The Certified Commercial Property Inspectors Association’s (CCPIA) Standards of Practice is the International Standards of Practice for Inspecting Commercial Properties, also commonly referred to as the ComSOP. The purpose of the publication is to define good practice and to establish a reasonable approach for the performance of an inspection of a commercial property. It outlines how to perform a commercial building inspection and how to write a commercial inspection report. The Standard of Practice is not exhaustive and only covers the minimum requirements CCPIA advises its members to follow.
How to Use the Commercial Inspection Standards of Practice
Your business’s website and inspection agreement should noticeably state that you perform inspections in accordance with the ComSOP and provide a link to it. This will communicate to your client that you carry out your inspections through an accredited method, help manage expectations about the inspection, and most importantly, limit your liability.
The Standard is a living document. Meaning that occasionally, modifications are made. Providing a link to it on your website and inspection agreement ensures you are referencing the most-up-to-date version. Additionally, most of your clients will find you online, and if a dispute arises and your client sues you, the fact that you included a link to the Standard on your website and in your inspection agreement will demonstrate that they knew – or should have known – the scope of the inspection before hiring you.
Inspection Checklist and Report Template
To ensure an efficient walk-through survey, it’s crucial to align both your inspection process and report headings/subheadings with ComSOP Section 6. This alignment offers benefits to both the writer and reader, ensuring a clear structure and minimizing errors. It also establishes a consistent workflow for inspectors.
Consider using the Commercial Property Inspection Checklist provided by CCPIA. This checklist is designed for training and reporting purposes, allowing you to conduct mock inspections, train your inspection team, or refine your report template. Please note that it is not intended as a final inspection report for clients.
While ComSOP Section 6 provides valuable guidance, inspectors should develop their templates. You can start with the Commercial Property Inspection Report Template for Headings and Subheadings provided by CCPIA.
Additional Examples of Use
Free of charge and without the need for pre-approval you can make a copy of the ComSOP and distribute it to your inspectors, clients, and consultants. For example, you may choose to distribute it to consultants if their duties are found within it or to clients for the list of the limitations, exceptions or exclusions particular to the inspection project.
Whether you choose to use the Standard in ways such as making copies or incorporating it into your website each use must be clearly attributed to InterNACHI-CCPIA. Acceptable examples include “performed in accordance with InterNACHI-CCPIA Commercial SOP,” “based on the InterNACHI-CCPIA ComSOP or “see www.ccpia.org/sop“.
After the Standards of Practice there are various inspection agreements and checklists. You can also make a copy of these documents and use them in the ordinary course of business. All of the agreements contain key elements to protect inspectors, like making a reference to this Standard, but the law of contracts varies from state to state so check for local obligations before using them.
Learn more by completing our Commercial Property Inspection Standards of Practice Online Course.
