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Building Services Walkthrough

Building Services Walkthrough

A building services walkthrough is a process where a building services worker, usually either a contractor or facility management employee, will inspect a facility or job site to get an understanding of the scope of work needed for a single job or for overall maintenance of a facility and to uncover all potential issues. The walkthrough is done before the work commences, and for contractors it is often done before putting in a proposal to bid on a job.

For a building services contractor such as a handyman, electrician or HVAC technician, the walkthrough is a chance for them to meet the potential client for the first time, demonstrate expertise, build trust, define the scope of work and set the proper expectations for the project on both sides.

For a facilities manager, building services walkthroughs are a regular occurrence in order to ensure that all preventive maintenance issues are addressed and a plan is in place to keep a facility or multiple facilities functional, efficient and meeting the needs of the occupants.

The goal of a building services walkthrough is always to define the scope of work that needs to be completed, identify all known issues and to create a proposal or plan to complete the necessary work to meet the client’s needs.

Common Types of Building Services Walkthroughs

There are several types of building services walkthroughs, depending on the type of project and the desired services. The potential scope of the project, the type of services required and the need to determine costs before service begins will help determine which type of walkthrough is required.

Contractor Walkthrough

Contract workers, or contractors, are hired on a contract basis to make improvements or repairs to a building. Contractors can work on any of the systems under building services engineering, such as mechanical services (escalators, air conditioning, ventilation, etc.), electrical services (lighting, fire alarm, security systems, etc.), public health services (janitorial cleaning, plumbing, wastewater drainage, etc.) and more.

During a contractor walkthrough, the contractor will examine the potential job site to closely examine all of the known needed repairs and the overall system to uncover any new needed repairs the client did not previously know about. After thorough examination, the contractor will prepare a summary report of what they found on the walkthrough, along with a quote and proposal for the work needed to complete the repair or improvement service to the building.

An example of some of the things that a contractor would look for during a walkthrough for an electrical lighting repair job would be :

• Test all nearby outlets with a multimeter or outlet tester.
• Test all nearby switches.
• Turn the circuit breaker off and then on again to make sure they are not loose.
• Check the nearby lights.

The purpose of this example walkthrough is not just to come up with a cost estimate but also to see if there are other problems that need to be fixed, or if there is a bigger issue that is the root cause of the problem.

Facility Walkthrough

A facility walkthrough is a walkthrough or inspection on an entire building or facility, and is performed by a facilities manager or facilities employee. The purpose of a facility walkthrough is to check all equipment, systems and parts of the building for necessary maintenance and to ensure that all preventive maintenance (maintenance done to ensure repairs don’t have to be made) can be completed before repairs are required.

There are several important steps to be performed in a typical facility walkthrough :

1. Create a list of all equipment and systems to be checked 2. Plan a route and do an initial walkthrough or pre-walkthrough to ensure that the facility walkthrough is properly planned. 3. Create a log of all systems and equipment to be inspected and define what parameters will be checked during the walkthrough. 4. Perform the walkthrough by walking the pre-planned route and checking everything on the log. 5. Have another person perform the walkthrough to get a second opinion. 6. Create a work list of all the repairs or preventive maintenance that needs to happen. 7. Plan for ongoing optimization based on the walkthrough results to ensure the building remains efficient over time.

Remodel or Rebuild Walkthrough

Before considering a total remodel or repair of a building, house or other type of facility, the owner (or sometimes potential buyer) of the facility or building will hire a general contractor to perform a walkthrough of the site. The general contractor is tasked with determining every possible issue, potential repair needed and total estimated cost of the remodel or rebuild.

Because of the potential for high costs, issues that the general contractor will look for on a typical remodel or rebuild walkthrough include :

• Electrical upgrades that are needed
• Roof issues that need to be fixed
• Boiler or furnace problems and overall heating systems
• Septic system issues (if applicable)
• Water Stains
• Code violations
• Cracks in the foundation

Real Estate Inspection Walkthrough

A real estate inspection is similar to building services walkthrough but with a few key differences. A real estate inspection will be completed by a contractor or handyman who is certified to do real estate inspections. They will look through the entire building for all potential issues and deliver an inspection report on any damage or necessary repairs.

