Commercial Building Inspection Report Scope of Work

Our Commercial Building Inspections comply with the scope of work specified in ASTM E2018 and includes a comprehensive visual inspection of the building’s construction including the following:

  • ADA Accessibility
  • Building Envelope
  • Building Structure and Foundation
  • Electrical Panels and Wiring
  • Elevators and Conveyance Systems
  • Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Systems
  • Landscape, Irrigation, Site Grading & Drainage
  • Pavement Systems
  • Plumbing Fixtures and Piping
  • Roof Condition and Remaining Useful Life
  • Tenant Improvements

Capital Needs Assessment (CNA)

Planning for your building’s future: Planning ahead for any building owner is critical to ensuring their building performs as it should over time. Winding River Inspection Services offers Capital Needs Assessments, both as a stand-alone service and as an adjunct to a Property Condition Assessment.

Starting with the PCA’s detailed analysis of a building’s current physical condition, the Capital Needs Assessment analyzes the building’s capital needs and predicts likely repair and maintenance costs over a specified period – usually 20 years. The report provides both a cumulative, life-of-the-building cost projection and a year-by-year estimate of repair and replacement costs.

Educated and Realistic: As building experts, we understand how buildings and building components perform over time and the factors that may make some components fail sooner or last longer than expected. Our knowledge of buildings and building science and our decades of field inspection experience make Winding River Inspection Services’ Capital Needs Assessment educated and realistic.

Building Envelope Consulting

Our written and photography-based reporting system documents both conforming and non-conforming field construction activities with sequential photos to track nonconforming issues and the corrective measures applied to them to the point at which they are corrected. The report and accompanying photographs create a historical record, documenting quality construction practices and providing evidence that construction problems identified in the field have been corrected prior to being concealed.

Building Envelope Commissioning

Building Envelope Commissioning is all-encompassing, addressing every aspect of the envelope system, from the bottom of the foundation to the top of the roof, and includes every phase of the skin, from the initial design concept through the construction and final occupancy. The goal is to verify that the project specifications and requirements are incorporated in the design, interpreted accurately, and implemented properly throughout the construction process.

In the pre-design and design phases, we work collaboratively with the owner, the architect and the contractor to determine whether the project design is viable and will achieve the desired goals. Our experienced Inspector will review specifications to ensure the compatibility of construction materials, identify materials and/or systems that may not perform as intended or desired, recommend design revisions, and highlight design issues that may require modifications in the construction process.

In the construction phase, regular and frequent field inspections help to verify that systems are installed correctly and helps to identify construction errors or potential problems, which are tracked through resolution to ensure that they are corrected. Our ‘eyes wide open’ philosophy scrutinizes design intentions and specification details to ensure that all the construction I’s and T’s are dotted and crossed.

During construction, we will conduct and oversee water leakage and air infiltration tests, (among others) following the AAMA and ASTM industry guidelines, to verify that the systems were installed correctly, that the enclosure is water-tight, and that it meets the project specification requirements.

The commissioning process will help to ensure that the project is constructed as designed and will perform as intended.

Community Association Services

Providing transition and ongoing “maintenance/support services” is just the beginning of how an ongoing relationship with Winding River Inspection Services can develop with community associations. Financially and physically sound homeowner associations share the same strong foundation: an initial, easy-to-understand transition study and a reserve study with regular updates. Homeowners and community associations look for qualified, dedicated professionals to provide these services to their communities. Winding River Inspection Services will provide proactive insight into building performance to minimize maintenance and management costs.

Winding River Inspection Services does more than evaluate. We communicate. Our licensed, Contractor/Professional Inspector will identify issues, explain their potential impact, and recommend a clear course of action.

Community Association Services Reserve Study

Not all community association reserve study providers use a licensed Contractor/Professional Inspector and include observations and analysis gathered in the field. Most condominium associations prefer to work with an experienced professional with local expertise on buildings, maintenance costs, and environmental regulations and considerations.

We do more than write your report in a clear, easy-to-understand way. We will attend association meetings to help you present and explain it to your community and will assist you every step of the way. A full homeowner association reserve study focuses on specific parts of your property, describing their quantity, condition, typical useful life, and probable replacement costs. The financial analysis measures the impact of maintaining and replacing these key components over the next 20–30 years and recommends a reserve funding strategy to make sure adequate funds are available when needed.

