- Owner
- Facilities Manager
- Effective date
- September 15, 2026
- Review cycle
- Every 12 months
1.Purpose
To formally document the condition of the building's exterior, structure, mechanical rooms and life-safety systems on a set schedule, so deficiencies are found, tracked and corrected before they become larger problems.
2.Scope
Applies to scheduled, documented building condition inspections of facility structures and systems. Daily maintenance rounds and individual occupant repair requests are covered by the facility maintenance SOP.
Definitions
- Inspection route
- The defined path and set of areas covered during a building inspection.
- Punch list
- The list of deficiencies found during an inspection that need to be corrected, each with a severity rating and owner.
- Building envelope
- The exterior elements that separate the inside of the building from the outside, including the roof, walls, windows and doors.
- Severity rating
- A classification of how urgent a found deficiency is, such as safety, urgent or routine.
3.Responsibilities
- Facilities Inspector
- Walks the inspection route, documents findings with photos, and assigns a severity rating to each item.
- Maintenance Technician
- Completes corrective work orders generated from the inspection punch list.
- Facilities Supervisor
- Reviews the punch list with the inspector and assigns corrective work orders to technicians.
- Facilities Manager
- Reviews the completed inspection report, tracks corrective actions to closure, and archives records.
RACI matrix
| Activity | Facilities Inspector | Maintenance Technician | Facilities Supervisor | Facilities Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule the inspection route | I | - | R/A | I |
| Conduct the inspection and document findings | R/A | - | I | I |
| Generate work orders from the punch list | R | I | A | I |
| Complete corrective work orders | I | R/A | C | I |
| Track corrective actions to closure | C | R | R | A |
R = Responsible, A = Accountable, C = Consulted, I = Informed
4.Materials and PPE
Materials, tools and systems
- →Building inspection checklist
- →Camera or mobile device for photo documentation
- →CMMS for generating corrective work orders
- →Prior inspection reports for comparison
- →Flashlight and basic measuring tools
Personal protective equipment
- →Safety glasses
- →Hard hat in mechanical or roof areas
- →Non-slip footwear
- →Fall protection for roof access where required
5.Procedure
- 5.1
Schedule the inspection route and frequency
Facilities SupervisorFacilities supervisor confirms the inspection date and which building areas are included, based on the standard frequency for each area type.
- 5.2
Prepare the checklist and review prior findings
Facilities InspectorInspector pulls the standard building inspection checklist and reviews the previous report to confirm earlier punch list items were closed.
- 5.3
Inspect the building exterior and grounds
Facilities InspectorInspector walks the roof access points, parking lot, grounds and drainage, checking for surface damage, standing water, and roof membrane condition.
- 5.4
Inspect the building envelope
Facilities InspectorInspector checks exterior doors, windows and wall surfaces for damage, air or water infiltration, and deteriorating seals or caulking.
- 5.5
Inspect life-safety systems visually
Facilities InspectorInspector visually checks exit routes, emergency lighting, fire doors, sprinkler heads and alarm devices for obstruction or obvious damage.
Checkpoint: Every exit route on the checklist is confirmed clear and every emergency light checked during the inspection.
- 5.6
Inspect mechanical and electrical rooms
Facilities InspectorInspector checks mechanical and electrical rooms for housekeeping, clearance around panels, signs of leaks, and unusual heat or odor.
Warning: Do not open electrical panel covers during the inspection; note any concern for a qualified electrician to assess.
- 5.7
Inspect restrooms and common areas
Facilities InspectorInspector checks restrooms, breakrooms and common areas for plumbing leaks, fixture condition and general maintenance needs.
- 5.8
Document findings with photos and severity ratings
Facilities InspectorInspector photographs each deficiency found and assigns a severity rating of safety, urgent or routine on the inspection report.
- 5.9
Generate corrective work orders
Facilities SupervisorFacilities supervisor reviews the punch list with the inspector and creates a corrective work order for each item, prioritized by severity rating.
- 5.10
Assign and complete corrective work
Maintenance TechnicianTechnicians complete assigned corrective work orders, starting with items rated as a safety concern.
- 5.11
Review the report with the facilities manager
Facilities ManagerFacilities manager reviews the completed inspection report and open punch list items with the supervisor to confirm priorities and resourcing.
- 5.12
Track corrective actions to closure
Facilities ManagerFacilities manager tracks each punch list item until its work order is closed, and carries any unresolved item forward to the next inspection.
- 5.13
Archive the inspection report
Facilities ManagerFacilities manager files the completed inspection report, photos and punch list status for the site's building condition records.
6.Quality checks
- →Every item on the building inspection checklist is marked complete with a finding or a pass, not left blank.
- →Safety-rated punch list items are assigned a corrective work order the same day as the inspection.
- →Prior inspection punch list items are confirmed closed or carried forward with a reason.
- →Inspection reports are archived and retrievable for at least the required retention period.
7.Records
- →Completed building inspection checklist and report
- →Photo documentation of findings
- →Corrective work orders generated from the punch list
- →Punch list closure tracking log
8.KPIs
- →Percentage of punch list items closed before the next inspection
- →Average time to close a safety-rated finding
- →Number of repeat findings across inspections
- →Inspections completed on schedule
9.Common mistakes
- →Marking a checklist item as fine without actually inspecting it closely.
- →Not photographing findings, making it hard to track condition changes over time.
- →Letting a safety-rated punch list item sit without an assigned work order.
- →Skipping mechanical or electrical rooms because they are less visible to occupants.
- →Losing track of items carried forward from a previous inspection.
10.Revision history
| Revision | Date | Description | Reviewed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | September 15, 2026 | Initial release | Ilia Pirozhenko |
This is a template. Adapt it to your organization, equipment and local regulations before use.
