What a PCA covers

A PCA covers the primary improvements of a commercial property, seen on a walk-through survey and filled out by document review, research and interviews (E2018-24, 1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3). The guide's list of items is not all-inclusive; the consultant should use professional judgment to add or drop items as the PCR needs (E2018-24, 9.4).

How far observation reaches

On the site visit the field observer should look at the material systems and components, judge their condition and find physical deficiencies, working by representative observations (E2018-24, 9.4). To observe, in the guide's terms, is to gather information by sight, hearing and smell, within what is easily visible and readily accessible (E2018-24, 3.2.33). Easily visible means seen without intrusion, moving or removing materials, probing, or special equipment or protective clothing (E2018-24, 3.2.20). Readily accessible means areas made available for the survey that need no moving of furniture, coverings, equipment or belongings (E2018-24, 3.2.47).

Representative observations are a reasonable sample of repeated systems, components and areas (E2018-24, 3.2.51). Where several buildings match in age, use, design, materials and systems, the field observer need not observe the systems of each one (E2018-24, 4.3.4). The guide's annex, which is mandatory, sets representative observations by asset type: for multifamily property, a mix of occupied, vacant, damaged and under-repair units, top and bottom floors, and each construction phase; for office and retail complexes, each building on its own (E2018-24, A1.1.1, A1.2.1, A1.3.2). In retail property, the consultant need not survey shell-finish tenant spaces or the inside of anchor stores unless the scope includes them (E2018-24, A1.3.1).

The systems, as section 9 lists them

Site: topography; storm water drainage and basins; ingress and egress; paving, curbing and parking, with the parking count and its source; walks and plazas; landscaping and site features; recreational facilities; special utility systems (E2018-24, 9.4.1).
Structural frame: the primary buildings and parking structures, their structure type, the foundation, and the floor and roof framing (E2018-24, 9.4.2).
Roofing and building envelope: membrane, flashings, parapets, slope, drainage, ponding and leaks, and the facades, glazing, sealants, balconies, exterior doors and stairs, seen generally from grade or from readily accessible balconies and roofs (E2018-24, 9.4.3).
Plumbing: sanitary, storm and supply piping, fixtures and domestic hot water (E2018-24, 9.4.4).
Heating, air conditioning and ventilation: system types and the refrigerant as reported; apparent or reported age; past material replacements; the apparent level of upkeep and whether a maintenance contract is reported; an opinion on equipment shut down at the time, as far as it can be observed; and a general description of material systems that tenants own and that are said or thought to lie outside the assessment (E2018-24, 9.4.5, 9.4.6).
Electrical: the service, panels, transformers, meters, emergency generators and lighting (E2018-24, 9.4.7).
Vertical transportation: equipment type, number and capacity, cabs and controls, and the maintenance contractor if any (E2018-24, 9.4.8).
Life safety and fire protection: sprinklers, standpipes, hydrants, alarms, extinguishers, emergency lighting and smoke control, and the latest inspection if available (E2018-24, 9.4.9).
Interior elements: typical common areas, finishes and amenities (E2018-24, 9.4.10).

The annex adds balconies, supply piping, unit wiring, attics and signs of fire retardant treated plywood for multifamily property, and canopy roofs and loading docks for retail (E2018-24, A1.1.2 to A1.1.6, A1.3.4, A1.3.5).

Documents and interviews

Documents and interviews support the survey (E2018-24, 8.1). The consultant should ask for and review the base building's certificate of occupancy and any material building or fire code violations that are outstanding and on record (E2018-24, 8.4.1). The review covers records reasonably ascertainable from standard sources (E2018-24, 8.4.2). The guide lists owner and user documents to review, among them appraisals, warranties, records of system ages, repair cost histories, pending proposals, code citations, ADA and FHA evaluations, prior PCRs and drawings (E2018-24, 8.6). The consultant need not verify what others provide and may rely on it where it looks reasonable (E2018-24, 8.2). The consultant should ask the point of contact about past repairs and their cost, upkeep, pending work, known deficiencies, system ages, warranties and litigation over the property's condition (E2018-24, 8.7). Those asked may have no duty to cooperate, and refusals and gaps should be disclosed in the PCR (E2018-24, 8.7.2).

Activities the guide excludes

The guide's list of excluded activities is not complete, and includes (E2018-24, 12.1):

moving furniture, materials or panels; probing or destructive testing; taking apart or running equipment (E2018-24, 12.1.4 to 12.1.6);
entering areas that may be dangerous, such as plenums, crawl spaces, elevator pits, unsafe roofs, and roofs with no built-in access (E2018-24, 12.1.13);
engineering calculations, designs, and checks of code compliance (E2018-24, 12.1.9, 12.1.16); measuring areas, unit counts or parking (E2018-24, 12.1.10);
pests, subsurface conditions, and process or tenant-specific systems (E2018-24, 12.1.11, 12.1.12);
an environmental assessment of matters such as hazardous building materials, mold or indoor air quality (E2018-24, 12.1.20);
recommending improvements, enhancements or upgrades that would better or reposition the property, as opposed to repairs and replacements that hold it in its intended design condition; interpreting leases or contracts (E2018-24, 12.1.1, 12.1.2).

A condition opinion on a shut-down system is on the excluded list, though the consultant is to give one as far as its age, obvious condition and maker allow (E2018-24, 12.1.15). The PCA is no warranty or guarantee, and no finding of compliance with codes, accessibility law or environmental rules (E2018-24, 12.2).

Out-of-scope considerations

The guide names considerations it leaves out: natural hazard exposure, building resilience, environmental matters such as asbestos and mold, accessibility, and energy performance and carbon emissions (E2018-24, 12.3.2). Looking into them is the user's choice, and none is needed for a PCA to conform (E2018-24, 1.3, 12.3.2). When the user adds one, its method should follow the guide's intent and be expressly agreed with the consultant (E2018-24, 12, Note 2). Other standards, among them E2026 on seismic risk, E2557 on probable maximum loss and E1527 for the Phase I, lie outside the scope unless agreed (E2018-24, 12.3.3).

The guide's nonmandatory appendixes describe ways to widen the work, such as specialists for high-cost or critical systems, field counts and measurements, and a flood plain check against FEMA maps (E2018-24, X1.2.3, X1.2.6, X1.2.8). They also offer abbreviated ADA and FHA screenings, limited visual checklists with no measurements or counts; a detailed accessibility survey is beyond the guide's scope (E2018-24, X2.3, X3.3).

This page is general reference. It does not assess any property. ASTM E2018-24 is the standard and is not reproduced here; the judgment of the consultant on the facts governs.