Pre-Purchase Construction ReviewFor Condo & House Buyers in Southern California

Is This Review Right for You?

• You are buying a condo or townhouse and want to know what the HOA's records say about the building around your unit.
• The house has a remodel, an addition or a garage conversion and you want to know what to ask about it.
• You see stains, cracks or signs of past leaks and want a construction-side look before your contingency deadline.
• You are buying from out of state or overseas and need a written photo report.
• Buying a recently flipped or renovated home? See Flipped & Renovated Home Inspection.

What PCC Reviews

In every home

• Building envelope and water: windows, sliding doors, thresholds, showers, tubs and the visible transitions where water gets in.
• Noninvasive moisture-meter readings.
• Visible structure and finishes: cracks in slabs, walls and stucco, sloping floors and doors or windows that bind.
• Normal user controls, accessible receptacles in the reviewed areas with a plug-in tester and the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm test buttons.
• Signs of remodels, additions or conversions.
• A private pool or spa on the property: the drowning prevention features California requires the report to identify.

For a condo

• The construction-related parts of the HOA documents the seller provides. For an association covered by the balcony inspection law, these include the most recent exterior elevated elements report.
• The repair and replacement items in the reserve summary, any construction defect notices and repairs discussed in board minutes.
• A short list of questions for the association where the documents and the building do not agree.
• PCC reads these records for construction facts only.

For a house

• Site drainage and grading as seen from the ground, retaining walls and slopes and the exterior walls and roof as seen from the ground and accessible vantage points.

What You Receive

• A written photo report: the areas and components reviewed, what was observed, why it may matter and the follow-up we recommend.
• What was not reviewed and why.
• For a condo, the construction items found in the HOA documents and the questions to ask the association.
• Added by agreement: a call to go through the report, a permit history request list and permit records research after closing.

What Is Outside the Scope

• PCC does not remove electrical panel covers, enter attics or crawlspaces, walk on roofs, open walls or move belongings.
• Not included in this review: engineering opinions, code certification, an opinion of value, a legal or financial review of the HOA, remodel design or feasibility studies and repair cost estimates.
• For the electrical panel, attic, crawlspace, roof surface, sewer line, wood-destroying pests, chimney and specialty equipment, PCC tells you which specialist to call.
• PCC does not perform repairs and has no financial interest in any contractor.

Who Performs the Work

Our principal makes the visit and writes the report. He has handled construction administration for architects on multifamily work and was senior project manager and construction manager on the team delivering a major airport terminal program. PCC does not provide engineering.

An Illustrative Example

This is an illustration, not a specific client project.

• Problem: a buyer under contract on a second-floor condo in Orange County sees a ceiling stain in the hall bath. The HOA documents mention balcony repairs.
• PCC's role: a Pre-Purchase Construction Review for the buyer.
• Work: a visit with spot moisture readings at the stain, a look at the visible balcony and window transitions and a reading of the balcony report, the reserve summary and the board minutes the seller provided.
• Deliverable: a written photo report with the questions for the association, including whether the recommended balcony repairs appear in the reserve summary.
• Decision it informed: which questions the buyer put to the association and which specialist to call before the contingency deadline.