Upon request, we can provide even more. An enhanced reserve study can:

  • Include a Property Condition Report with comprehensive descriptions of critical components and systems like plumbing, HVAC, roof and siding, and common interiors.
  • Expand reporting beyond common inventory elements into individually owned assets that may affect value.
  • Suggest accessibility improvements to amenities and assets, providing a guide for good property management.
  • Propose alternative solutions that upgrade instead of replace existing components, so properties operate more efficiently.
  • Explore and recommend alternative funding arrangements and investments, including iterative funding options analysis.

Partnerships: At Winding River Inspection Services, we want every reserve fund study to be the start of a long-term relationship where we can continue to help you support the physical and financial health of your homeowner’s association. The value of a reserve study is best revealed in maintenance cost savings, smart investments in improvements, and peace of mind. Request a proposal for your next reserve study.

Homeowner and Community Associations Consulting Services

A homeowner association undertaking a renovation, repair or modification project knows that expert support for such a significant investment is essential. Winding River offers an understanding of HOA’s unique challenges and the unique solutions they often require.

Diagnosing the problem: We find the cause before recommending the cure

If your roof is leaking, does it need to be repaired or replaced? A visual inspection may answer that question, but some problems lie beneath the surface. So we’ll dig deeper, if necessary, to find the underlying problems that need to be addressed.

Practical solutions: We look for cost-effective solutions

There are often many ways to solve a problem, but the circumstances and constraints of individual clients may make some solutions more feasible than others. First, we identify the solutions that make sense, then we’ll develop practical solutions that identify the most cost-effective options. Our approach is both professional and practical and we focus on the issues and consider the impacts on the association’s budget and its residents.

Designing the project: Monitoring to manage and mitigate

Effective monitoring controls costs and reduces risks. Our monitoring begins before there is anything to monitor, with an on-site kick-off meeting to go over the project details with the contractor. Our goal is to get the project off to a good start and keep it on track. After construction begins, Winding River will inspect the work at critical milestones to verify that key requirements and construction quality standards are being met. These site visits also enable Winding River Inspection Services to identify potential problems before they are covered by a roof or hidden behind drywall.

Contract administration: We are thorough

After the board selects a solution, Winding River Inspection Services will design the project required to implement it. Designing means describing in detail the scope of the work, the materials to be used, and the construction quality standards that must be met. Winding River will also review the bids submitted by prospective contractors to make sure they accurately reflect the project’s scope and specifications and then help the board select a contractor capable of delivering the promised work at the promised price.

Construction project oversight: Keeping control of your project

Construction projects can generate reams of paperwork. Competent, conscientious administration of the contract ensures that important details don’t get lost. Winding River’s experienced Inspector reviews construction forms, expense statements and requisition requests to verify that the contractor has submitted all the required documentation before payments are authorized for products or for performance benchmarks.

Design Repair Services

Some firms will diagnose a problem and wish you luck resolving it. Winding River Inspection Services will recommend solutions for the issues we identify and design the repair required to implement the solutions.

Environmental Site Assessments

A Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) will reduce the risk of purchasing a polluted site. The need for an ESA depends on two factors: The likelihood that pollution may be discovered and the risk tolerance of the investor. If a gas station or automotive repair facility sits on the site, an ESA will be essential. Many lenders financing the transaction will almost certainly insist on it. Where environmental risks appear minimal, an ESA can still provide peace of mind. Like every service Winding River Inspection Services provides, our Phase 1, also known as Phase I, Environmental Site Assessment is comprehensive and is conducted according to national (ASTM) standards. The assessment includes both a visual inspection of the site and research into past or current uses that might have created environmental hazards. The physical inspection will examine or look for evidence of:

  • Storage or handling of hazardous materials
  • Emission, storage or disposal of hazardous waste
  • Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
  • Above-ground or underground storage tanks
  • Storage drums or unidentified containers
  • Stained soil
  • Wells, septic systems, drains, sumps, pits, ponds or lagoons

The research component of our Environmental Site Assessment will include a review of relevant public records (local, state, and federal) and interviews with occupants, owners, neighbors and selected local officials. This research helps to identify current and prior uses of the property itself and surrounding properties that might affect the property’s environmental risk profile.

