I. Why Dig? Have you ever heard anyone say, “We bought our house blindly! We didn’t even hire an inspector – in fact, we never set eyes on it!” Of course not. Who would want to invest 30 years of mortgage payments in something that has not been investigated? A commercial property is no different.…
by Mark Cohen, J.D., LL.M., and Nick Gromicko A commercial inspector generally works for a prospective purchaser of a property, but sometimes the owner of the property (the seller) asks the inspector for a copy of the inspector’s certificate of insurance (COI), or asks to be added to the inspector’s liability policy as an additional…
Emergencies can happen anywhere and at any time. Commercial building owners and managers must ensure the proper implementation of safety features to protect occupants. For instance, exit signs and emergency lighting are essential safety features that illuminate the path to safety in low-visibility situations. Commercial inspectors should find these features at all types of commercial…
Every structure must be designed and constructed to withstand lateral loads and horizontal loads. Structures are braced against lateral and horizontal forces in several ways. Bracing is installed perpendicular to the direction of the potential force. Bracing is often installed in every direction because forces can come from every direction. The most common bracing methods…
First, you must decide whether you’ll offer commercial property inspections by expanding the scope of your existing company’s services, or whether you should incorporate a sister company specifically for commercial property inspections. There are pros and cons to each option, and the structure that you ultimately choose will significantly affect your marketing strategy and reach.…
Who Can Perform a Commercial Property Inspection? This video discusses how all commercial property inspections are unique and covers three basic approaches that the commercial property inspector can take based on: the single inspector; the team inspector; and experts or specialty consultants. Although it is important to understand the three basic approaches to an inspection,…
Your service area comes into play in many aspects of your business, from marketing and advertising to pricing and fees. Service area parameters differ significantly by specific locations in the country, as well as an individual business based on: travel distance preferences; desire to be busy with commercial projects; existing inspection capabilities; and team member…
Regardless of a commercial property’s size, use, or location, various maintenance activities must be performed, including general upkeep, emergency repairs, and special inspections, such as those required by an insurance provider. Among these, preventive (or preventative) maintenance plays a critical role in preserving the building, its equipment, and the surrounding grounds. It is considered a…
When a commercial property inspector provides his/her report to the client, that report is for the client’s sole use. The legal concept of “privity of contract” applies here. Privity of contract is a legal principle that prevents any person from enforcing a contract unless they are a party to that contract. Thus, only the inspector’s…
The Glossary of Terms below will help the inspector use the proper terminology in their commercial property inspection report. Consider uploading it to your reporting software, along with the CCPIA copyright technical renderings – both are available for members to use freely. Take CCPIA’s Inspecting Low-Slope Roofs Course for Commercial Property Inspectors to learn how…
When a commercial property inspector provides a due diligence report (i.e., an inspection report or environmental assessment) as part of their client’s commercial real estate (CRE) transaction, it is for the sole use of the inspector’s client. In this case, the legal concept of “privity of contract” applies. Privity of contract is a common legal…
Terms You Should Know: wind uplift: The upward-acting pressure on a roof’s components resulting from wind traveling across the roof. windward: The side of the building that’s facing the wind. leeward: The side of the building that’s sheltered from the wind; downwind. Wind Forces A building is an obstruction to wind flow and causes a…
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