For commercial property inspectors, assessing a concrete building requires a clear understanding of the various construction types. This article focuses on concrete panels precast in a factory and provides an…
Tragedies in commercial buildings have directly influenced changes to locally and internationally adopted building codes. In 1993, a bomb detonated at the World Trade Center, cutting both normal and emergency…
Exit Signs vs Emergency Lighting Exit signs mark the path to safety. Emergency lighting illuminates the path to safety. In the hotel inspection video below, exit signs are installed in…
In basic terms, smoke control systems manage the movement of smoke and air within a building and vary based on its design, use, and occupancy. These systems contain or exhaust…
The baseline scope of the International Standards of Practice for Inspecting Commercial Properties (ComSOP) excludes predicting service life expectancy, providing repair estimates, or offering opinions of cost to remedy. However,…
An outbuilding is a detached, accessory structure located on the same parcel as a main building. It provides supplemental space for storage, services, or operations and is not intended for…
During commercial property inspections, retaining walls are often found at parking lots, along property boundaries, and where changes in site elevation create access to lower levels. Some walls serve only…
Commercial property inspectors have three key opportunities to set the stage for success and manage client expectations: when a potential client first makes an inquiry, when the scope and fee…
The term emergency power systems is often used as an umbrella for both emergency power and standby power systems. Both are on-site power sources that provide electricity to a building…
Every commercial building has a unique electrical system dependent on its layout, power demands, and the AHJ. You may be inspecting a single building or a multi-building property. Don’t get…
During a commercial property inspection, inspectors will have the opportunity to inspect buildings that may have multiple water heaters installed together. These are buildings that have a higher demand for…
Commercial property inspectors who follow the International Standards of Practice for Inspecting Commercial Properties, known as the ComSOP, know that it emphasizes several critical elements that must be identified during…