The potential home buyer can then decide if they still want to buy the building or home, or use the report as leverage to demand that the seller either make the repairs before the sale can be completed or provide the estimated funds to do so.

The main difference between a real estate inspection and a building services walkthrough is that the building services walkthrough is done prior to a contractor bidding for the desired services while the real estate inspection is done as part of a contingency before a real estate transaction can be completed.

Goal of a Building Services Walkthrough

Build Understanding of the Project Deliverables

A building services walkthrough, especially a contractor walkthrough, often will begin with the client or potential client explaining their vision to the contractor. That way the contractor will better understand what the client is looking to accomplish and will know what potential issues to look out for during the walkthrough. This also gives the chance for the client and the contractor to build trust and set the proper expectations with one another before discussing costs.

This is also true for a remodel/rebuild walkthrough except on a grander scale with more goals and potential variabilities to keep in mind.

For a facilities walkthrough, the main deliverable is going to be figuring out what preventive maintenance to plan and execute on and also to identify any maintenance issues that need to be fixed immediately.

Identify All Issues and Work That Needs To Be Completed

There are many interrelated systems within buildings, so there are always going to be issues that an expert will be able to see that a client may not be aware of. What seems like it could be a simple repair job could end being something greater if there is a larger underlying problem that the building services contractor or facility manager has identified during a walkthrough.

A walkthrough is not only chance for the contractor or building services provider to get an idea of the costs and amount of time to complete the project, but also too see if there are other important items that need to be addressed.

For example, in addition to checking the problem area, a contractor doing electrical lighting work can:

• Test all nearby outlets with a multimeter or outlet tester.
• Test all nearby switches.
• Turn all of the circuit breakers off and then on again to make sure they are not loose.
• Check the nearby lights.

Another example could be for an HVAC systems technician working on a repair job for a single room. They could also turn the heat and AC on in other rooms to make sure hot or cold air is blowing, set a temperature for the other rooms and check with a thermometer to see how close the HVAC system is getting to it. This would help identify other issues in addition to the known repair.

Other Issues that come up during a walkthrough can include:

• Materials that need to be used and how to obtain them.
• Equipment that needs to be used and whether or not the contractor will need to lease or purchase it.
• Regulatory requirements and potential code violations.
• A Mechanic’s Lien in the case that one person has done a significant amount of work on the property and has filed a lien on it.
• The need for subcontractors to complete specialty work and how they will be hired and paid.

Drafting A Proposal With An Accurate Bid

While identifying all issues and building a relationship between contractor and client are part of the process, the main reason people do building services walkthroughs, especially for contractors and remodel/rebuild work, is to understand the scope of work and ultimately bid the proper amount for the project. Once every single issue and cost is accounted for, the building services provider can start to build the quote.

• Items that the building services provider will consider when calculating the quote include:
• Making sure all costs are covered and then adding on the proper amount to account for their labor and services.
• Similar costs for other service providers in the area and how they compare. They can charge more if they are a unique specialist or one of the best in a particular market.
• Figure out if there are unknown variables that could make the work take longer. They may include these in the quote or let the client know that a change order may be necessary if the unknown variables become an issue later on.
• In the case of a negotiation, the service provider may have a bare minimum price they are willing to complete the work for and will walk away from the project if that is not met.
• When a ballpark estimate is asked for before the building services provider is prepared to make an official quote they can choose whether or not to comply, as there may be factors that make ballpark estimates impossible to calculate on the spot.

The building services provider will either provide a non-binding high level proposal that includes a description of the work, the timeline and the cost, or they will send an official contract that provides the same information and can be signed immediately. Some contractors will ask that the contract be signed after the walkthrough and others will be more open to waiting while the client evaluates their options.

A Decision To Hire or Not To Hire A Building Services Contractor

For a building services contractor walkthrough the final goal is for the potential client to make a decision on whether or not to hire the contractor. Several contractors may do a walkthrough and deliver different insights into the work that needs to be done and the different issues that may arise during the project. They may deliver proposals with different bids based on the scope of work they deemed necessary to complete the project effectively and affordably.

The client is now empowered to make the decision on whether or not to select a particular contractor. This would not have been possible if not for the details that were worked out during the building services walkthrough.

