What affects commercial inspection pricing?

1. Building area

Area is the single biggest driver because it sets time on site. A 6,000 square foot retail building is a half-day walk. A 120,000 square foot distribution building with two dock banks, a sprinkler riser room and a 100,000 square foot roof plane is a full day with a second inspector.

2. Asset type

Asset type determines how many systems exist. Industrial buildings are large but mechanically simple. Medical office is small but dense: dedicated HVAC zones, medical gas, emergency power, and specialty exhaust. Multifamily requires unit sampling, which means access coordination and interior time in every building. Hospitality and restaurant space adds grease exhaust, walk-in refrigeration and heavy makeup air.

3. Number of tenant spaces

Each tenant space is a separate access appointment, a separate electrical panel, and often a separate rooftop unit. A 20,000 square foot single-tenant building costs materially less to inspect than a 20,000 square foot center with twelve suites.

4. Age and deferred maintenance

A 1978 building carries original electrical distribution, possible aluminum branch wiring, likely asbestos-containing materials, and a roof on its third recover. Documenting those conditions properly, with remaining-life estimates a lender will accept, takes longer than a 2016 building under warranty.

5. Roof type and access

A single-ply membrane with interior hatch access is straightforward. A steep-slope tile roof, a five-plane built-up roof with three different generations of patching, or a roof that requires a lift or drone flight adds cost. We use drone documentation on roofs where walking is unsafe or would void a warranty.

6. Report standard

This is where quotes diverge most. A general condition report is a summary of observations. An ASTM E2018 Property Condition Assessment is a defined scope with a Property Condition Report, opinions of probable cost for immediate repairs, and a capital reserve table over an analysis period the lender specifies, usually ten or twelve years. The second takes substantially more analysis time and is what a lender or an investment committee requires.

What does not change the price

We do not price by the transaction value, and we do not price differently because a report is likely to be used in a price renegotiation. The fee reflects the work.