Commercial Building Evaluation

A commercial building evaluation service offered by the Inspections Division gives owners, landlords, and prospective tenants useful information about the requirements for converting a commercial building or tenant space for a new use. Through this service, a team of inspectors looks at the space and determines what changes are needed to comply with the building code if the space is going to be used for a purpose other than its last legally established use.

About the Process

The service allows prospective tenants to know what modifications, if any, would be needed to use a former retail space, for example, as a restaurant, says Tracy Phillips, the Chief Building Official. 

For a $250 fee, the Inspections Division will review, based upon the proposed use, how well a space meets the requirements for building and fire safety, ventilation, electrical, plumbing, and compliance with zoning provisions of the Uniform Development Ordinance. In the past, people would lease space without considering the building code and zoning requirements for their proposed use, and what it would cost. By using the Commercial Building Evaluation, they can start assembling that information before committing to a lease.

The information is provided in writing, allowing an architect or engineer to incorporate the requirements into building plans before they are submitted to the Inspections Division for approval.