Month: April 2019

How to Impress Clients with Better In-House Building Inspections

Posted on by Teddy Williams

Western was founded in 1915.

A lot has changed since then. And Western has been right here in the trenches the entire time, providing trusted advice about building envelope restoration and maintenance to thousands of people.

But you might actually be surprised at how much has remained the same.

Fads come and go. Tactics change. New contractors enter the industry, then fade away. But there are a few fundamental mindsets, strategies, and tools that we’ve seen work throughout our entire 100+ year history.

One of those tools is the building inspection.

Take the guesswork out of your in-house inspections

Since 1915, Western has been pioneering restoration and preservation techniques that deliver superior quality and results.

The solutions we develop for our customers and their properties have been tested and implemented on thousands of buildings all across the country.

With this foundational expertise, Western knows what it takes to conduct effective in-house building inspections as well as anyone. We know which parts of the building you need check and the small warning signs you can’t afford to miss.

Putting all that knowledge in one place

In our inaugural issue of this monthly digital publication, we talk about:

  • The fastest way to make your building maintenance program more effective
  • Why building inspections are so critical to your success
  • A handy 3-step process for organizing the information on your property
  • How to save time and money by planning your inspection
  • And a whole lot more …

In other words, we cover the fundamentals of doing an annual building inspection that will put you miles ahead of the rest of the industry.

There might not be a more important topic when it comes to helping you create a winning difference as a property management professional.

Here’s to your future success.

All the best,
Tom Brooks

Note: Western Specialty Contractors does not provide licensed design, engineering, or architectural services. But Western has great relationships with engineering firms across the country, and when appropriate, we can recommend a design professional, or work with one provided by the Client.

3 Keys to Doing Successful Property Inspections

Posted on by Teddy Williams

If you want to reduce maintenance costs, there are a lot of advantages to doing property inspections.

To begin with, they give you valuable information that makes the stressful maintenance decision-making process much easier and straightforward.

But we all know that proper inspections involve more than just walking around a property looking for potential issues. There are tons of property inspections that don’t do much to help the manager and owner. And there are a few successful standouts.

Here’s how to put your property inspection into the second category.

#1: Start with standardized methods

Successful inspection programs are built on a foundation of excellent standardized methods. They help improve consistency from inspection to inspection over time. That way, you can reliably compare results from a current inspection to past ones. Our recommendations include:

  • Taking several pictures of each component’s condition — don’t try to rely on notes from inspectors exclusively
  • Using a condition rating scale — keep ratings as simple as possible

Sometimes folks are tempted to start doing inspections first, then figuring out how to record the data later. That’s a recipe for expensive mistakes and a less-than-awesome inspection.

#2: Instructions matter

Successful inspections leverage greatly written guidelines.

Starting with standardized methods will get you a good way down this road, but if your team needs some more help, make sure to provide them with written instructions they can review.

Even if your inspection is set up correctly, it only makes it harder to get the traction if your staff isn’t sure what to do. It’s not about dumbing it down — it’s about taking the guesswork out of the equation.

#3: Create checklists (or know where to get them)

Successful inspections have rock-solid processes. If you’re new to exterior maintenance, creating checklists can be a fun and exciting way to get better.

But if you want to do a great inspection, you need to pay your dues and learn how to make excellent inspection checklists. If that isn’t you yet, you can shortcut this by asking a contractor to help you.

You might supply the vision and property knowledge, and they bring their years of experience and expertise.