Here we answer questions about getting a home or commercial inspection, give tips on home maintenance, and share our knowledge about common home and commercial property issues. We are here to help you. If you can’t find an answer to your questions here, you can always contact us via our contact page.
Multi-unit properties look simple on paper. Repeating floor plans, shared systems, predictable rent rolls. Many investors approach apartment inspections expecting efficiency—walk a few units, scan the roof, review the mechanicals, and move on. That approach misses where the real risk lives. At Upchurch Inspection, multi-unit inspections are less about counting
Medical and dental offices are some of the most deceptively complex commercial spaces to inspect. On the surface, they often look clean, modern, and well-maintained. Finishes are typically upgraded, equipment appears orderly, and tenants are highly invested in presentation. What makes these properties risky isn’t what you see—it’s what the
Industrial and warehouse properties tend to inspire confidence. High ceilings, wide-open floor space, heavy construction, and minimal finishes create the impression of durability. Buyers often assume these buildings are simple—fewer systems, fewer problems. In reality, industrial inspections demand some of the most careful judgment an inspector can apply. The risks
Why Kansas City Is a Different Kind of Commercial Market When I review reports from our Centerview, Missouri inspector working across the Kansas City metro, one thing is immediately clear: commercial buildings here don’t age quietly. Between variable soil conditions, limestone geology, aggressive weather cycles, and decades of layered renovations,
Most investors have had a “commercial inspection.”Far fewer have had a Property Condition Assessment (PCA) that actually satisfies lenders. There’s a big difference. Under the updated ASTM E2018-24 standard, lenders and institutional investors aren’t looking for a checklist or a narrative report. They’re looking for a baseline risk document that
If you’re buying a storefront on a small-town square in Bolivar or Whiteville, you’re not buying a building. You’re buying a relationship. And that relationship includes your neighbors’ roofs, their plumbing, their drainage, and sometimes their bad decisions from 40 years ago. Main Street commercial buildings don’t live in isolation.
When you buy commercial property, you’re not just buying walls and roofs. You’re buying the dirt underneath them — and its past. A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) exists to answer one question:Are there environmental risks tied to prior use that could become your liability? We start with historical
In commercial properties, mechanical systems aren’t just line items — they’re business-critical infrastructure. When a large RTU or boiler fails, tenants don’t complain.They shut down. This is where a true forensic mechanical inspection separates itself from “it turns on” evaluations. We’re looking at life-cycle reality, not momentary operation. On large
ADA compliance isn’t optional — and it isn’t theoretical. Buying a retail center or office building without an ADA compliance audit is a legal gamble many investors don’t realize they’re taking until it’s too late. Most violations aren’t obvious. They’re invisible liabilities hiding in plain sight. Parking lots are a
Downtown revitalization always looks good on paper. Historic storefronts get fresh signage. Upper floors get converted to offices or apartments. Brick gets cleaned, windows get replaced, and suddenly a building that sat half-vacant for decades is back in play. What doesn’t change is the structure underneath. In downtown Jackson, many
Warehouses around the I-40 / I-75 split look tough. Tilt-up panels. Big bay doors. Acres of concrete. From the outside, they project durability — the kind that makes buyers assume there’s nothing to worry about beyond roof age and lease terms. That confidence is usually misplaced. Warehouses don’t fail because
A commercial buyer should be very careful about ordering a “home inspection” on a commercial building. That does not mean a home inspector cannot inspect commercial property. Many competent inspectors do both residential and commercial work. The problem is not the person’s background. The problem is the scope. A standard
