What’s the difference between residential and commercial inspections?

Residential properties and commercial properties are different, and the knowledge needed to professionally inspect both types of buildings aren’t always transferable. You can’t just do a home inspection on a commercial building, or vice versa. This is because the standards of practice are different for commercial and residential inspections.

Residential homes are each unique in their own regards but do not have the range of commercial buildings. Commercial buildings can be anything from a church to a shopping mall, to an office complex to a restaurant. Commercial buildings have their own complex systems that a home inspector may never have been trained for or have experience with. For example, a commercial building has to have safety amenities, such as exit signs. These aren’t required in residential properties. 

Commercial buildings are under different standards that require particular safety compliances. NFPA, ADA, and ICC are examples of industrial and manufacturing building compliance enforcement agencies that have standards that buildings must reach in order for businesses to operate legally within them. A commercial real estate inspector will be familiar with these agencies and standards of compliance. It is important to have a commercial real estate inspector who is familiar with these standards because it is the inspector’s job to be able to give the buyer or seller the best information regarding the building, so the buyer or seller can make informed, empowered decisions. Without this specialized knowledge, the inspector is neglecting a large part of their responsibility to the client, and leaves the client more vulnerable to misinformation about the building.

Why do some home inspectors also do commercial inspections?

There are many home inspectors who also do commercial inspections on the side, and there are commercial properties that will hire home inspectors. There are lots of great home inspectors out there, but with an investment as big as a commercial property, you don’t want to take any risks. Most state inspector certification tests do not cover commercial inspections, meaning that if a home inspector is only certified to do residential inspections, they could possibly have no experience or technical knowledge of commercial real estate. And because there is no legislation requiring inspectors to gain additional training for commercial inspectors, a home inspector can market themselves as a commercial inspector without any training.

You need a commercial inspector for commercial buildings

Residential and commercial inspections have different standards of practice, and in order to get the best service, you’ll want to get an inspector who is dedicated to the type of property you want to have inspected.

One of the best ways to ensure you’re getting a knowledgable, certified, trained, and experienced commercial real estate inspector who will be best equipped to help you make empowered and informed decisions regarding a property is to find a CCPIA (Certified Commercial Properties Inspectors Association) certified inspection company. Focus Building Inspections is currently one of only two CCPIA-certified inspection companies within 200 miles of our headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the only one dedicated solely to commercial inspections.

Sources:

https://www.focusbuildinginspections.com/blog/industrial-manufacturing-buildings-require-a-commercial-inspector

https://www.focusbuildinginspections.com/blog/skip-home-inspectors-for-commercial-building-inspections