A property condition assessment for a commercial building, laid out system by system: site, structure, facade, roof, interiors, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, fire protection, lifts and accessibility. Each gets a condition rating, age, remaining useful life, the deficiencies seen and a cost horizon — with your own opinion of cost, a document review, interviews and a cost table.
Property and Engagement
Which property, for whom, why, and who assessed it.
Report Title
Your file reference for this report
Client who commissioned the assessment
Why is the assessment being done? — Acquisition due diligence, Lender or refinance, Capital planning, Preparing to sell, Lease due diligence, Insurance, Other
Property name
Address
Property type — Office, Retail, Industrial or warehouse, Multifamily, Hotel, Mixed use, Healthcare, Self storage, Other
Year built, or your best estimate
Number of buildings on the site
Storeys in the main building
Gross floor area
Unit used for areas — sq ft, m²
Units, suites or rooms
Currency for every cost in this report
Reserve term the client asked for, in years
Property representative who walked with you
Your Company
Assessor
Your Role or Qualification
Date of the site visit
Conditions on the day — Dry, Raining, Snow cover, Very hot, Very cold
Areas you could not get into or see
Documents and Interviews
What the paperwork and the people who run the building told you.
Documents you reviewed — Drawings or as-built plans, Certificate of occupancy, Maintenance and repair records, Capital spending history, Roof warranty, Fire system inspection reports, Elevator certificates, Earlier condition reports, Code or enforcement notices, Utility bills, None were provided
Documents you asked for and did not receive
Who you interviewed, with their role
Known problems the owner or manager described
Major repairs or replacements in recent years
Were any outstanding violations, notices or pending claims disclosed?
What are they, and who issued them?
Site, Paving and Drainage
Everything outside the building line.
Overall condition of the site
What is on the site — paving, parking, walks, landscaping, retaining walls
Approximate age, in years
Remaining useful life you estimate, in years
Deficiencies you saw — Cracked or failed asphalt, Trip hazards on walks, Ponding or poor drainage, Damaged curbs or wheel stops, Faded striping, Retaining wall movement, Site lighting out, Fence or gate damage, Erosion, None seen
When will money be needed here? — Nothing expected in the term, Immediate — now or within the year, Short term — within about two years, Later in the term — a reserve item
Your opinion of cost for that work
What the figure covers, and how you reached it
Notes on the site
Photographs — site
Structure and Foundations
A visual opinion of the frame and what it stands on.
Overall condition of the structure
Structural system — foundations, frame, floors, roof structure
Approximate age, in years
Remaining useful life you estimate, in years
Deficiencies you saw — Foundation cracking, Settlement or out-of-level floors, Spalling concrete or exposed reinforcement, Corroded steel, Timber rot or insect damage, Visible deflection, Earlier repairs to monitor, None seen
When will money be needed here? — Nothing expected in the term, Immediate — now or within the year, Short term — within about two years, Later in the term — a reserve item
Your opinion of cost for that work
What the figure covers, and how you reached it
Notes on the structure
Photographs — structure
Facade, Windows and Doors
The skin that keeps the weather out.
Overall condition of the facade and openings
Wall cladding, windows and exterior doors
Approximate age, in years
Remaining useful life you estimate, in years
Deficiencies you saw — Cracked masonry or render, Failed sealant joints, Loose or missing cladding, Water staining, Fogged or broken glazing, Leaking windows, Damaged exterior doors, Corroded balconies or railings, None seen
When will money be needed here? — Nothing expected in the term, Immediate — now or within the year, Short term — within about two years, Later in the term — a reserve item
Your opinion of cost for that work
What the figure covers, and how you reached it
Notes on the facade
Photographs — facade
Roofing
Covering, drainage and what sits on top.
Overall condition of the roof
Roof type, covering and area
Is a roof warranty still in force?
When does it end, and who holds it?
How you saw the roof — Walked it, From the hatch or a ladder, From a higher vantage point, Drone or aerial images, Not seen
Approximate age, in years
Remaining useful life you estimate, in years
Deficiencies you saw — Ponding, Blisters, splits or open seams, Worn surfacing or coating, Damaged flashings, Blocked drains or gutters, Leak stains inside below, Repeated patching, Leaks at equipment curbs, None seen
When will money be needed here? — Nothing expected in the term, Immediate — now or within the year, Short term — within about two years, Later in the term — a reserve item
Deficiencies you saw — Worn floor finishes, Ceiling stains, Damaged walls or doors, Worn restroom fixtures, Dated finishes, Mould or damp, Damaged stairs or handrails, None seen
When will money be needed here? — Nothing expected in the term, Immediate — now or within the year, Short term — within about two years, Later in the term — a reserve item
Your opinion of cost for that work
What the figure covers, and how you reached it
Notes on the interiors
Photographs — interiors
Plumbing and Hot Water
Supply, waste and the water heaters.
