Blogs

IR/INFO 2012 Be There...!

Soon it will be time for the next IR/INFO Conference in New Orleans Louisiana. If you have never been to one of Infraspection IR/Info Conferences we strongly recommend your attendance.

Infraspection Institute, the undisputed leader in infrared thermographic education and training, created and developed IR/INFO in 1987 as a forum for information exchange in the thermographic, NDT, and P/PM realms. This unique program is well known within industry as the original source for infrared information exchange. As we have throughout the last decade, Infraspection once again presents you with the opportunity to join us for four days of dynamic education at its finest. IR/INFO is a unique gathering initially created by thermographers for thermographers. However, engineers, technicians, and managers involved in P/PM or NDT technology will also benefit from the expansive relay of information during this increasingly popular symposium.

NACBI will have a Booth at the Conference, be sure to stop by and meet our members who will be attending this event of the year.

Is Your Property Inspector Client Friendly?

Location

Forman Inspection Services, LLC
9199 Fox Fire Way, Highlands Ranch, Colorado
United States
39° 32' 56.2992" N, 105° 0' 49.5576" W

 
Is Your Home Inspector Client Friendly?

 

Does your Home Inspector, or Commercial Property Inspector, have and provide the tools that it requires to be Client friendly for all of your clients?

I ask this question because it seems that there are a lot of us out there that are not. Now, I don't mean are they friendly either in person or over the phone when speaking with your clients. I mean do they possess, or are they willing to educate themselves enough to possess, the small amount of items that it takes to work with clients that are not in the immediate area?

As both a Residential Home Inspector, and a Commercial Property Inspector, I have found that a large amount of my clients are from out of town. Actually, these days it seems that more and more of my Residential clients are relocating from other states. The economy I am certain has a lot to do with it. The last residential client I performed an inspection for was from LA and is purchasing a home here in Denver. So, does your inspector have the ability to work with these types of clients? Do they have the tools necessary to get contracts signed online? Can they send, or receive, faxes if necessary? Once the inspection is complete can they get the inspection to the client in a timely manner?

This is the age of immediate gratification. People want, what they want, as quickly as they can get it and in the easiest way that they can get it. With this in mind we have taken several steps to assure that we can meet all of our/your clients needs.

We use a service, EchoSign, so that all of our clients can sign their inspection contracts online. This keeps people from having to have a way to print, sign, scan and email the contract back to us. We also have an 866 fax line just incase they are in an office where printing and faxing a contract is the easiest method for them. We generate, and send, our inspection reports online. This assures that both the client, and agent if needed, can get their report as soon as we complete it. We have even decided to begin providing a short video, just a couple of minutes, that touches on the main items of concern that we found in the home. This really impresses the client and helps them to feel comfortable when they cannot be present during the inspection. 

So, what does your inspector do to assist you in assisting your out of town clients? 

Chuck Forman

Forman Inspection Services, LLC

720-988-3387

www.formaninspectionservices.com

A rose by any other name... may smell even sweeter!

Location

Dayton Ohio
United States
39° 41' 12.8364" N, 84° 10' 38.0856" W

Buildings are complex structures with complex systems.  A property condition assessment is a vital component to provide clients a clearer understanding of their potential investment.  Using technology to provide this necessary information should assist them, not needlessly scare them out of a purchase.  Proper education, experience, and equipment are very important to prevent this.
Take for example this recent observation: (see attachment)
 