Facility Walkthrough Goals

The goals for a facility walkthrough and a building services contractor are different. The facility walkthrough is done by an employee of the facility, usually the facilities manager. The goal is not focused on the costs of a single repair or to figure out who to hire to complete work.

The goal for a facility walkthrough is preparation for preventive maintenance that ensures the health of the facility over time. This includes checking the log against all equipment within the facility to see where preventive maintenance is required, coming up with a plan to complete preventive maintenance, and to see if there are any major issues - reactive or corrective maintenance - that need to be addressed immediately.

Regular facility walkthroughs and a preventive maintenance plan help facilities save energy costs over time as better functioning equipment and systems use less energy, in addition to ensuring the health and functionality of equipment and systems within the facility.

Tools and Materials for Building Services Walkthroughs

Physical Tools and Materials

A robust toolbox is not needed for a building services walkthrough, but some tools and materials are necessary to ensure that issues can be recorded and addressed properly.

To use an electrical repair walkthrough as an example, an electrician may not need to bring their entire toolbox, but they will need to be prepared. They could bring measuring tape, markers and labels to mark and draw everything that they might need to place or repair electrical lines and switches.

This will allow them to make physical marks on walls, ceilings, cabinets, around furniture, ceiling fans, vents, or anything that needs electricity running. Then, once they have everything marked they can take pictures to can use later to figure out how much work needs to be done and deliver the proper bid.

A high quality camera for taking pictures is necessary to record images for the walkthrough report and to aid in creating the bid. A notebook or note taking device is a must for the building services contractor to take notes on the work needed to complete the project while they're on site with the prospect.

Another useful item for some walkthroughs is a pre-made checklist appropriate to the type of work being completed. A checklist is used to ensure that all common issues and hazards are checked for and reported on.

For an electrical repair walkthrough an electrician would use the following pre-made checklists:

• Electrical Safety Inspection Checklist - Used for compliance of electrical safety measures during a walkthrough for an electrical worksite.
• Electrical Hazard Checklist - A checklist that can be used before any workday or walkthrough to assess if there are electrical hazards that could be harmful to workers or building residents.
• Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) Checklist - A checklist of procedures that are used to protect electrical repairs and nearby workers from malfunctioning equipment, especially used for industrial electrical equipment.
• Accident Report Form - Used to record accidents from short circuits, faulty wires or any electrical hazards. Helps to track safety records for improvement over time.
• Fire Extinguisher Checklist - A checklist to ensure that the correct type of fire extinguishers are present before commencing work that may require them, and also checks if they are charged or defective.

Digital Tools For Building Services Walkthroughs

As building services providers capture photos, measurements, notes, and get a detailed scope of the required work during a walkthrough, digital tools for capturing and sharing this information become useful. Mobile applications can be used during a walkthrough to capture the necessary information and store it in the cloud so it can be used to generate a report or shared with co-workers and clients.

Mobile applications for walkthroughs need functionality that allow users to: schedule walkthroughs at any time, assign client info to walkthroughs, assign an employee to perform the walkthrough, take clear notes, capture details such as dimensions, photos, and unique issues that need to be resolved. This information must be easily shared in a report format with co-workers and clients.

An example of a software system that provides this functionality is the Walkthrough Builder. Walkthrough Builder allows users to schedule walkthroughs in an instant and assign them to team members, take clear notes that record all details and photos, and create an exportable walkthrough report PDF that can be shared with team members and clients. Building service providers can use this walkthrough to create proposals that import all of the details recorded on site directly into the proposal. The Proposal Generator is designed for building service providers to quickly create a proposal using their walkthrough data and estimated costs, allowing them to create a professional looking and highly detailed Service Agreement.

Because one of the main goals of a building services walkthrough for the service provider is to provide a bid on the scope of work and a service agreement, digital proposal creation tools are useful as they allow building service providers to quickly create proposals after the many walkthroughs that they perform. The best proposal generator software is able to import the building service provider's data recorded from their business management platform of choice, so that the service provider does not have to input their walkthrough data more than once. Other nice to have features include proposal templates, which can save companies both time and money in the form of less errors across the organization. It should also allow more details to be added such as cost and time expected to complete work, as well as look professional to give the client a good impression.

The purpose of digital tools for building services walkthroughs is to streamline and record processes that are frequently completed by building service providers and to automate much of the manual processes that take place without them.