Overall condition of the plumbing
Supply pipe, waste pipe and water heating
Approximate age, in years
Remaining useful life you estimate, in years
Deficiencies you saw — Active leaks, Galvanised or corroded supply pipe, Water heater past its life, Low water pressure, Slow or blocked drains, Backflow device not tested, Sump or ejector pump problems, None seen
When will money be needed here? — Nothing expected in the term, Immediate — now or within the year, Short term — within about two years, Later in the term — a reserve item
Your opinion of cost for that work
What the figure covers, and how you reached it
Notes on plumbing
Photographs — plumbing
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
What heats, cools and moves air — and how old it is.
Overall condition of the HVAC systems
Heating and cooling equipment, with sizes and makes
Approximate age, in years
Remaining useful life you estimate, in years
Deficiencies you saw — Equipment past its typical life, Refrigerant leaks or phased-out refrigerant, Corroded cabinets or coils, Noise or vibration, Comfort complaints, No maintenance records, Failed controls, Boiler or cooling tower concerns, None seen
When will money be needed here? — Nothing expected in the term, Immediate — now or within the year, Short term — within about two years, Later in the term — a reserve item
Your opinion of cost for that work
What the figure covers, and how you reached it
Notes on HVAC
Photographs — HVAC
Electrical
Service, distribution and lighting.
Overall condition of the electrical systems
Incoming service, distribution and lighting
Approximate age, in years
Remaining useful life you estimate, in years
Deficiencies you saw — Service too small for the use, Obsolete or recalled panels, Missing covers or blanks, Exposed or damaged wiring, Signs of overheating, No ground-fault or RCD protection in wet areas, Lighting failures, Standby generator not tested, None seen
When will money be needed here? — Nothing expected in the term, Immediate — now or within the year, Short term — within about two years, Later in the term — a reserve item
Your opinion of cost for that work
What the figure covers, and how you reached it
Notes on the electrical systems
Photographs — electrical
Fire Protection and Life Safety
Detection, suppression, exits — and the records behind them.
Overall condition of fire protection and life safety
Alarm, sprinkler and emergency lighting systems
Approximate age, in years
Remaining useful life you estimate, in years
Deficiencies you saw — Alarm panel faults, Sprinkler inspections overdue, Corroded sprinkler pipe or heads, Extinguishers out of date, Emergency lighting failures, Exit signs not lit, Fire doors damaged or held open, No current inspection report, None seen
When will money be needed here? — Nothing expected in the term, Immediate — now or within the year, Short term — within about two years, Later in the term — a reserve item
Your opinion of cost for that work
What the figure covers, and how you reached it
Notes on fire protection
Photographs — fire protection
Elevators and Escalators
Vertical transport, rated from the rides, the certificates and the contractor.
Does the property have elevators, escalators or platform lifts?
Overall condition of the elevators and escalators
Number, type and drive of each unit
Are the operating certificates current for every unit?
Approximate age, in years
Remaining useful life you estimate, in years
Deficiencies you saw — Certificate expired or missing, Levelling problems, Door faults, Worn cab finishes, Obsolete controller, Frequent breakdowns reported, Hydraulic oil leaks, Modernisation advised by the contractor, None seen
When will money be needed here? — Nothing expected in the term, Immediate — now or within the year, Short term — within about two years, Later in the term — a reserve item
Your opinion of cost for that work
What the figure covers, and how you reached it
Notes on vertical transport
Photographs — elevators
Accessibility — Observations
Barriers you noticed. Not an accessibility compliance survey.
Overall accessibility of the public areas, as observed
Accessible features present — entrance, parking, restrooms, lifts
Approximate age, in years
Remaining useful life you estimate, in years
Deficiencies you saw — No step-free entrance, Too few accessible parking spaces, Restroom not usable from a wheelchair, Door hardware hard to operate, Ramps too steep or without handrails, No accessible route between floors, None seen
When will money be needed here? — Nothing expected in the term, Immediate — now or within the year, Short term — within about two years, Later in the term — a reserve item
Your opinion of cost for that work
What the figure covers, and how you reached it
Notes on accessibility
Photographs — accessibility
Opinions of Cost
One line per piece of work, in your figures.
These are the assessor's estimates for budgeting. They are not bids or quotations, and they are not a warranty of the property's condition.
