commercialbuildinginspection

commercial building inspection - Do you have any idea what your expenses might be over the next 5 years for upkeep, repairs and maintenance for your commercial or multi-family building?



Depending on the condition of the building the answer can include the cost of repairing or replacing a roof or heating and AC units or electrical sub panels, etc. Predicting how much building repairs will cost requires a lot of experience in order to cover all the bases.



The more experienced the inspector who does your commercial building inspection is the better this question can be answered. For one thing, costs are affected by many industry standards. Another factor is the going rate for contractors in your local area. Additionally, there can be seasonal factors and related emergency situations that affect the costs. For example, shortly after hurricane Katrina the cost of plywood more than doubled. This cost affected the roofing industry dramatically.



When the cost of petroleum went up so quickly over the last few years it also affected the roofing industry as well as the cost of petroleum-based sealers for asphalt parking lots. It not only takes knowledge of the area to estimate possible future building expenses, it also requires knowing all of the various factors including what is happening in current events.



Here is another scenario: The air conditioning unit on the roof is almost gone. It won't last more than another five years. I know the size of the unit means the cost is usually about $5,000 just to remove the old one and install a new one - USUALLY! I can look this up in a costing book and I can give this price to my client and my job as an inspector is done. That all sounds really good but it is not the whole truth. What is the connector type that is required to connect the ducting to the AC unit? Which type of ducting is in use? Ducting leaks? If the ducting has to be replaced - how difficult will that be? What is the access to the roof? Which city is the property located in? (You have to get a special permit in Beverly Hills to use a crane.) Depending on the answers to these questions and more, the $5000 HVAC unit could end up costing more like $9000.



Since roofing costs can be major, this is another area where you want expert advice. For example, it would be good to know if your roof replacement could be done with an elastomeric material that costs about 40% less and lowers electric bills. Sometimes this type of roofing ends up paying for itself within 5 years. However, this method can’t be used in all circumstances.



Another factor that affects costs is legislated requirements. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning requirements are a good example of this. The mandates on this type of equipment in California has had a noticeable effect on cost. In the last several years the direct cost to a contractor for roof-mounted HVAC units has gone up nearly 100%. In addition, there are certain kinds of HVAC units that will need roof mounted ducting. This can significantly affect the cost of installation or replacements.



The smart thing to do is find a qualified inspector who is experienced with all this information including any local requirements for your area to do your commercial building inspection .