The clients may be concerned with the obvious paint and drywall damage present (right image).  A quick assessment with an IR camera (left image) reveals what I already suspect, but could be easily misinterpreted by someone poorly trained.  A partially true assessment would be to identify this as water damage at the ceiling.  An entirely wrong assessment would be to identify the yellow (warmer) areas as a roof leak.  While these thermal exceptions certainly take on an amorphous shape consistent with active water intrusion, the temperature of these shapes is all wrong.  Holding a moisture meter to this area may indeed confirm the material to be "wet" as compared to surrounding drywall materials, but calling it an active roof leak would again be entirely inaccurate causing needless repair estimates and anxiety.
So what is the issue?
Let's look at the puzzle pieces again...
We have visible damage in the form of peeling paint and drywall cracks.  The infrared image reveals warm areas in direct proximity to the visible damage. The attic above this ceiling is significantly warmer than the room we are in.  And the kicker... disturbed loose fill insulation above the damaged ceiling.  Putting everything together, we have condensation damage.  It's ugly, it appears to be more severe a problem than what it actually is, and it's a relatively simple and inexpensive fix!
Understanding some of the fundamental principles (physics) behind thermal imaging technology, we know that heat energy naturally travels in the direction of higher temperatures to lower temperatures in order to reach equilibrium.  Warm air carries more moisture than cool air.  So when the warm moist air meets a cool surface, condensation forms just like occurs on a glass of iced tea on a hot summer day.  Except this time the cold surface is now the drywalled ceiling where the insulation is missing or disturbed.   Chronic condensation problems often lead to stains, peeling paint, and drywall damage as seen here.
The fix?  Well, replace the missing or disturbed insulation and repair the drywall and paint.  Done! Easy!  No roofing contractor wasting precious time looking for a non-existent leak.  No arguments or negotiation hurdles to overcome.  Move on to bigger and more severe concerns discovered in the building!
I could have just as easily exclaimed that a roof leak was observed and deferred off to a roofing contractor for repairs.  I would have been wrong.  Infrared technology can provide a huge asset to the arsenal of our client buyers when used in the hands of a competent inspector and thermographer who is a member of the National Association of Certified Building Inspectors.  But used improperly, the mole hills become great mountains to overcome for both our business and our clients.  A rose by any other name... just isn't the same.  Make sure your thermal imaging inspection provider is properly trained and experienced member of NACBI before you hire them!
 

Firestone Building Products Commercial Roof Seminar

Location

NACBI
10599 E. Betony Dr. Scottsdale, AZ. 85255
United States
33° 37' 55.7652" N, 111° 51' 14.076" W

I thought I would post a link to a Blog - a good friend of all the members here at NACBI wrote.
Jay Markanich from Virginia. Being an excellent Inspector with great sense of humor Jay wrote this after we all returned home from the training. At the seminar-training class, we all learned a great deal about new and old commercial roof products and had fun learning as well. Firestone Building Products puts on a great class for the public; I strongly recommend attending one of their training classes if you have the opportunity.

Here is a link to Jay's Blog he wrote after the training we received.

Commercial Building Inspection in California

Commercial building inspection in California has slowed along with the real estate market.  Now days the commercial real estate market is slower than the retail housing market.  Business is waiting to see some sign of economic improvement.

Over all the commercial building inspection here in So. California still continues, but at a slower pace in August than in July.  

New Hampshire septic inspection

Proper septic inspection method:

On April 16 2011 the State of New Hampshire change the rules and septic systems can no longer be repaired. If a septic system goes into failure a complete new system must be designed, installed by a licensed contractor and approved by the State of New Hampshire. The cost of replacing a septic system in New Hampshire could be in up wards of $15-$20 K. This article talks about the proper inspection method for inspecting a septic system and how to evaluate it’s overall condition. Whether you own a home, selling or looking to purchase, a full evaluation of the septic system should be a consideration.
 
Evaluate the plumbing components inside the home:
 
I inspect all of the interior plumbing fixture for proper connections. I also make sure all the waste lines are properly discharging into an approved waste system. Water treatment systems can be harmful to septic systems and I evaluate where the discharge of these systems go.

Examine the inside of the treatment tank:

I open the tank and examine the inlet and outlet baffles and determine the volume of the treatment tank. I inspect the visible parts of the tank for cracks, water infiltration, corrosion, and leakage. I also take a sample from inside the tank with a sludge sampler. Similar to what is used in waste water treatment facilities. By examining the sample I can determine the amount of sludge, liquid level and scum layer. This allows me to understand whether the tank is healthy and if it needs pumping.
 
Distribution Box:

I inspect the distribution box for corrosion, leakage and cracks. I also make sure the D-Box is level to ensure equal flow to each pipe in the leaching field. EDA, ( Effluent Disposal Area ) or leach field. I will determine the location and size of the EDA. Test hole's are hand dug in different locations throughout the EDA. This allows me to examine the condition of the EDA as well as how much saturation is present. A full evaluation of the EDA is critical in determining the overall condition of the septic system.
 
Vacant homes:

Septic inspections can still be performed on vacant homes. Sometimes a hydraulic load test will be done by running approximately 150-200 gallons of water into the system. Septic dye may also be used to determine flow.
 
Reports:

My New Hampshire septic system report is comprehensive and easy to read. I include digital photographs for a better understanding of the system, components and condition.

