A commercial condition survey is a building surveyor's account of the state of an office, shop, industrial unit or mixed-use building, written so the client can plan and budget repairs. This template goes through the building element by element — the roof and rainwater goods, the walls, windows and doors, the external areas and drainage, then the ceilings, internal walls, floors and fittings — and gives each a grade from A to D, a description of what was seen, the repair advised and a timescale. Building services are recorded as observed, not tested. Fill it in here and download a PDF, or use it on your phone: speak while you walk, and the document writes itself.
What a condition survey records
A condition survey records a visual inspection. The surveyor looks at every element that can be seen from accessible areas, says what it is made of, what condition it is in and what should be done about it, and by when. It is the starting point for a planned maintenance budget, a negotiation before a purchase or lease, or a landlord's view of an asset.
It is not a structural engineer's report, an electrical or gas test, an asbestos survey, a measured survey, or a schedule of dilapidations. Where the surveyor sees the need for one of those, the summary has a place to recommend it. Surveyors who are RICS members will also follow their own professional guidance on scope and terms of engagement; this template records the inspection and does not stand in for that.
Grading each element A to D
The A to D grades are widely used in UK planned maintenance work. A means the element is performing as intended. B means it is performing but showing minor wear. C means it has significant defects and is not performing as it should. D means it has reached the end of its life, has failed or is close to failing. "Not inspected" is a grade in its own right, and better than a guess.
Grades C and D, and any repair marked urgent, are pulled into the report's summary of findings automatically, so the client sees the important items before the detail.
Limitations belong at the front
Most disputes about surveys are about what was not seen. Record the limitations before the elements, not as an afterthought: how the roof was viewed, whether voids were entered, what was hidden by stock, furniture, floor coverings or a tenant's fit-out, and which parts could not be reached at all. Services are described from what can be seen and from the certificates provided; nothing is tested.
From survey to repair schedule
The last section turns the grades into a short list the client can act on: each repair, the element it belongs to, its timescale and, if you were asked for them, budget costs. Keep the figures as your own estimates and say what they include. Further investigations — a drainage CCTV survey, an electrical installation condition report, a structural engineer — go in the same place, so nothing recommended gets lost in the body of the report.
Common questions
What does a commercial building condition survey cover?
The fabric of the building, outside and in — roof, rainwater goods, walls, windows and doors, external areas and drainage, ceilings, internal walls, floors and fittings — plus a visual look at the building services. Each element is described, graded and given a repair recommendation and timescale.
Is a condition survey the same as a schedule of condition?
No. A schedule of condition is a factual, usually photographic, record of the state of a building at a point in time, often attached to a lease to limit future repairing liability. A condition survey goes further, giving opinions on repairs and when they are needed.
Does the survey include testing the services?
No. Electrical, heating, fire alarm and lift installations are described from what can be seen and from the test certificates provided. Where testing is needed, recommend the right specialist in the summary.
What do grades A, B, C and D mean?
A: performing as intended. B: performing, with minor wear or deterioration. C: significant defects, not performing as it should. D: life expired, failed, or close to failing.
Who should carry out a commercial condition survey?
Usually a chartered building surveyor, often an RICS member, with specialists called in for structure, services or hazardous materials when the survey points to them.