The Joy of Commercial Inspections

Commercial inspections are not only performed as a condition of sale, like residential ones, but are commonly called for when a building is leased, as a necessity for annual maintenance and reserve studies, or as a prerequisite for insurance purposes. And even though they may not be as plentiful as residential ones, they pay a lot better, and commercial inspectors are traditionally held in higher esteem and treated with far greater respect than their residential counterparts. In spite of this, you still might feel a little reluctant to inspect a commercial property, which is understandable.

It would be quite natural to feel nervous about your first commercial inspection, but you were probably equally nervous about your first residential one as well. The truth is, you probably already have the expertise, experience, and necessary tools to do the job and, in reality, commercial inspection can be a lot simpler! True, commercial buildings tend to be larger and their systems more complicated, but that’s when you need to take a team approach and hire specialists. Commercial inspectors commonly act as general contractors, and subcontract to specialists. After all, you may never feel confident about evaluating elevators, but after a few inspections with an electrician you just might feel confident enough to evaluate three-phase electrical systems by yourself, and thus reduce your costs and increase your revenue.

Marketing to commercial real estate agents is a lot like marketing to residential ones, but commercial agents are fewer in number and higher on the social scale. So, instead of mailing out a throw-away-flyer bragging about low or competitive prices, you may want to request an interview in a sophisticated letter that extols the professional quality of your services. And you may even want to volunteer as a speaker, on such subjects as environmental hygiene, and not only to agents but to groups of doctors, lawyers, investors, and homeowner associations. Remember, there are a lot of people that are afflicted by allergies and adversely affected by indoor air quality and, as we’ve learned from being residential inspectors, people really do appreciate learning.