For more information please visit  www.nhsepticinspection.com

Russell Inspection Services
New Hampshire state license # 57
Level I Thermographer, ITC
Certified Building Science Thermographer, ITC
Certified Building Analyst, BPI
Certified Commercial Inspector, ITA
www.newenglandthermalimaging.com
www.russellinspectionservices.com
www.nhsepticinspection.com

Perception of cost over results

Recently a colleague of mine lost a commercial bid to perform a rather large infrared study of building envelopes for a multiple building hotel complex. His proposed fee for the task and reporting was in line, if not a tad low of typical industry fees for this type work. The building managers and maintenance department had realized a concern and correctly surmised they should call an expert to help them evaluate the concerns. An expert’s experience, knowledge, skills, and proper equipment would indeed help them to properly evaluate the buildings and determine a course of action to correct the concerns. Once they received this expert’s proposal and fee, the owners began to question cost.  They began to look strictly at equipment and labor costs while ignoring altogether the experience, knowledge, and skill set so vitally important to the success of such a project.   Through their re-evaluation, the management and maintenance team erred that it would be cheaper for them to invest in an infrared camera and perform the study themselves.  Seriously… how difficult could the procedure be? Simply point the imager and look at all the pretty colors right? And the costs of cameras have exponentially dropped from just a few years ago. Why there are some imagers on the market now for under $1500.00. The equipment I use cost over ten times that just four years ago. High end equipment five and ten years ago would have cost forty times that and often more.  But the equipment and technology is really neither the important aspect nor the most expensive component. It is the other factors that become important and expensive, and which are often overlooked when relying on price alone. Experience, education, honing skills, research and knowledge all are expensive lifetime endeavors for which are often undervalued by those who stand to benefit from them.
I am reminded of a story regarding Pablo Picasso. The story goes that Picasso was sitting in a café when a waitress approached and asked him to draw a quick sketch on a napkin for her. Picasso politely agreed, swiftly executed the work, and handed back the napkin – but not before asking the waitress for a significant amount of money in exchange. The waitress was shocked asking “How can you ask so much? It only took you a few seconds to draw this!” Picasso calmly replied “No, you are mistaken. It took me a lifetime of work.”
A similar story goes something like this: A client walks into an attorney’s office and asks a difficult legal question. The attorney turns around to his massive bookshelf and pulls a rather large book from it. He begins thumbing through the pages and finds what he’s looking for. He turns and reads the answer to the client, then charges the client $800.   The client becomes upset and angrily asks “Why are you charging me $800 when all you did was turn around and look up the answer?” The attorney replies “I spent thousands upon thousands of dollars and years upon years in education so that I know where to look, and so that I could understand what I was reading when I found it.”
A third story describes a factory where an important machine has malfunctioned. Knowing they can’t afford downtime attempting to trace the problem on their own, the factory calls in a retired worker who helped install the machine originally and spent most of his years working on it. The worker comes in, walks up to the machine, looks it over briefly, pulls out a piece of chalk and draws a circle around a screw that needs tightening. He then hands the factory a bill for $5000. The factory is upset claiming all he did was draw a circle around a screw with chalk. The retired worker then writes them a new bill:  "Drawing circle around screw - $1.00 ----- Knowing where to draw it - $4999."
True or not, these stories illustrate the misconception that experience, knowledge, and skills are of little importance and therefor have little if any value. Anyone can buy a pen and draw on a napkin. Most can open a law book and read the words. Everyone can draw a circle with a piece of chalk. And yes, almost anyone can operate an infrared thermal imaging camera. The equipment and labor are indeed the inexpensive component of a project. Having the knowledge and experience to use them successfully is an entirely different story…

My colleague and I firmly believe that he will receive a call again from his potential clients (so long as their pride doesn’t interfere); asking for his expertise to help them with what they thought should be an easy and inexpensive study. The above thermal image of a building is neat and rather unimposing, but in the image multiple concerns are present. The thermal seals in the windows are in various stages of failure which are currently only detectable with infrared thermal imaging equipment.  No outward visible signs are present such as typical condensation between the glass panes (known as lites). These concerns can potentially lead to thousands of dollars in necessary repairs. These repairs will save even more money in reduced energy costs, productivity levels of the occupants, and aesthetics of the building itself. Without the proper skill set and knowledge, these defects would remain undiscovered for potentially many years. The building owners are now in negotiations with the window manufacturer for warranty repairs. The owners have been handed a multi-thousand dollar benefit in exchange for a paltry fee which paid for my provided knowledge, skills, experience, research, and yes… labor and equipment.
Are you concerned about the perceived cost or end results? Good, quick, cheap are your choices, but you can only pick two!

