What a PCA covers

The walk-through survey works through the building system by system. E2018's checklist runs, roughly, from the ground up:

• Site improvements: paving, drainage, landscaping, site utilities
• Structural frame: foundation, substructure, superstructure
• Roofing and building envelope: roof covering, flashing, drainage, facades, windows
• Plumbing: supply and waste piping, fixtures, water heating
• Heating, air conditioning, and ventilation: equipment type, age, and condition
• Electrical: service size, distribution, panels
• Vertical transportation: elevators and escalators
• Life safety and fire protection: alarms, sprinklers, egress
• Interior elements: common areas, finishes, and a sampling of tenant spaces

For each, the report describes what is there, notes physical deficiencies, and rates or characterizes condition. The standard of observation is visual: readily accessible and easily visible, without moving furniture, opening walls, or dismantling or operating equipment.

What it does not cover

E2018 keeps a deliberate list of out-of-scope considerations, and the edges matter at deal time. Environmental conditions belong to the Phase I, not the PCA. Asbestos, mold, indoor air quality, and similar hazardous-material surveys are separate services. So are seismic risk studies (the PML report lenders commonly order in California), detailed accessibility compliance audits, and engineering calculations. Many of these are commonly bundled with a PCA order, but each is its own scope with its own report, and a PCA that is silent on asbestos has not cleared the building of it.

The practical takeaway for a buyer: read the report's scope and deviations section before the findings. What was excluded, and what the consultant recommended for deeper study, tells you what remains unknown.