Commercial Building Inspections
Customized Inspections and Property Condition Assessments

GPI can tailor the scope and objective of the commercial real estate inspection to meet each client's need. The scope of the commercial building inspection is most commonly a comprehensive visual inspection to determine the property's condition, documented in a written report. The objective of the inspection is normally to obtain a third-party and unbiased property inspection to identify deferred maintenance issues, such as roof and water intrustion, as well as deficiencies with structural and basic operational components of the building, such as HVAC, electrical/lighting and plumbing. The scope of the inspection can be designed to meet ASTM E2018 professional standards if required.

Some of the most common types of commercial building inspections include the following:

  • Prepurchase inspections. Once you determine that you like a commercial building and its location, and whether it has enough usable square footage and ample parking, consider the substantial costs to repair a roof or replace a commercial chiller. A comprehensive GPI commercial real estate inspection will help complete your due diligence so you can make an informed decision regarding a commercial property.
  • Prelisting inspections. Many sellers anticipate that a prospective buyer will demand a commercial building inspection. A prelisting inspection can determine what repairs need to be completed in advance to streamline the sales process.
  • Pre- and post-lease inspections (for landlords or tenants). Long-term leases may hold the tenant responsible for many or all repairs to the building. Prior to signing a long-term lease, a tenant should know whether the building needs a new roof, requires upgraded electrical service, etc. Likewise, at the end of a long-term lease, tenants consider GPI to perform a commercial building inspection to document the condition of the building as they left it. A building owner may rely on GPI to perform an unbiased commercial property inspection before a tenant takes possession of the building and again after the tenant vacates the building.
  • Predesign/preconstruction building documentation. NPI provides architects, engineers and construction project managers with details about a building's space prior to designing the build-out. These detailed site surveys provide necessary details — such as measurement and location of HVAC ducts and drain lines, as well as width, height and depth of interior areas, windows, doors, etc. — prior to designing interior build-outs, saving architects and engineers from unnecessary site visits and expense.
  • Annual maintenance inspections
  • Deferred maintenance inspections
  • Exterior inspections
  • Comprehensive inspections (interior/exterior/lots and grounds)
  • Retail store condition assessments
  • Retail store HVAC and roof inspections
  • Triple-net leases. (The tie-breaker) When a tenant and building owner disagree on whether a roof-mounted air conditioner or other equipment should be repaired or replaced, GPI can act as an impartial tie-breaker.
  • Draw inspections (on new construction and remodels). When a builder completes a certain percentage of work on the property, he asks the bank or lending institution for a “draw.” GPI inspectors have performed thousands of draw inspections to verify whether the amount of money requested for the property is fair and reasonable for the amount of work that has been completed.
  • Site review, prepurchase or preconstruction. Sometimes a quick meeting is all that is needed.
  • Investigation/problem-solving. Why does the roof leak on some occasions and not others? Why do the roof-mounted HVAC units not respond to normal controls? GPI can generally answer these questions and more in a quick and cost-efficient manner.
  • Consulting. GPI is experienced in helping clients make their commercial properties more energy efficient and save money on utility bills. GPI can also add valuable insight into annexing or building expansion.
  • Prelisting inspections. Many sellers anticipate that a prospective buyer will demand a commercial real estate inspection. A prelisting inspection can determine what repairs need to be completed in advance and streamline the sales process.
  • Other services as requested. GPI has a broad range of talent, experience and resources throughout Canada and the United States. Contact us today to let us know how we can best serve your needs.