A fourplex on a corner lot and a two-storey retail building with an apartment above are very different from a single-family house, even though they have the same parts. There are more tenants, more mechanical systems, more shared spaces and more ways to be surprised. We inspect small buildings of this kind, and we agree the scope with you before we book, because no two are the same.
What counts as small
As a rough guide: duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes, small apartment buildings, small retail or office buildings, mixed-use buildings with commercial space below and housing above, and small light-industrial or warehouse units. For a large building, a building with complex systems such as elevators and a sprinkler plant, or a building where a lender requires a formal property condition assessment, you may need an engineering firm. We will tell you if the job is beyond a visual inspection.
What we look at
- Structure and envelope. Foundation, framing where visible, walls, roof, windows, doors, decks and stairs.
- Roof. Type, age, condition, drainage, penetrations and flashings. On commercial buildings, the roof is often the largest single cost.
- Electrical. The main service, meters, sub-panels, and the visible condition of wiring and equipment. Three-phase equipment is noted and not tested.
- Plumbing. Visible supply and drain lines, water heaters, common mechanical rooms, and any sign of leaks.
- Heating, ventilation and cooling. Equipment age and condition, venting, and what is accessible.
- Common areas and parking. Stairs, hallways, entrances, parkade or lot, and drainage.
- Selected units. A sample of units, as agreed, with the tenants' permission.
- Life safety items. Smoke alarms, exit routes, and visible fire separations. We do not test alarm panels or sprinkler systems.
What is agreed before we book
- Which units we will enter, and who gives access. We need notice to tenants, and the owner or manager should arrange it.
- How long the inspection will take. A fourplex may need a full day. A small commercial building may take longer.
- What the report is for. A buyer's purchase decision, a lender, a seller's preparation or a maintenance plan.
- What is excluded. For example, tenant improvements, specialized equipment, environmental conditions.
The fee is a quote, not a table price, because it depends on the size of the building and the number of units. See pricing and booking.
What it is not
A visual inspection is not a Phase I environmental site assessment, a fire code audit, a structural engineering assessment or a reserve fund study. We can note the age and condition of major components and give general comments on their remaining life. We do not prepare cost projections you can rely on for financing.
We do not review leases, rent rolls, zoning or the legal status of suites. Those are for your lawyer, your accountant and the municipality.
Typical findings
Findings on buildings of this size are often of the following kinds.
- roofs that are older than the building's owner thinks, and flat roofs with ponding
- electrical services and panels that have been added to over time, with mixed brands
- plumbing materials that vary from unit to unit
- water heaters of different ages in different units
- foundations and slabs with cracking, and drainage problems
- stairs, railings and exit routes that have changed over the years
- signs of unpermitted alterations
- deferred maintenance that accumulates across many units
Multi-unit residential
For a fourplex or a small apartment building, we also look for signs of how it has been used: separate meters, fire separations between suites, and the condition of the smoke alarms. A building with Poly-B plumbing throughout, aluminum wiring or an old boiler can be a larger problem than the same material in one house. See Poly-B plumbing and building eras.
The report
You receive a written report with photographs and ratings (Safety, Major, Repair, Maintenance, Monitor), organized by building system and by unit. It includes a list of what was not inspected. The sample report shows the layout for a house, and a larger building's report follows the same structure.
Booking
Phone or send a request with the address area, the building type, the number of units, the year built, and your decision date. We reply with the scope and a quote.