Commercial and industrial inspections

A Commercial / Industrial Property Inspection is a specialist, systematic assessment of a non-residential building and its site prior to purchase, lease, or occupation. The inspection evaluates the structural condition, building envelope, mechanical and electrical systems, fire and life-safety equipment, site services and operational infrastructure — and highlights defects, hazards or compliance gaps that could affect safety, operations or the total cost of ownership.

Unlike a domestic inspection, this service often requires multi-disciplinary testing and the coordination of specialist consultants because of the scale, complexity and risk profile of the asset.

• Occupiers (tenants or buyers): to verify a space is safe and suitable for its intended use and to avoid costly surprises after moving in.
   
• Landlords & Developers: to validate building condition, prioritise maintenance, and support realistic lease negotiations.
   
• Facility & Operations Managers: to plan maintenance budgets and ensure systems will support planned processes.
   
• Investors & Lenders: to assess asset risk, remediate liabilities and model future capital expenditure.
   
• Insurance Underwriters: to confirm exposures and underwriting conditions prior to coverage.
   
• Regulatory & Compliance Teams: to identify gaps against local building regulations and occupational health & safety requirements.
   

• People safety: commercial and industrial sites often host many occupants, shift workers, visitors and contractors — any failure (electrical fault, fire system failure, structural defect) can have catastrophic consequences.
   
• Operational risk: downtime from a failed HVAC, faulty switchgear, or collapsed loading bay can immediately halt production or trade — costing far more than repair bills.
   
• Specialised uses: warehouses, factories, cold stores, commercial kitchens, laboratories and chemical plants have bespoke risks (flammable materials, refrigerated systems, high electrical loads) that require targeted checks.
   
• Complex construction & services: multi-storey steel frames, heavy roof loads, mezzanines, large roof membranes, industrial drainage and heavy plant need inspection techniques and expertise beyond a normal housing assessment.
   
• Regulatory & insurance compliance: non-compliance can lead to fines, refusal of occupancy certificates, or voided insurance claims. Early identification protects legal standing and insurability.
   
• Environmental & contamination exposure: former industrial sites may have soil contamination, underground storage tanks or asbestos — requiring specialist environmental testing.

A professional inspection report should be clear, prioritised and action-oriented. Typical deliverables include:

• Executive summary with occupancy suitability and immediate red flags.
   
• Full photographic evidence and annotated floor/site plans.
   
• Defect register with severity ratings (urgent, high, medium, low).
   
• Recommended remedial actions, priorities and estimated order-of-magnitude costs (where feasible).
   
• Compliance notes and recommended specialist scopes (if further investigation needed).
   
• A “Snag List” or Pre-Occupation Checklist you can give to the landlord/developer or use for negotiation.
   
• Clear limitations and exclusions (e.g. confined spaces, subterranean tank interiors, inaccessible areas).

• Protect people and assets: identify hazards before occupation and reduce liability.
   
• Avoid operational disruption: find issues that would stop production or trade and address them proactively.
   
• Negotiate from a position of knowledge: use the report to adjust purchase or lease terms and secure remedies.
   
• Budget accurately: plan CAPEX and maintenance budgets with realistic estimates.
   
• Meet compliance & insurance conditions: reduce the risk of fines, enforcement action or denied claims.
   
• Faster, safer commissioning: ensure services and plant are fit for purpose when you start operations.