Now your ready to begin marketing your Commercial Inspection business

Location

10599 E. Betony Dr. Scottsdale, AZ. 85255
United States
33° 37' 55.7652" N, 111° 51' 14.076" W

OK, lets just say you have read the bits of information I wrote in previous Blogs here. Now you need to market your services properly, and in the right locations so you get the best return for the hard earned dollars spent. Naturally a website is a must, as I previously stated it is imperative to separate yourself from Home Inspections if you offer both professional services. Make or have a website made for just Commercial Building Inspections. We as members of NACBI provide our clients Property Condition Assessments, known in the Commercial Real Estate Brokerage community as a PCA. Make sure your website is optimized properly for the various search terms buyers, agents, or a potential lessor will be using to find your website online. Most webmasters, website design companies, have no idea what a proper Title and Description with relevant keywords would be so your website shows up when a search is initiated by your potential clients or their agents.

Use the words carefully for your title and description. Most search engines take-consider the first 120 characters very seriously when the spiders crawl your new website to distinguish exactly what the content of the website is. Don't place all your chips in one arena, believe it or not there are more people leasing commercial buildings than buying now because commercial lending has become increasingly hard to achieve for people with even great credit. NNN Inspection, Triple Net Lease Inspection, Commercial Building Lease Inspection are all very important keywords to use in your title and description besides just Commercial Building Inspection related content. I'm not a webmaster, nor am in the website search optimization business, but I have learned a lot through the years from trial and error to finally understand what it takes to have a high ranked website. Speak to a search engine optimization company for more information, or search the internet for information pertaining to this subject before placing your website online.

Many new commercial real estate salesman call or email various companies they find online for their clients. Seasoned salesman already have a list of Commercial Building Inspectors to email or hand their clients that list. Commercial real estate salesman generally have three-four different companies to receive proposals from, companies who have already proven their expertise to the realtors clients in the past and the realtor knows their client will be receiving a good inspection. Commercial agents are the opposite of some residential agents who think only about their commission, sure their are just as many trustworthy residential agents as dishonest, but I have yet to run across a commercial agent who didn't care more about their clients best interest than their commission, because if the buyer or lessee doesn't buy or lease one building, you will be inspecting a different building. The commission of one sale for a commercial agent is usually great, so their not praying their client goes with their first choice. Well enough about who might be the most honest in the real estate industry, this wasn't my intention of this portion of the Blog, you will find this out yourself, if you have inspected homes, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you haven't inspected commercial property in the past you will be pleasantly surprised with the professionalism of commercial agents. I have yet to run across one commercial agent who only thought about finalizing the sale or lease, maybe I'm just lucky, I don't know. I have had the pleasure to meet some of the best commercial agents in Arizona, that I know.

After your website is completed, now its time to market directly to commercial brokerage firms. I have been in the home inspection business for many years, never have I stepped foot into one residential real estate office. I have been in numerous commercial real estate offices delivering a Sample Report. In my experience, this is a must, you have to create a great looking inspection report with the exact condition of the building documented with pictures, don't use a report with basically nothing wrong with the building, make a report with lots of items needing repair or replacement so you have the ability to state in the report what you recommend for repair-replacement. Just saying everything needs "Further Evaluation or Review by a Specialist" without a good reason behind your statement isn't going to produce you many future inspections. It is wise to use your professional knowledge of commercial buildings to add additional information in the PCA so your client has an idea of what his/her options are.

One example, if the roof needs repair rather than complete replacement, I would state what I know is a proven option of repair for that particular type of roof covering. Other commercial building inspectors may disagree with me regarding statements about repair options, they have their right to disagree, I'm just explaining to you what clients like, they have told me, which equates to making money. Using Inspection Software is the best method of achieving exactly what clients are looking for in a PCA. Look at all the Inspection Software available, some are not customizable as others are.

I will add to this Blog as time allows me, and will continue with what a Sample Report requires to get the attention of both potential clients and their agents, so your phone rings.

If this is your first visit to the NACBI Blog, please begin reading the first Blog and the second Blog.

Dale M Duffy
Inspect Arizona Companies, Inc.
Phoenix Commercial Building Inspectors, Inc.
Phoenix Arizona Thermal Imaging
Inspect Arizona Companies, Inc. - 602.402.5305
NACBI - 480.309.4967

Additional Information to become a Commercial Building Inspector

Sunday 2.27.2011 10:20 PM MST.

