Commercial Building Surveyors & Structural Engineers:
FAQs
Our most frequently asked questions about commercial building surveying and structural engineering.
Our FAQs are constantly being updated, but please contact our professional, knowledgeable team today if the answer to your question is not listed below!
FAQs
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Survey Types
Read our guide to the different types of commercial building survey, or view the summaries below.
Building Surveys
Building surveys are inspections and assessments of a commercial property’s condition and structure. Depending on the type of survey, they can be used to help you to understand the current state and structural integrity of the property, whether it is suitable for the way you plan to use it and what future costs and other liabilities you will be responsible for.
Building Survey Types
Pre-Acquisition Surveys
Pre-acquisition surveys are surveys that are carried out before you agree to purchase a property or take out a new lease. As well as reporting on the condition and the structure of the property, they will include a focus on making sure that you have a thorough understanding of whether the building is appropriate for the way you will use it, or whether works are required to bring it up to required safety, structural and condition standards. The survey report will also include estimates of costs for any significant works that are required.
Condition Surveys
Condition surveys are typically carried out for people who have owned, occupied or managed a building for several years and need up-to-date insight into the state of the property or estate and whether it is safe and fit for purpose. They are also often used to understand the repairs that need to be done in the short, medium, and long term.
Condition surveys are also often carried out ahead of significant renovation or building works. The reports can be used to support funding applications for refurbishment and remedial works.
Stock Condition Surveys
Stock condition surveys are condition surveys that are carried out systematically across a series of properties. They include everything that a condition survey for an individual property would, and will be reported in a consistent fashion so that common themes and findings across the portfolio can be easily identified. Additional summaries can be included to aid budgeting and reporting.
Technical Due Diligence
In most cases, technical due diligence surveys are synonymous with commercial building surveys. As with all building surveys, they provide an independent, professional assessment of the condition of the property, any defects, its maintenance and repair requirements, suitability for current or planned use, deleterious materials and non-compliance with legislation.
Planned Preventative Maintenance
A planned preventative maintenance survey will inspect each item or element within a property or estate, and report on remedial works and maintenance requirements for each one. The surveyor will use these data, along with estimated costs for each of the items of work required, to produce a PPM schedule. Schedules report the works and budget costs to repair and maintain each item by year, typically covering the next 10–15 year period. They will also report the severity of any defects and the year in which each of the items of work will need to be carried out.
Schedules of Condition
A schedule of condition is a photographic and text record of the state of repair of every item and element within a property at a particular moment in time (i.e., the time at which the survey takes place). Because every single part of the building and its fixtures are recorded, a schedule of condition report typically contains thousands of images, each accompanied by a written description of the condition of that part of the property.
Schedules of condition are usually instructed by tenants about to take on a new lease.
Dilapidations
Dilapidations are obligations that the tenant has to repair a property at the end of the lease. Dilapidations schedules refer to items that are not in the state of condition that the tenant was legally required to adhere to accoding to their lease.
Surveyors will support landlords and tenants throughout the dilapidations process – this can involve preparing dilapdiations schedule for landlords, dilapidations defence for tenants, and supporting subsequent negotiations. Dilapidations schedules can be prepared both during the lease (interim dilapidations) and at the termination of the lease (terminal dilapidations).
Technical Terms
Subsidence
Subsidence is the sinking of an area of ground. If this is below a building, it can lead to structural movement. This movement can manifest in cracking, distortion and even foundation damage and collapse. Our guide to subsidence in commercial buildings covers the issue in more detail, from signs and causes to remedial works.
Damp
Damp is the excessive build up of water in a building. It can arise from internal or external sources of moisture, and can result in damage to decorative finishes, fixtures and fittings, plaster, masonry, metal and mortar. In minor cases it can be unsightly and cause a musty odour; in more severe cases it can promote the growth of harmful mould, and even undermine the structural integrity of a building.
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If you would like to discuss a potential project with our consultants or get advice on any aspect of building surveying or engineering, please don’t hesitate to complete our contact form, call us on 0333 202 6386, or contact one of our regional offices.
