Commercial Building Surveys

Knowledge, Expertise, Delivered

Commercial Surveys can often cover a variety of different survey types as surveyors can act independently for both purchasers and tenants, but each will be seeking to assess the implications of a freehold or leasehold purchase or exit.

Jarman Ward have undertaken many commercial building surveys for both small, medium and large organisations alike and we seek to ask the right questions to provide you with a detailed survey tailored for your circumstances. We are independent Building Surveyors so have no conflict of interest in the instruction and as such can act purely for you.

Why invest in a commercial building survey?

When purchasing commercial property, we understand that you need to ensure you are making sound choices.  Our Commercial Building Surveyors can undertake a detailed survey, providing you with robust technical information which will enable you to have a good understanding of the overall property condition.   

The below are common surveys could be undertaken on your behalf:

Commercial Building Survey

The RICS Commercial Building Survey is the most comprehensive report and should be conducted by a Chartered Building Surveyor. Our surveyor will inspect the condition of the building including elements such as roof, walls, floors and finishes and inform you of its type of construction and any defects or issues to give you the most informed view of a building, whether you are purchasing or already occupying. 

The commercial building survey goes further than a residential building survey in that there are additional statutory obligations for commercial occupiers, for example, an overview on statutory compliance matters but also possible implications such as Listed building status. 

Pre-Acquisition Survey

When purchasing or leasing a commercial property, whether it is an office, retail shop, warehouse or industrial unit, we can help you identify its condition and required repairs, which will leave you better informed into the overall condition of the building and importantly any repairs that may be required. The survey is useful for tenants or landlords alike.

Schedule of Condition

A Schedule of Condition can be provided where a client has a requirement usually under a legal, lease or contractual obligation.  The purpose of this report is to provide a factual record of the condition of the property at the time of inspection. This information is very important for tenants when landlords present repair costs but also for landlords to ensure tenants fulfil their lease obligations and keep a property in an acceptable standard of repair. 

Defect Diagnosis Report

If you are concerned by a specific defect in your property such as water leaks, damp or evidence of movement such as cracking, we can arrange an inspection of your property and are able to undertake a detailed survey which will specifically diagnose any defects in the fabric of the property or provide recommendations for further investigations depending on the complexity and extent of the defect.

Stock Condition Survey

Stock condition surveys are commonly used where the client has a number of buildings in their estate, as a common benchmark for prioritising maintenance budgets. Schools are a good example of this, and our surveyors have undertaken many over the years.

The detailed inspection will cover both external and internal elements which highlights the current condition of the building, with additional photographs to aid descriptions of areas that require or will soon require repair. The results are displayed with a condition rating, timescale and budget repair cost. This allows clients and estate managers to budget for planned maintenance over a period of typically 5 to 10 years. In turn this should reduce costly reactive maintenance.

Measured Survey

We are experienced in undertaking Measured Surveys on a wide range of buildings and construction types. A measured survey involves our surveyors taking site and building measurements to allow us to reproduce accurate scale drawings. The level of detail will be individual to each client need. For example, we regularly produce floorplans, elevations and can also include details such as kitchens, bathrooms and other fixed furniture, as required.