It is easy for you to think that an inspection is an inspection and there is nothing majorly different in it. But the reality is different. There are large differences between home and commercial inspections. The property inspectors have expertise in either one of them and they excel in that. But some inspectors specialize in both. One will typically start with inspecting the homes but once they understand the matter, they can branch out to the commercial parts as well. But since you are a consumer, you must know the difference between the two.
Variety of structures
This is inevitably true that every home is different. Especially if one house is built in 1910 and the other is built-in 2010. Though the differences will look minute when compared to the commercial buildings, they can greatly impact the property. These differences become clear when the inspectors deal with them on a daily basis. The inspectors specializing in commercial building inspections cover multiple structures like:
- Retail and grocery stores
- Restaurants
- Shopping malls
- Apartments
- Factories
- Warehouses
- Office buildings
Standards of practice
There are clear distinctions in the standards of practice for both the home as well as commercial inspectors. It is mandatory to meet the specific requirements as per the property standards. Residential inspectors must meet the residential practice standards prevalent in the industry while the commercial ones need to go a step ahead and refer to ASTM E2018-15 standards.
Cost and time
As it is obvious, the larger and more valuable properties would be demanding higher fees of inspection as compared to others. And since the services are extremely streamlined, you only get what you pay for. Commercial inspections are a lot more complex than residential inspections and their cost may vary accordingly. But then again, there is always a cost/time balance. It is not traditionally true that commercial inspectors make more money than residential inspectors as the value of earnings averages out because home inspectors can see into more houses at lower fees.
Liability risk
Commercial inspectors have more risk at work and they face larger challenges as compared to residential inspections. The commercial buildings are larger and have more to inspect. Also, commercial inspections come with very tight deadlines and demanding clients. In short, there’s no room for error.
Get your building inspection done through Inspection batiment MCM who are experts in both commercial and residential inspections.
