KNOW THE CONDITION AND RISKS OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTY Before you Commit.

Informed buyers and lessors do their homework. They know the age of the building, the major renovations that have taken place and the visible physical condition. They know the tax and tenant history of the property. Realtors help, but you have to do a lot of the work yourself. That’s why a professional property condition assessment is a good investment.

An experienced building engineer can dig deeper than the public record. A simple walk through by someone who knows what to look for will reveal a lot. Interviews of key personnel help engineers understand maintenance and repair history. And a detailed inspection of all prints, plans and documents can provide even more insight. A good building engineer knows more about a building than meets the eye. 

The Engineering Support Services PCA Process

When you hire ESS to do a property condition assessment, you’re getting the benefit of over 170 years of construction and property management experience. Lots of engineering firms do PCAs. It takes real-life experience to know exactly where to look for issues.

Here’s what you can expect from a Property Condition Assessment from ESS:

REVIEW OF PROPERTY DOCUMENTS

Public and private records of the property’s inspection and maintenance history can tell a lot about the condition of a property. The experts at ESS know what to look for and where. We’ll keep cost down by reducing research time and increasing the chances of finding any issues.

ON-SITE PERSONNEL INTERVIEWS

Interviewing current owners, tenants and maintenance personnel can reveal a wealth of information. Of course, it’s critical to know the questions to ask. More importantly, the expert engineers at ESS know how to follow the answers with more in-depth questions to uncover details you might not learn otherwise.

SITE SURVEY & WALK-THROUGH

It is likely you have already walked the property several times yourself. ESS experts will physically observe the grounds, building exterior, infrastructure and systems. This is another situation where our deep, real-life experience helps us know where to look. We’ll note any current and potential problems for use in our report.

THE PCA REPORT

Once our team has reviewed all the documents, interviewed personnel and done our site survey, we prepare a thorough Property Condition Assessment Report (PCA). The report describes any issues or concerns we find and recommended repairs or remediation. We’ll also give you all the details you’ll need to understand the cost and scope of those repairs. What sets an ESS PCA apart is our real-life, jargon-free approach. You’ll have a clear understanding of the condition of the property and your potential structural and financial risks.

What happens next?

When you have a property condition assessment from ESS, you can make your purchase decision with confidence. Once the purchase is finalized, ESS can help with any needed repair and maintenance projects. Visit our Construction Project Management & Monitoring page to learn more about our services.