Property Condition Surveys
The best starting place to develop a program for controlling building costs and increasing building efficiency is a detailed condition audit of your building's components and systems. This fundamental audit lays the groundwork for identifying problems and for directing policies and actions.
Property Condition Surveys are often used in real estate transactions to assess potential acquisitions or establish a baseline for disposition of properties. They establish the condition of key components and may quantify the cost of bringing each component up to a required standard.
However, uses for PCS's are much broader and extend into almost all areas of problem identification and O & M planning. At ESSEX, PCS's are tailored to fit each client's requirements. A comprehensive PCS would include the following:
Site background survey:
- Document reviews
- Interviews with key building personnel
- Site data
- Site history
- Building data & maintenance history
- Utility services review
- Regulatory review
- ADA and local disability code compliance
- Building code compliance
- Seismic zone assessment
- Building and site survey
- Zoning compliance
- Overall summary assessment
Building & site survey:
- Site & site features
- Pavements
- Structure
- Roofing
- Exterior walls, glazing and openings
- Water intrusion and mold
- Interiors
- Elevators and escalators
- Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing systems
- Fire protection & Life safety
- Loading docks
- Parking structures
- Amenities
- Capital reserve replacement analysis
