly as common as it is with home inspections due to looking up some of the issues and the time it takes to put a commercial inspection together the client often has better things to do and chooses to leave the site after a quick verbal debrief of the major issues that were found. We will give you pictures of those issues that need it. Most home inspections take approx 2-3 hours again depending on many things. A commercial inspection can take from 1-6+ hours at the site and then from 1-3+ hours at the office putting everything together.

The cost of a residential inspection start at $329 for a home and $859 for a commercial inspection. The usual price for commercial inspections currently is approx. 10 cents per sq. ft. for commercial inspection. When the sites get very large or there are numerous complexities the prices will vary. If the buyer has some particular issues that need more detailed inspections, such as Heating and AC or structural or electrical we will have specialists at the inspection and these costs will be added to the overall cost of the inspection and time it will be added to the delivery.

You will be dealing with qualified professionals that have many years in the construction trades as general contractors and thousands of inspections under their belt and the knowledge that is needed for all systems. We are professional as you are and we want to make sure that the buyer has a good grasp of what they are buying and what they can expect in the next five years expense wise based on industry standards of the expected life of those particular systems present. We are always available for consultation after the inspection and even after close of escrow.

All of our commercial building inspections meet or exceed ASTM Standard E2018-01 for Property Condition Assessments and include the following components:

• Foundation -- construction, walls, floors
  
• Roof -- covering, flashing, chimneys, drainage
  
• Attic -- ventilation, vapor barriers Insulation -- type, amount Interior, lacking areas
  
• Interior -- Walls, Floors, Offices, Bathrooms
  
• Exterior -- Site, Walls, Windows & Doors Electrical & Plumbing Systems Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC)

In accordance with industry practices, a standard commercial building inspection does not include the inspection of trade fixtures, such as refrigeration units, coolers, commercial grade ovens, and stoves.

 After a thorough commercial building inspection, we provide answers to the following questions:

• What condition are the building's systems and components in?   
• What costly defects are present and require immediate attention?
• What items will require repair, maintenance or replacement?
  

Building Inspection

Our services can include complete inspection of building even at the highest level !!

We also offer project management to get the repair process off on in the right direction.