Get a Commercial Property Inspector for Flex Buildings
Commercial real estate inspectors work to protect your real estate venture.
Commercial inspectors are specifically trained to investigate the complex and diverse systems one might find within a flex building. A quality commercial inspector will provide valuable information on the flex building’s condition allowing you to make an educated decision before purchasing or leasing the property. After all, the primary objective of a commercial inspection is to provide a higher degree of technical knowledge during the inspection process that will help to protect a buyer or renter’s investment venture.
Why get a commercial property inspector for flex buildings?
Flex buildings can quickly transition to service a multitude of industries by way of drop ceilings and temporary walls. Examples include large church buildings, movie theatres, museums, grocery and retail stores, car lots, strip malls, and large office suites.
Flex buildings include a diversity of building types. Key elements of flex buildings are that they have the capacity to gather larger numbers of people and/or have multiple uses. Because these buildings are places of public gathering ADA compliance and NFPA compliance come into play. Having an inspector who is familiar with these standards of safety for commercial buildings may turn out to be crucial to the success of its future business.
What is ADA and why does it matter for commercial real estate purchases?
ADA stands for the American Disabilities Act and focuses on safety in terms of accessibility for the public. ADA distinguishes 12 categories of facilities that they consider to be a place of public accommodation, many of which will require a flex building for operation.
Under the ADA public accommodations are private entities that own, lease, lease-to-own or operate a place of public accommodation. This means that both a landlord who leases space in a building to a tenant and the tenant who operates a place of public accommodation have responsibilities to remove barriers. (Source)
What is NFPA and why does it matter for commercial real estate purchases?
NFPA, or National Fire Protection Association “provides requirements for those construction, protection, and occupancy features necessary to safeguard life, health, property, and public welfare and minimize injuries.” As building environments and risks evolve so does the challenge of protecting public gatherings of people. Just like ADA, it is the responsibility of the business(es) operating within the building to maintain the safety of all who gather on the property, whether inside or outside. (Source)
Not all commercial inspectors have an understanding of the codes and standards laid out by ADA and NFPA. We recommend asking your commercial inspection company if they have a working knowledge of these standards before contracting their services for your commercial flex building inspection.
How to find a certified commercial building inspector for your flex building.
CCPIA (Commercial Property Inspectors Association) is among the most reputable commercial inspection training programs across the U.S. Their website allows one to conduct a search using the address or city in order to find those inspectors who are CCPIA certified.
Focus Building Inspections is one of only three CCPIA Certified Commercial Inspectors in all of Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, and Kansas. To find out more about how to get a quote for your commercial property inspection navigate to our Request and Inspection Form.