Commercial structural repair costs can rapidly snowball for a variety of reasons, often when people or organisations decide to delay maintenance if the budget is too tight; this means that problems that were once minor can significantly worsen over time. Inflation in the price of materials and labour are also frequent, as well as operational disruptions causing the length of time to remediate to increase, meaning increased costs for labour and rental of any equipment. Even the smallest of structural defects left alone for any period of time can rapidly devolve into larger repairs.
Common Causes of Commercial Structural Problems
Commercial properties can have a lot of structural issues go unnoticed, particularly if the building is only frequented during work hours and not all of the property is used, or experiences routine inspections.
Commercial properties face a range of structural challenges, including:
Water Ingress
Water ingress is a leading factor in causing significant structural damage to a property. It can weaken timber through rotting if it is regularly exposed to damp, corrode steel reinforcement within concrete, erode mortar and masonry, cause foundation movement, and increase the risk of subsidence or settlement.
Defective Masonry
Defective masonry often consists of cracked brickwork, deteriorated mortar joints, spalled or damaged bricks. It can also result in bulging or sagging walls, and inadequate wall ties.
Defective masonry can allow water penetration, reduce the structural performance of walls, and contribute to movement within the building. In extreme situations where the deterioration is particularly acute, loose masonry may also present a safety risk to occupants and members of the public. It is imperative that your organisation fixes these issues as and when they arise.
Defective masonry to look out for in your commercial building include:
- Cracked or fractured brickwork or blockwork.
- Deteriorated or missing mortar joints.
- Bulging or leaning walls.
- Spalled or damaged bricks.
- Inadequate wall ties or wall tie failure.
- Poor workmanship or substandard construction.
- Water penetration leading to deterioration of the masonry.
Damaged Roofs
Roofs are famously one of the more expensive things to repair, as it takes a lot of time and equipment in order to rectify issues. Damage done to roofs, such as missing or broken tiles, defective guttering, and degraded flashing often need replacing fairly quickly and failure to do so can cause water ingress fairly quickly, which leads to bigger and more expensive issues inside the building.
Corroded Structural Steel
Structural steel replacements are fairly expensive in their own right but can quickly increase if deterioration goes unchecked. Regular exposure to moisture and condensation can weaken and rust it, often needing strengthening or replacement in particularly severe cases.
Any steel should be regularly inspected, with treatment for corrosion done once spotted, to prevent any larger bills being addressed to your company through large-scale repair projects.
Timber Decay
Timber decay is one of the most common reasons commercial structural repair costs quickly escalate. The decay is caused by persistent damp, poor ventilation or water ingress; dry and wet rot fungal decay can weaken structural timbers long before the damage becomes noticeable.
If left untreated, deterioration can spread to surrounding timber, increasing both the scope and cost of repairs. Identifying and addressing moisture problems early, alongside professional timber treatment and targeted repairs, can prevent extensive structural damage and significantly reduce long-term maintenance costs.
Routine inspections help identify these issues before they become critical. At Timberwise, we have nearly 60 years of extensive timber treatment and property care experience. We commonly see timber decay from issues pertaining to dry and wet rot, woodworm, and degradation from pervasive damp. Our nationwide team are experts in timber decay and any problem, large or small, is something we can help you with.
How These Problems Escalate
Hidden Damage
Visible damage is usually the first sign something is amiss but is often the tip of the iceberg. Defective pointing and masonry on a property, especially left for a prolonged period of time, can have been a route to plenty of problems inside the property, such as structural timber decay or dry rot.
Once an issue has been detected and surveys are underway, it is common for additional problems to be found connected to the original issue, which naturally increases labour and material costs, especially if the damage caused is significant. Instances of dry rot can easily eclipse £10,000 in repairs if the case is particularly severe.
The best way to avoid hidden damage is to remediate minor issues such as a lack of a damp proof course or defective masonry as soon as possible. Beyond that, when analysing the property for obvious defects, it’s important to inquire for professional structural surveys so a surveyor can help to determine the full extent of the damage before any repair work starts, so you have a full picture of potential costs.
Scaffolding
If it’s not been relayed to your team that scaffolding is necessary, this can be a surprise hidden cost that can turn out to be expensive.
Scaffolding by nature is expensive to rent as there is a lot of labour that goes into erecting and deconstructing, strict safety and legal regulations that must be adhered to, insurance coverage, and transport of it to and from the property it’s used for. It’s already a large upfront cost, but it can quickly escalate if the scaffolding is needed for longer if more and more issues are found during the repair process.
Labour and Expertise
Structural repairs are often costly due to their complexity, which often requires a fair amount of labour and expertise. Remedial problems might be solvable relatively quickly and without too much reliance on specialists, but for extensive structural damage experts will often be needed to assess the problem and create a solution. Not necessarily an overlooked cost, but it can be easy to underestimate how expensive manual labour and expertise are.
Business Disruption
Another hidden cost is business disruption. If your commercial property is undergoing significant structural repairs, it may be unsafe for your business to operate as usual. This may include having to temporarily close your premises, relocate staff, or reduce operational capacity to some degree. This often results in interrupted customer access or having to delay projects or production, the latter of which can prove costly if the repairs take longer than initially projected.
These indirect costs can quickly eclipse the repairs costs itself, which means fast intervention is usually critical and can save further expenses down the line. Ways to mitigate business disruption can also include introducing a “work from home” mandate for employees who are able to do so, as well as finding temporary workspaces until the works are complete.
Multiple Trades
Extensive works might require the use of multiple trades and staff. This means many bills to many contractors that can quickly escalate as well.
How To Avoid Escalating Costs
Inspections
Routine inspections of your commercial property are key to nipping big problems in the bud. Small defects in a property can, as mentioned above, result in problems becoming much bigger – and more expensive – than they initially were. Advising your employees to report any problems in a timely manner is key, as well as implementing routine inspections to be carried out on a weekly or bi-monylu basis is a great step into preventing big costs.
Surveys
Professional surveys can be a great way to assess the damage before calling in actual repairs. Surveys can give a full picture of what actually needs to be done, rather than having a professional come in to repair something right away. It also gives you full disclosure on what the exact problems are and how much to expect in terms of remediation and cost.
At Timberwise, we offer free surveys for everyone who requests one – with no catch or hidden fees. We pride ourselves on honesty and authenticity. If we find there is nothing wrong, we’ll tell you. You can request your free survey here.
Phased Repairs
Phased repairs are a practical way to manage commercial structural repair costs without compromising the integrity of a building. Rather than carrying out all remedial work at once, repairs are prioritised based on the severity of the damage, allowing the most critical structural issues to be addressed first while spreading costs over time.
Phasing repairs can help to minimise disruption to business operations, improve budget management, and make sure that the essential repairs are complete before minor defects develop into more expensive structural repairs.
Do You Need Help With Structural Repairs?
Our team is trained to help with large and small scale repairs on timber and structural decay in commercial properties. We are leading experts in damp and timber removal, basement waterproofing, cavity wall replacements, and repairs for timber, lintel, and concrete. With locations all over the UK, we can get to you quickly to provide a free survey on the extent of the damage and deliver an actionable plan tailored to your needs. Call us on 0800 288 8660 or request a free survey here.