You may have read the information provided below in my first Blog regarding "Home Inspectors Who Would Like To Inspect Commercial Buildings"

If anyone would like to be at a commercial inspection with my company, please call us anytime. Lately, I have been inspecting at least two commercial buildings per week. This week ahead is no different, I have two nice size buildings scheduled for inspections. Nice size being less than 50,000 square feet, just my personal preference. This size building is very easy to inspect with one other experienced commercial building inspector. We can have the building inspected in about five-six hours, it generally takes about an hour per 10K s.f. if the building is an Office type occupancy and not over fifteen years old.

Furthermore, this type of building generally yields the highest price per foot. But I never give quotes per foot. You will find there are many variables involved in pricing your service, many clients-investors, or just people buying the building for their own business do not care about the inspection costs if you have a good reputation for your services. You can demand prices much higher than your competition based on both referrals from past customers to new customers, and allowing new customers to contact old customers to ask what they felt about their inspection. Was it worth the extra money they spent? I have never had anyone say my prices were to high for their budget after contacting a past client, this is the way your company reputation should be if you have a goal to be very successful in this business.

If you do not have a separate website for commercial building inspections, have one made. You will be separating yourself from the rest of the herd who add commercial inspections to their home inspection website(s). I have commercial inspection services on all my websites, but also have a website for just commercial inspections. It is nothing fancy because I don't really need a website at all any longer, 95% of my clients are referrals from past clients, or the same clients buying something else. I'm not bragging, its just the way it is now. I don't feel lucky by any stretch of the imagination, I worked very hard for many years to achieve the goals I set in a business plan made many years ago and worked the plan.

Also, it is very important to have a company name not associated with just home inspections. How many people do you think are going to take you serious when you answer your phone "Jones Home Inspections" how can I help you? Forget it, you won't get the calls in the first place because your advertising as a home inspector who may also inspect a commercial building, if the building is not to large or it intimidates you.

Think of a company name which can be associated with any type of inspection, from commercial buildings to infrared thermography. Get this name incorporated and buy another phone with a different number so you know what to say, and be prepared when that phone for commercial inspections begins to ring. Start the conversation asking what their needs and expectations are, you will be amazed what the responses can be at times. Many just want to know the the condition of the major systems and components if they have purchased a commercial building in the past. Some new buyers may be nervous, but not many, you will find these people are a completely different breed of investors-buyers who do not become emotionally attached to the building when they make a purchase offer. After the inspection, or even possibly during the inspection, if they happen to be at the inspection they may say STOP, I've seen-heard enough, I'm not buying this building. I will call you when I find another one.

Nonetheless, you won't see people crying because their dreams have been shattered by the outcome of the property condition assessment. They are damned glad they hired you to do exactly what they paid for. To know if this building is a money pit, or if their budget allows for the repairs-replacements necessary to meet their needs. If they are buying the building at an incredibly low price, they may not stop the inspection even when your thinking to yourself what could possibly be going through their mind, this building should be torn down. Well perhaps that is exactly what they will do if the building is in such poor condition, they may want the location more than the building, so be prepared for anything possible, because believe me, you will run into all walks of life in this business. But I can guarantee you this, you will not see anyone with tears coming from their eyes because of your findings. I have in many instances, also being a home inspector, have seen women walking to their cars crying their eyes out asking their husband if he thinks they can still buy the shack and have it repaired within their budget. I have seen this more than I care to remember, but never seen anyone crying at a commercial inspection. Your dealing with smart educated people who are very business savvy or they would not have the money or credit to buy a commercial property in the first place.

Well I hope this small amount of information will help someone who is a home inspector, but would like to be a commercial building inspector, place him-her one more step further in the proper direction. I will add more information to this blog as time allows me, my intentions are to help you any way possible, by providing information necessary to be successful in this rewarding business.

If you would like to learn more, ask questions by visiting our forum. We have some of the most experienced building inspectors and thermographers in the country visiting regularly, always willing to help. http://www.nacbi.com/messageboard/forum.php

Dale M Duffy

Inspect Arizona Companies, Inc.
Phoenix Commercial Building Inspectors, Inc.
Phoenix Arizona Thermal Imaging

Inspect Arizona Companies, Inc. - 602.402.5305
NACBI - 480.309.4967

Home Inspectors Who Would Like To Inspect Commercial Buildings

I'm writing a short blog regarding Commercial Building Inspections for Home Inspectors who are afraid to inspect commercial property, or are intimidated by the thought.

Home Inspectors who are not inspecting Commercial Real Estate are losing a large market share of money readily available to anyone who has the knowledge, or willingness, to learn how to inspect commercial property. There isn't a huge difference in the inspection process, all buildings are constructed with the same basic materials, concrete, wood, steel, with various type of roof coverings.

