Pre-Construction Surveys

A Pre-Construction (pre-con) Survey consists of a field review of the existing conditions at a property adjacent to a location where construction activities are about to begin.

The goal of the survey is to visually identify all existing signs of exterior and interior damage and any signs of structural settlement, before construction begins. A pre-con survey can protect both the property owner and the contractor/developer of the site where construction activities will take place.

For a property owner, the pre-con survey documents establish a baseline of the existing conditions so that if any new damage or structural settlement is caused by the construction, it is appropriately attributed to the construction activities, and therefore, the responsibility of the contractor/developer to repair.

From the contractor/developer perspective, the pre-con survey is primarily a loss control and claims defense mechanism. If a property owner alleges that damage was sustained due to construction activities, the pre-construction survey can be referenced to confirm what visible damage pre-existed the construction activity. This allows for fair and prompt settlement of third-party property damage claims.