Commercial Inspections

Northern Colorado Commercial Inspections

All commercial property buyers need to perform due diligence before they make a purchase commitment. Winding River Inspection Services has inspected buildings of all kinds and guides them through that process. Our licensed contractor/professional inspector will perform a thorough visual inspection of the commercial building. The inspection incorporates its overall condition, focusing on all the critical building components (structural, roof, electrical, plumbing, air and heating, paving, drainage, etc.) and environmental factors (including airflow and insulation) safety issues – fire and other potential hazards.

The written commercial building inspection report Winding River Inspection Services produces a detailed summary of our findings, highlighting building strengths and any weaknesses or potential problems we identify. We clearly explain a building’s condition, so our clients can make confident, informed decisions about their purchase. No one wants to be surprised about a building after purchasing it.

Commercial Building Inspection - 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:

Today’s corporations, institutions, health systems, and cities are faced with operating and maintaining the aging and inefficient infrastructure throughout continually 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 in 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 existing assets’ overall status. 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.

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 sharing 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 significant component and every major aspect of a property’s physical condition. In 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.

Planning for your building’s future: For any building owner, planning ahead 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. It 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 features 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.

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 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 correctly 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 achieve its 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 verify that systems are installed correctly and identify construction errors or potential problems, which are tracked through a 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 ensure that the project is constructed as designed and performed as intended.

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 issues that need to be addressed.

Practical solutions: We look for cost-effective solutions

There are often many ways to solve a problem, but individual clients’ circumstances and constraints may make some solutions more feasible than others. First, we identify 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 contractor’s project details. 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 crucial 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 performance benchmarks.

A Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) will reduce the risk of purchasing a polluted site. An ESA’s need depends on two factors: The likelihood that pollution may be discovered and the investor’s risk tolerance. 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 identify current and prior uses of the property itself and surrounding properties that might affect its 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.

Winding River Inspection Services has decades of 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. It will provide evidence that identified non-conforming items have been corrected and not ‘covered up.’

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 straightforward action course.

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 an exact, 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. A reserve study’s value is best revealed in maintenance cost savings, smart investments in improvements, and peace of mind. Request a proposal for your next reserve study.

All commercial property buyers need to perform due diligence before they make a purchase commitment. Winding River Inspection Services has inspected buildings of all kinds and guides them through that process. Our licensed contractor/professional inspector will perform a thorough visual inspection of the commercial building that incorporates its overall condition, focusing on all the critical building components (structural, roof, electrical, plumbing, air and heating, paving, drainage, etc.), environmental factors (including airflow and insulation) and safety issues – fire and other potential hazards.

The written commercial building inspection report Winding River Inspection Services produces provides a detailed summary of our findings, highlighting building strengths as well as any weaknesses or potential problems we identify. We clearly explain a building’s condition, so our clients can make confident, informed decisions about their purchase. No one wants to be surprised about a building after purchasing it.

Winding River Inspections is an independent building inspection company dedicated to helping clients understand and manage the commercial property’s physical condition risks. Whether you are an investor doing due diligence on a prospective purchase, a lessee negotiating a triple-net lease and have concerns about future maintenance costs, an owner or manager of a lodging facility interested in a third-party maintenance audit, or a business owner concerned with ADA accessibility compliance, a thorough property condition assessment can provide the information necessary to make critical business and financial decisions.

Our commercial inspection services include:

Due diligence inspections

Lease inspections

Facilities maintenance inspections

Types of buildings we inspect include:

Shopping centers and strip malls

Low to mid-rise office buildings

Hotels and motels

Multi-family housing complexes

Light industrial buildings

Warehouses

Libraries

Senior living and assisted care facilities

Religious and institutional properties

Recreational facilities

We provide a comprehensive narrative-style written report, which includes a separate summary report highlighting areas of particular or immediate concern. Reports can be downloaded from our website and, at the discretion of our client, can easily be distributed to all involved parties to ensure transactions proceed in a timely manner. If you wish to see a sample report, please contact us.

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Call Now! 970-222-2104

Commercial Inspections

Northern Colorado Commercial Inspections

Building Wellness: Facility Assessment & Optimization

GOAL: Answer the following four key questions for owners:

Property Condition Assessment

Capital Needs Assessment

Building Envelope Consulting

Building Envelope Commissioning

Environmental Site Assessment

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

Practical solutions: We look for cost-effective solutions

Designing the project: Monitoring to manage and mitigate

Contract administration: We are thorough

Construction project oversight: Keeping control of your project

Environmental Site Phase 1

Third-Party Quality Assurance Construction Services

Design Repair Services

Façade Inspection

Community Association Services

Community Association Services Reserve Study

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

Our commercial inspection services include:

Types of buildings we inspect include: