Hidden defects in commercial premises and warehouses

Commercial premises and industrial warehouses present a different casuistry than housing. The complexity of the facilities, the activity license requirements and the larger size of the properties expand the possible focuses of hidden defects. Furthermore, the economic impact is usually greater, since a defect can prevent the start-up of the activity.

Industrial electrical installations

Premises and warehouses usually require powers and panels much higher than those of a home. Among the most common hidden defects:

• General tables without adaptation to the real installed power.
• Expired or non-existent electric bulletins for the planned activity.
• Installations that do not comply with ITC-BT, specific for public or industrial premises.
• Deficiencies in ground connections and differential protections.

These defects can leave the premises unusable until a complete renovation is undertaken, with the cost that it entails.

Sanitation and evacuation

Sanitation usually raises relevant hidden defects: downspouts with inadequate slopes, clogged manholes, non-existent siphons or unauthorized network connections. In warehouses, stormwater evacuation systems may be undersized or present deterioration that is only noticeable during intense rain.

insulation and enclosures

In industrial warehouses it is common to detect insulation deficiencies in the roof and enclosures, leaks due to deterioration of sandwich panels or condensation problems due to lack of adequate ventilation. In premises, acoustic insulation may be insufficient for the planned activity, with the consequences that this implies for communities of owners and the city council.

Activity license and regulatory adaptation

A frequent and particularly delicate case is the purchase or rental of a premises with the belief that it has a valid business license for the intended use, when in reality it does not have one or it has expired. Although this assumption has an important legal component, the expert report can prove whether or not the facilities comply with regulatory requirements and what works would be necessary to regularize them.

What the report documents

In the area of premises and warehouses, the expert report usually includes:

• Technical description of the defects detected.
• Probable origin and estimated age.
• Adaptation to regulations applicable at the time of the works and currently.
• Economic valuation of necessary repairs.
• Impact on the planned activity.

Related links

To learn about the technical tests used by the expert, see hidden defects tests. If you need to speak directly with Pablo Gómez Thoren, you can go to Contact or to the specialty of Hidden defects. For purely legal questions, also consult with your lawyer.