Cost items
System — Site, Structure, Facade and openings, Roof, Interiors, Plumbing, HVAC, Electrical, Fire protection, Elevators, Accessibility, Other
The work
Timing — Immediate — now or within the year, Short term — within about two years, Later in the term — a reserve item
Year of the term it falls in
Quantity
Unit of measure
Your unit cost
Your total for this item
Where the figure comes from
Photo
Total of immediate costs
Total of short-term costs
Total of reserve items across the term
Summary and Sign-Off
What the client most needs to know, and what this assessment could not tell them.
Overall condition of the property
The handful of things the client most needs to know
Further investigation you recommend — Structural engineer, Roofing specialist, Mechanical, electrical or plumbing engineer, Elevator consultant, Fire protection contractor, Environmental assessment, Hazardous materials survey, Moisture or mould investigation, Accessibility survey, None
Limitations — what was not seen, tested or opened
Any other photographs
Assessor — signature
Reviewer — name
Reviewer — signature
Facilities Management
Property Condition Assessment
A property condition assessment for a commercial building, laid out system by system: site, structure, facade, roof, interiors, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, fire protection, lifts and accessibility. Each gets a condition rating, age, remaining useful life, the deficiencies seen and a cost horizon — with your own opinion of cost, a document review, interviews and a cost table.
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A property condition assessment (PCA) is a walk-through survey of a commercial property's building systems that ends in an opinion: what condition each system is in, roughly how long it has left, and what money is likely to be needed now and over the next few years. This template is laid out one system at a time, with a document review, interviews and a cost table, and you can fill it in here and download a finished PDF without creating an account.
What a PCA is, and the standard people mention
Buyers, lenders and owners commission a PCA to know what they are taking on. In the US the commonly referenced baseline is ASTM E2018, which describes a walk-through survey, a review of available documents, interviews with people who know the property, and a report that gives opinions of probable cost for the deficiencies found.
This template follows that general shape. Filling it in does not make a report compliant with ASTM E2018 or any other standard — the scope agreed with your client does that, along with the qualifications of the person doing the work. It is also not a code compliance audit, a structural survey or an environmental assessment; where you see the need for one, the summary has a place to recommend it.
Rating a system: condition, age and remaining life
Every system section asks the same questions in the same order, so the report reads consistently and a lender can compare two buildings side by side.
Condition — Good, Fair, Poor or Failed, on what you observed.
What is there — type, material, size, make — so the reader knows what the rating is about.
Age — from records, data plates and date stamps where you can find them.
Remaining useful life — your estimate of how many more years it will reasonably serve, given its condition and upkeep. A twelve-year-old rooftop unit that has been well maintained can outlast a neglected eight-year-old one.
Deficiencies — what you actually saw.
Immediate, short term, and later in the term
Each system ends with a question about timing. Immediate usually means life-safety problems, material code issues, or failures that need money within the year. Short term is commonly taken as the next one to two years. Later in the term is for items that belong in a replacement reserve table, if the client has asked for one.
Choose a timing that needs money and the form asks for your opinion of cost and what it covers. It never proposes a figure — the estimate is yours, from your own unit costs, contractor quotes or cost data, and the basis should be written down beside it.
Documents and interviews are half the job
A walk-through sees surfaces. Records and people tell you what is behind them: the roof that has been patched four times, the boiler that trips every winter, the open fire department notice. The documents section records what you were given, what you asked for and did not get, who you spoke to and what they told you.
What you could not see matters as much as what you could. Locked suites, roofs without safe access and plant you were not allowed to open all belong in the limitations, in plain words.
Common questions
What is included in a property condition assessment?
Usually the site, structure, building envelope, roof, interiors, plumbing, heating and cooling, electrical, fire protection and vertical transport, plus a review of available documents, interviews, a summary of deficiencies and opinions of cost. The exact scope is whatever you agree with the client.
Who carries out a PCA?
Typically architects, engineers or experienced building assessors, often with specialists for elevators, roofs or building services. Lenders frequently set their own requirements for the assessor's qualifications and the report format.
What is remaining useful life?
Your estimate of how many more years a system will serve before it needs replacing, given its age, condition and maintenance. It differs from expected useful life, which is the typical total lifespan for that kind of system.
Does a PCA include an environmental assessment?
No. Contamination and hazardous materials are normally a separate environmental scope. A PCA can note what was seen in passing — suspect materials, moisture, mould — and recommend the right specialist.
How is a PCA different from a home inspection?
A home inspection is for a house buyer and focuses on defects. A PCA is for commercial property, is usually commissioned by an investor or lender, and adds remaining life and opinions of cost, often across a reserve term.
Does the template calculate costs for me?
No, deliberately. You enter your own figures and the basis for them. Costs vary too much by place, building and time for a form to suggest them responsibly.