If you learn how buildings are constructed it makes the inspection process much easier. If you have built commercial buildings then there is absolutely no reason you couldn't be inspecting them now if you have a game plan in place. The first thing necessary if you haven't inspected a commercial property is to go with someone who does inspect them regularly. You will learn an incredible amount of information the short time your at a property, but after 10-15 properties you should be able to put a team together and inspect them on your own.

When I first started inspecting commercial real estate I had a electrician, an HVAC contractor, a plumber, and a structural engineer available at the spur of the moment if I needed one of them, or all of them, to help me at an inspection. I always had a couple helpers who could inspect-test basic electrical components such as small service panels and sub panels to make sure there were no concerns. You will find that when most commercial buildings are constructed the electrical system is generally installed in a professional workmanlike manner. It becomes problematic when alterations have been made by amateurs as we all know, but this is certainly not the norm, seldom do I find anything bizarre at a commercial property regarding the electrical system.

The HVAC systems can be a challenge if your not well versed in the various systems installed in commercial buildings such as Chillers, Cooling Towers, Package Type Equipment, Split Systems, Heat Pumps, Gas Furnaces, and Boilers. I'm using these particular types of equipment as the norm, because they are what I run across at most of the buildings in my area of the country. But you could find everything from Hydronic, to in-floor heating systems. This all depends on where your located in the United States and how old the buildings are on average in any city. If you don't understand how they all function find someone who does, and have them go with you to the inspections. You will be able to find a retired HVAC technician who is more than willing to teach you about the various systems if you look in the proper locations to find such a person. Stop at a local commercial heating and cooling distributor, ask someone if they know a retired technician who may want to do some side work, pay him good and you'll learn a wealth of information if you find the right person.

Plumbing systems can be as basic as residential type to complex systems in an industrial type building, again, if you don't know about all the various systems installed in buildings find someone who does. This business does not mean you have to have wealth of knowledge in everything known to mankind about every system ever invented and utilized in a building, this business is based a lot on who you know, not what you know. But the more knowledge you have or are capable of absorbing, the more money you will make because you won't be paying sub-contractors what could be your net profit. Basically, plumbing is an easy aspect of the inspection, so I wouldn't lose to much sleep about this portion of the inspections.

Now the electrical systems of commercial buildings can be very complex, it is good to know a well versed commercial electrical contractor to be with you at an inspection, especially if there is 277/480 volt in a building, if you are not well versed in three phase power. Commercial services are actually simpler to explain to a customer who maybe curious of your knowledge. The power plant produces 3 phases of power at very high voltages to help transmission over long distances, and those voltages are periodically stepped down lower the closer they get to a building's service entrance.

There will be a ground mounted or pole mounted transformer that does a final step down before the wires enter the building. When they do enter the building, they are the same 3 phases generated miles away at the power plant. The difference is they aren't stepped down as low as residential services. Commercial services come in at 277 volts phase to ground, or 480 volts from phase to phase. Inside the building, there are more transformers that produce the 120 volt residential voltages for receptacles by stepping them down even further. In residential electrical systems, the voltages are 120 volt phase to ground and 240 volts phase to phase. In commercial buildings the voltage is 277 volt phase to ground and 480 volt phase to phase, or 120 volt and 208 volt depending on if you are talking high voltage or low voltage. The multiplier here is not 2.0 like residential, it is 1.73, due to a different type of transformer used. So learn as much about three phase power as humanly possible so you in time, can inspect the electrical system as well.

Structural components of a commercial building can also be very hard to understand if you are not familiar with all the types you will come across. Again, find a structural engineer who is retired and would like to make some side money and has the ability to teach, not all do. The structural engineer I found many moons ago is a wealth of knowledge, in fact he was one of the inventors of Tilt-Wall Building Systems, a common type of structure not only in Arizona, but in all locations of the country. Have an engineer go with you to as many different types of construction as possible so you can identify all components of the building and explain in a property condition assessment report what your findings are.

I will write more about how to become a Commercial Building Inspector in the future. I thought writing this blog would help Home Inspectors who would like to become Commercial Building Inspectors understand what is involved in this industry, which is very rewarding both monetarily and mentally, knowing you just helped someone through their due diligence period of their inspection process to possibly purchase a multi-million dollar property.

Dale M Duffy

Inspect Arizona Companies, Inc.
Phoenix Commercial Building Inspectors, Inc.
10599 E Betony Dr.
Scottsdale, Arizona 85255

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