How much does a commercial property inspection cost?

Typical fee ranges

Commercial inspection fees are driven by building area, the number of tenant spaces and systems to be opened, and whether the deliverable is a walk-through report or a lender-grade Property Condition Assessment written to ASTM E2018. The ranges below reflect what we quote across San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

Property	Approximate size	Typical fee
Single-tenant retail, office condo, small freestanding building	Under 10,000 sf	$1,200 - $2,500
Multi-tenant retail center, medical office, small industrial	10,000 - 40,000 sf	$2,500 - $5,000
Large industrial, warehouse, distribution	40,000 - 250,000 sf	$4,000 - $9,000
Multifamily (per-unit sampling required)	20 - 200 units	$3,500 - $12,000
Portfolio or multi-building campus	Varies	Quoted per building, volume adjusted

What is inside the base fee

A base commercial inspection fee normally includes the site walk, roof access, accessible mechanical and electrical rooms, representative tenant spaces, exterior envelope and site improvements, photo documentation, and a written report with prioritized findings. Our reports also include an immediate repair table and a capital reserve table, because that is what lenders and investment committees actually read.

What costs extra

• Phase I Environmental Site Assessment - a separate scope under ASTM E1527, usually $2,000-$3,500 for a standard commercial site.
• Specialty consultants - structural engineer, elevator, fire sprinkler certification, or infrared roof moisture survey when the condition warrants it.
• Sampling and lab work - asbestos, lead, or mold sampling is billed with lab fees.
• Rush turnaround - compressing a report inside a short contingency period carries a premium, though we hold most standard reports to three to five business days without one.
• Travel - properties well outside our five-county service area.

Why the cheapest quote is usually the most expensive

A $600 "commercial inspection" is almost always a residential-style checklist report. It will not satisfy a lender, it will not carry a capital reserve schedule, and it will not stand behind a price renegotiation. On a $3 million acquisition, the difference between a $1,500 report and a $600 report is trivial next to a single missed $180,000 roof replacement or an undersized electrical service that blocks the tenant improvement you underwrote.

How to get an accurate number

Send the address, asset type, approximate building area, number of tenant spaces, year built, and whether a lender is involved. That is enough for us to return a fixed fee and a scope in writing, usually the same business day. We do not quote hourly and we do not add change orders after the walk.