Commercial Property Walkthrough Checklist

The detailed guides in the Inspection Library cover one surface each in depth. This is the general walk: the route a property manager takes regularly, covering everything at a level that catches what matters and flags what needs a closer look.

Use it as the routine pass, and reach for the specific guide when something here raises a question.

Walk It as a Visitor Would

The most common error in a property walk is walking it as staff — parking in the usual place, entering by the usual door, and never seeing what a visitor sees. Start at the entrance to the site and follow the route an unfamiliar visitor takes.

1. Approach and Entry to the Site

• Signage legible from the approach and not obscured by landscaping
• Entry drive surface condition and drainage
• Monument signage, landscaping, and boundary condition
• Sightlines at the entry clear for both vehicles and pedestrians

2. Parking Areas

• Pavement condition — cracking, potholes, rutting, edge deterioration
• Striping and markings legible from a seated driver's position
• Accessible stalls, access aisles, and signage present and clear
• Drainage inlets clear; note ponding if inspecting after rain
• Debris, staining, and organic growth in cracks and along curb lines
• Wheel stops, bollards, curbs, and islands intact
• Lighting — note for a separate after-dark check

3. Walkways and Pedestrian Routes

• Trip hazards — vertical displacement, lippage, root heave, settlement
• Slip conditions — growth, grease, polished areas, persistent damp
• Surface cleanliness, gum, staining, and joint vegetation
• Accessible route continuity from parking to every entrance
• Handrails, ramps, and stair condition
• Grates, covers, and plates secure and flush

4. Entries

• Entry paving condition and cleanliness — inspected from three feet
• Glazing, frames, thresholds, and hardware
• Canopies, soffits, and overhead surfaces
• Mats, mat wells, and the interior transition
• Entry lighting and signage
• Furniture, planters, ashtrays, and receptacles

5. Building Elevations

• Walk the full perimeter, including rear and side elevations facing nothing
• Facade condition — cracking, spalling, coating condition, staining
• Biological growth, noting which elevations face which direction
• Wall base condition, splash-back staining, grade, and landscaping contact
• Roofline, gutters, downspouts, and staining indicating overflow
• Signage, awnings, and fabric elements
• Irrigation heads striking the building

6. Service Areas

• Trash and recycling enclosures — structure, gates, slab, sanitation, odor
• Grease receptacles and containment where present
• Loading docks, aprons, and approach pavement
• Pest indicators — droppings, gnaw marks, burrows, nesting
• Storage and housekeeping; egress paths clear
• Drainage destination and any liquid tracking onto adjacent pavement

7. Site Elements and Landscaping

• Landscaping maintained and trimmed clear of routes, sightlines, and buildings
• Irrigation functioning without striking hardscape or walls
• Fencing, gates, and barriers intact and secured
• Site furniture, bike racks, and cart corrals stable and serviced
• Utility boxes, panels, and access covers secured
• Waste receptacles serviced and not overflowing
• Graffiti on any surface, including rear and concealed areas

After the Walk

1. Sort findings into immediate hazard, scheduled maintenance, and capital-or-specializt.
2. Control immediate hazards on the day of discovery.
3. Photograph and date anything marked, noting location precisely enough to be found again.
4. Record the walk itself — date, inspector, route — whether or not anything was found.
5. Where a finding needs closer assessment, use the relevant Inspection Library guide.