Home Inspection vs. Commercial Real Estate Inspection

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?

With commercial inspections to a large degree we are looking at what is going to have to be done in the next five years. Does the roof look like it will last at least five more years with normal maintenance? Can the Heating system get by, does the electrical need to be upgraded due to the change in use of the building? Those sorts of questions are usually the focus.

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.

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.

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.

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 Building Assessments

• Foundation Issues * Construction, walls, floors, footers, slabs
• Roof Issues * Installation, covering, flashing, chimneys, drainage, design
• Attic Issues * ventilation, vapor barriers, Rodents, Moisture issues, Screening
• Insulation * type, R-value, Interior, lacking areas, Windows, Doors, Weather stripping, Garage
• Interior Issues * Walls, Electrical, Plumbing, Floors, Offices, Bathrooms, Break Rooms
• Exterior Issues * Site, Walls, Windows, Doors, Electrical & Plumbing Systems Heating, Cooling

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?