The following outline reviews the material covered in CCPIA’s Commercial Property Inspection 2-Day Boot Camp. This two-day, in-person training will help inspectors adopt the mindset to effectively offer commercial property inspections and navigate the commercial real estate environment. Interested in attending? Register for the Commercial Property Inspection 2-Day Boot Camp.
I. The Commercial Inspection Landscape
A. Ins and Outs of Working with Commercial Clients
1. Commercial Realtors
2. Investors vs. Owner-Operators
3. Commercial Clients and Repeat Business
II. Historic Model of Commercial Property Inspections
A. How Investors Used to Get It Done (and How Many Still Do)
B. Commercial Inspection Competitors
1. No Inspection
2. Engineering Firms
3. Home Inspectors (Who Don’t Do It Right)
III. How to Beat Your Competitors
A. What the Client and Agent Need
B. What the Client and Agent Don’t Need
C. How to Meet Your Client’s Needs
IV. The Commercial Property Inspector Mindset
A. How to Become a Sought-After Professional
B. Every Choice You Make, Every Move You Make, Matters
V. Review of Commercial Inspection Standards of Practice
A. ComSOP
B. ASTM 2018E
C. Personalized/Custom SOP
VI. Repair Cost Estimates
A. Fulfilling Clients’ Needs
B. Effects on Inspecting and Reporting
C. Quantifying and Qualifying Defects
VII. How to Determine Repair Cost Estimates
A. Immediate Costs
B. Short-Term Costs
C. Cost Ranges
D. Use of Construction Guides
E. Google Earth
F. Networking with Contractors
VIII. Inspection Software for Commercial Property Inspectors
A. InspectView Commercial
B. HomeGauge, HIP, Palm View, etc.
C. Customizing Software for Specific Jobs
D. Breakdown into Cost Categories
E. Collecting and Organizing Inspection Information
F. Example of an Office Inspection Using HomeGauge
IX. Website Marketing
A. Home Inspection vs. Commercial Property Inspection Website
B. Stand-Alone Commercial Webpage Approach
C. Separate Commercial Website
X. Presentations to Commercial Real Estate Offices
A. Types of Material to Present
B. “Take Someone to Lunch” Day
XI. How to Bid and Win Jobs
A. Providing Professional Commercial Inspection Proposals
B. Contents of a Commercial Inspection Proposal
1. Example of a Proposal
2. Examples of Documents in the Proposal
3. Different Proposals for Various Types of Properties
XII. How to Charge for Any Commercial Property Inspection
A. The Inspection “Matrix”
B. Example of “Matrix”
C. Review of Certain Fees and Cost Breakdowns
D. Travel Expenses
XIII. Specialty Consultants (Subcontractors and Inspectors)
A. Networking with Specific Contractors
B. When to Use Specialty Consultants
C. When Not to Use Specialty Consultants
XIV. Budgeting Your Time in the Field
A. When Circumstances Dictate Your Moves, and Vice Versa
B. How to Keep Organized and Manage Big and Complex Inspections
C. Operational Discipline
D. Inspection Procedures
E. Tools of the Trade
XV. Highlights of Commercial Property Inspection Systems and Components
A. Exterior Grounds
1. Parking Lots and Structures
2. Landscaping, Trash, and Drainage
3. Flatwork
4. Decks
B. Structure
1. Siding
2. Fenestration
3. Roofing
C. HVAC
1. Gas Packs
2. Heat Pumps
3. Whole Building Units vs. Multiple Smaller Units
4. Range Hoods and Venting Systems
5. Swamp Coolers and Duct Heaters
D. Electrical
1. Distribution Centers
2. Subpanels
3. Transformers
4. Branch Circuits
5. Separate Services
E. Fire Safety
1. Sprinkler Systems
2. Hydrant Locations
3. Fire Extinguishers
4. Alarm Systems
F. Interiors
1. Excluding Cosmetic Cost Estimates
2. Bathrooms and Room Types
3. Specialty Areas
G. ADA Compliance
XVI. Key Inspection Information for Different Types of Properties
A. Retail
B. Office Space
C. Restaurants
D. Medical, Dental, and Veterinary Offices
E. Apartments
F. Hotels
G. Strip Malls and Shopping Centers
H. Industrial, Manufacturing, and Warehouse Properties
XVII. Class Activity (Fill Out Report for Field Notes)