At Winding River Inspection Services, we are exceedingly budget-conscious on behalf of our clients. We won’t recommend services we don’t think they need. But we take seriously our obligation to alert clients to existing or potential environmental risks, so they can make informed investment decisions and implement necessary or prudent risk mitigation measures.

Property Condition Assessment

Winding River Inspection Services is not only technically proficient, but we are also intensely client-oriented. We know that not all building owners, buyers, and investors in commercial property are alike. Our inspector highly recommends the sharing of the client’s specific property investment goals and portfolio requirements so that we can exceed our client’s expectations.

Property Condition Assessments are the gold standard for building inspections, conforming to widely recognized national standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and Standard and Poor’s. A PCA covers every aspect of a property, including, but not limited to:

  • Topography
  • Paving and Curbing
  • Landscaping
  • Drainage
  • Structure
  • Roofing
  • Plumbing
  • Electrical
  • HVAC
  • Security and Fire Safety
  • Accessibility
  • Regulatory Compliance

We look at every major component and every significant aspect of a property’s physical condition. The comprehensive inspection report our Inspector produces detailed findings, identifying deficiencies and noting areas of deferred maintenance which may require attention – or have budget implications in the future.

Façade Inspections

Cracks, chips, and shifting or detaching materials are all signs that something has gone wrong with a façade. The questions are typically “what” and “why.” Some cities require the owners to have licensed, professional Inspectors inspect the façades periodically, and Winding River performs these proactive inspections as well.

Third-Party Quality Assurance Construction Services

Winding River Inspection Services has decades working in the construction industry, and our vast in-depth knowledge of how building systems and assemblies work individually and collectively improves building performance and enhances your bottom line by reducing risks, warranty claims, and call-backs. Our experience and expertise adds value to your project. Our understanding of what makes building systems succeed or fail, form the foundation for the independent, third-party quality assurance consulting services we provide for clients who are constructing new buildings, repairing or renovating existing ones. We look for quality in every aspect of a building, including its design and construction, but going well beyond that to include, among others:

  • Fire-rated assembly
  • Mechanical systems (including HVAC)
  • Acoustics
  • Accessibility features (compliance with the Americans with Disability Act)

Our field inspections are interactive. Our Contractor/Inspector will work directly with the on-site construction teams to discuss inspection findings, answer questions, and resolve problems. We are true partners in the quality assurance process.

Because we understand the construction process, we adjust to changing conditions and accommodate clients’ deadlines.

Winding River Inspection Services inspection reports are unique using clear commentary and photos to explain and document conforming items, as well as nonconforming items while tracking a project’s strengths and flaws throughout the construction process. We will highlight quality workmanship and help clients manage risk by documenting compliance with building codes, manufacturers’ installation guidelines, and professional industry standards, and by providing evidence that identified non-conforming items have been corrected and not ‘covered up’.

BUILDING WELLNESS: Facility Assessment & Optimization

Today’s corporations, institutions, health systems, and cities are faced with operating and maintaining the aging and inefficient infrastructure throughout constantly changing economic and environmental conditions. A Facility Assessment can provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of existing facilities comprised of hundreds and sometimes thousands of individual components. Winding River can help clients respond to this reality well beyond a typical commercial facility assessment. 

GOAL: Answer the following four key questions for owners:

  • What do we own?
  • What condition is it in?
  • What are the values and liabilities?
  • What is the plan for the future?

The answer to all four is critical to helping businesses survive and thrive. At its core, an FCA visually reviews the material conditions, accessibility outside and within the facility, function of operating equipment, performance, estimated remaining useful life based on Building Owners and Managers Association standards and estimated costs for repairs or replacements. With a thorough examination of each facility, system, and component, owners are granted a comprehensive view of the current state of existing facilities so they can begin to prioritize repairs, upgrades, and future capital investments.

Assessments inform capital planning, budgets, and divestment decisions.

When it comes to budgeting and forecasting for capital plans, the FCA is an invaluable tool.  Winding River’s facility assessment process uses an industry-wide facility condition index to consider current replacement value against deferred maintenance deficiencies. The FCA report produces a simple scaled number (0.0-0.5 – GOOD; 0.51-1.00 – DIVEST) that informs owners of the overall status of the existing assets. The detailed data collected during an FCA becomes an indispensable planning tool, giving owners the power to strategically track facilities and development needs, manage repairs and plan for capital projects in a predictable, efficient manner.