Short answer: industrial buildings fail on six things — slab condition, dock equipment, fire protection density, roof over a very large span, truck court paving, and electrical capacity. Everything else is secondary. This checklist is written for the Inland Empire and LA basin logistics stock we inspect most: 1970s–1990s tilt-up in Ontario, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga and Commerce/Vernon, and newer high-cube distribution product.
1. Slab on grade
- Thickness and reinforcement from original drawings; core sampling where the drawings are missing and racking loads are increasing.
- Joint condition — spalled or curled joints at the traffic aisle are the most common repair item; check for armored joints in newer product.
- Cracking pattern: shrinkage versus structural. Cracks propagating from column bases or with vertical displacement are a different problem than map cracking.
- Flatness and levelness where narrow-aisle or very narrow-aisle racking is in use.
- Evidence of point-load damage under existing rack posts, and whether base plates match the rack permit.
2. Dock equipment and doors
- Count and type of positions: dock-high, grade-level, drive-in ramps. Confirm against the rent roll and the tenant's actual throughput.
- Levelers — mechanical, hydraulic or air — with age, service records and pit condition. Pit corrosion and failed leveler lips are routine deferred maintenance.
- Seals, shelters and bumpers; missing bumpers mean impact damage to the dock face behind them.
- Door panel condition, tracks, springs, operators, and safety reversing devices on powered doors.
- Restraints and lights, and whether the tenant relies on wheel chocks instead.
3. Fire protection — the item that decides usability
Storage occupancies live and die by sprinkler density. Verify the system type and design basis against the intended commodity and storage height, not against the last tenant's use.
- ESFR versus in-rack versus a legacy density/area wet system; hydraulic design placard at the riser is the source of truth.
- Available water supply — a recent flow test, not a decade-old one.
- Clearance from sprinkler deflectors to the top of storage; racking added after the system was designed frequently violates it.
- High-piled storage permit on file with the fire authority, and whether the commodity class matches.
- Fire pump, if present: controller age, test records, and diesel fuel condition.
4. Clear height and structure
- Measured clear height at the lowest obstruction, not the marketing number.
- Tilt-up panel condition: panel joints and sealant, corner cracking, embed corrosion, and evidence of prior panel repair.
- Column base plates and anchor bolts, particularly where forklifts operate close to columns.
- Roof framing — panelized wood, bar joist, or glulam — with attention to sag, prior repairs and connector corrosion near evaporative coolers.
- Seismic separation and any known non-ductile concrete or pre-1976 tilt-up wall-to-roof anchorage concern. Older tilt-ups often need anchorage upgrades.
5. Roofing over a large span
A 300,000 square foot roof is a capital item measured in the millions, so remaining life drives the whole reserve table. Look for ponding at internal drains, TPO or PVC seam condition and shrinkage at penetrations, BUR with alligatored surfacing, patched skylights, and prior partial-overlay history. Infrared or capacitance moisture surveys are worth the fee at this scale. See how to read a commercial roof inspection report.
6. Truck court, paving and site
- Concrete apron at dock positions versus asphalt in the maneuvering area — asphalt under trailer landing gear fails first.
- Rutting, alligatoring, and base failure in the truck court; patch history.
- Trailer parking count and whether it matches the entitlement.
- Drainage, on-site retention, and any evidence of industrial stormwater permit obligations.
- Gates, fencing, lighting levels, and turning radius for WB-67 trailers.
7. Electrical, mechanical and the modern add-ons
- Service size and available spare capacity — the question every cold-storage, e-commerce automation or EV-charging tenant asks.
- Switchgear age, arc-flash labeling, panel schedules, and infrared scan results.
- Warehouse ventilation and evaporative cooling versus conditioned office area; office HVAC ages faster.
- Compressed air, gas service, and any process equipment left by a prior tenant.
- Rooftop solar: who owns it, PPA terms, roof penetration detailing, and whether the array complicates roof replacement.
8. Compliance and environmental screening
Industrial history is why we recommend running a Phase I ESA in parallel on nearly every industrial acquisition — floor drains, clarifiers, hydraulic lifts, USTs, and former plating or solvent use are common on this stock. Also confirm the certificate of occupancy matches the current use, that office build-out was permitted, and that accessibility at the office entry and restrooms holds up.
We inspect industrial product across the Inland Empire and LA basin — Ontario, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside and Commerce/Vernon.
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