While you may find similar and varying definitions of a facility condition assessment in performing an online search, it appears that many remain confused and continue to equate a facility condition assessment with a property condition assessment (PCA). This being the case, what follows is our interpretation based upon what we strive for in conducting a facility condition assessment. This noted, a facility condition assessment resembles a property condition assessment in that it provides a professional evaluation of major building systems for preparing and submitting a property condition report that includes recommendations and budget costs for addressing deficiencies disclosed in conducting a PCA. In reality, the difference is essentially a matter of semantics whereby a PCA refers to a property condition assessment conducted for those looking to purchase or lease a commercial property whereas a facility condition assessment is essentially a property condition assessment designed and intended for those who presently own and occupy including those who lease a commercial property. When you think about it, this makes perfect sense given that those who own or lease and occupy the property—as opposed to those looking to purchase or lease a property they are unfamiliar with—are normally in a much better position to point out existing issues and concerns in need of attention or further professional evaluation. Hence, rather than wasting valuable time, money and energy in conducting an assessment of building systems and components that a property owner has maintained and believes to be in reasonably sound and serviceable condition barring normal wear and tear, we are better able to focus our time and energy in conducting an assessment of building systems with known issues as opposed to focusing attention on each and every building system under the sun in serving the needs of a client looking to purchase or lease a commercial property. Hence, in situations such as this, it is easy to understand why a facility condition assessment is normally going to provide the biggest bang for the buck. Last but not least, another difference normally provided by a facility condition assessment are recommendations and budget costs projected over a 10 to 20 year period in contrast to a much shorter time frame used in conducting a typical baseline PCA.
As a final note, if you haven't figured it out by now, the overall scope of a facility condition assessment is entirely up to your discretion as to what major building systems and/or areas you want us to focus on in helping to provide you with a facility condition assessment that can best serve your needs. While we can help guide you in completing what may appear to be a simple task, the important thing to remember is that unlike many of our competitors, we are not looking for a way to pad our fees providing an unnecessary service you can do without. On the other hand, you also don't want to be penny wise and dollar foolish in arriving at a final decision regarding the scope of a facility condition assessment that can best serve your needs.