Shocking Safety Hazards Found During a Houston PCA Inspection (ASTM E2018 Guide)

Howdy,

Some commercial buildings look fine from the parking lot — fresh paint, active tenants, lights on. But once you start opening panels, looking above ceilings, and walking the exits with a critical eye, a different story can emerge.

In this Houston, Texas PCA inspection, we documented multiple safety hazards that most tenants and even some owners would never notice during a normal walkthrough. These issues weren’t just “code notes” — they represented real risk to people and capital.

Whether you’re a landlord, investor, tenant, or property manager, this is the side of commercial due diligence that rarely shows up in glossy marketing brochures — but can absolutely show up in lawsuits, insurance claims, and emergency reports.

How PCA Inspections Tie Back to ASTM E2018

A Property Condition Assessment (PCA) is more than a casual look around the building. When performed in alignment with ASTM E2018, it sets expectations for what systems should be observed, how findings are reported, and how material physical deficiencies are identified.

If you’d like a deeper dive into what the standard requires, we’ve outlined it here:

ASTM E2018 Property Condition Assessment Overview

Within that framework, safety hazards carry a different weight. They’re not just line items in a report — they’re issues that can directly affect occupant safety, business continuity, and ownership liability.

What We Found Inside This Houston Commercial Building

In the video above, we walk through several examples of conditions that raised immediate concern during the PCA. While every building is unique, hazards like these are far more common than many owners realize:

• Electrical concerns — damaged or open panels, questionable wiring methods, and components that had clearly outlived their intended service life.
• Improper or blocked exits — egress routes partially obstructed by storage or layout changes that ignored how people would actually escape in an emergency.
• Fire safety issues — missing, outdated, or poorly located equipment; questionable fire separation at certain penetrations; and a general lack of recent verification that systems were being maintained.
• Trip and fall exposures — uneven walking surfaces, transitions, and conditions that could easily injure a customer or employee.

None of these issues were obvious from the street. Most were hidden in plain sight — in utility rooms, back corridors, secondary entrances, and ceiling spaces that typical visitors never see.

Why These Hazards Matter for Investors and Owners

From an investor’s point of view, safety hazards fall into three categories:

• Immediate risk — someone could be hurt tomorrow if nothing changes.
• Regulatory exposure — conditions that may conflict with fire, life-safety, or accessibility requirements.
• Financial drag — issues that can impact insurance, future sale negotiations, or tenant retention.

When we prepare PCA reports, we’re not just listing concerns. We’re helping you understand priority, impact, and context — which items need attention before close, which should be addressed in the first year of ownership, and which should be factored into your longer-term capital plan.

Hidden in Plain Sight: The Tenant Fit-Out Problem

In many Texas properties — especially in Houston, Sugar Land, Stafford, Missouri City, Katy, Pearland, and Richmond — interiors have been remodeled multiple times as tenants come and go. Each round of work changes:

• How exits function
• How corridors are used
• Where equipment and storage end up

The result? A space that may have been compliant when originally designed can drift out of alignment over time. Boxes end up in egress paths. Exit doors are “temporarily” blocked. Electrical rooms double as storage areas. None of this may be intentional — but it all increases risk.

This is one reason we emphasize annual or periodic commercial inspections for owners who plan to hold a property long-term, not just one PCA at acquisition.

Where PCA Safety Findings Show Up in Your Numbers

From an underwriting and capital-planning perspective, safety and code-related findings can affect:

• Cost-to-Cure estimates — immediate repairs or corrections you’ll need to budget for.
• Negotiation strategy — credits, price adjustments, or seller-performed repairs.
• Future repositioning plans — what must be upgraded before you can re-tenant or re-brand the asset.

In our PCA reports, we present these items in a way that’s friendly to both your investment model and your lender. The goal is not to blow up every deal — it’s to make sure you understand the real condition of the asset you’re about to own.

Why a Commercial PCA Is Not Optional Due Diligence

For triple-net leases, multi-tenant centers, office buildings, and industrial assets, a commercial PCA is no longer a luxury. It’s an essential step in:

• Protecting your down payment and equity partners
• Keeping tenants safe and operational
• Reducing surprise capital calls after closing
• Documenting conditions for future transitions

When done properly, a PCA builds a bridge between what the property looks like today and what it will demand from you over the next 5–10 years.

Where We Inspect: Houston and the Texas Triangle

Imperial Pro Inspection’s Commercial Division is based in Sugar Land, Texas, and we routinely perform PCA inspections throughout:

• Houston and surrounding submarkets
• Sugar Land, Stafford, Missouri City, Katy, Pearland, Richmond, and Rosenberg
• The broader Texas Triangle, including Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio

Whether you’re acquiring a single building, reviewing a triple-net lease, or building a portfolio, we can structure PCA services that match your risk tolerance and transaction timeline.

Neil Arnold

Commercial Property Inspector & PCA Specialist

Imperial Pro Inspection LLC — Commercial Division