A Day in the Steel-Toed Boots of a Republic Building Condition Assessor

You’ve seen the job posting for a Building Condition Assessor splashed across the RAI website and social media, but have you ever wondered what they do? Wren Egan and Matt Davidson can tell you!

Putting the FUN in functional assessments, Wren and Matt head up RAI’s Building Condition Assessment (BCA) team. If the chance to work with these dynamos doesn’t encourage you to send in your resume, maybe a peek at a day on their team is the nudge you need.

Good morning! Wake up, roll out of bed, and fire up your laptop to join the virtual RAI morning Yoga Club. Matt’s already downward dogging it; he’s always the first one on the mat.

Limbered up, you meet the BCA team for breakfast, discuss the day ahead, and drive to site where you interview site personnel to learn about the condition of the facility, any new or ongoing issues, and review maintenance logs. Review architectural drawings to better understand the building; keep watch for secret passageways.

After the interviews it’s time to examine the building. Inspections may include the interior and/or exterior, the grounds, equipment, and systems. Components may include doors, walls, framing, hardware, flooring, HVAC systems, sealants, glazing units, exterior cladding, roofing systems, and more. Visual and tactile inspections are conducted, and in some cases, testing is performed.

Careful documentation is key, so make like a paparazzo and snap photos of leaking windows, unsafe stairwells, peeling paint, and curling shingles. Details matter, so note where each photo is taken. And if a secret passageway opens up behind a bookcase, be sure to close it before leaving.

That evening, head to a great restaurant for a meal and a drink with the BCA team (insider’s tip: Wren is partial to Irish whiskey). Later, review the day’s photos and upload them to your laptop. To write a strong building condition assessment report, organization is critical: you need to identify deficiencies and detail the age, condition, and life expectancy of building systems.

With your photos uploaded, it’s time to relax. Wren and Matt are online playing Among Us with the RAI team. Nothing better to end a day in the steel-toed boots of a Building Condition Assessor than a game with friends and besides—now you know where the secret passageways are.

If you want to join Wren and Matt on their cross-country BCA adventures, we want to hear from you!