Assessments

What is ASTM E2018-15? A Guide for Building Assessments

Learn what ASTM E2018-15 covers, who uses it, and how this standard supports consistent property condition assessments in architecture and real estate.

Mike Lee

Updated: Jan 7, 2026

What is ASTM E2018-15?

ASTM E2018-15 defines the baseline scope for conducting a Property Condition Assessment (PCA) of an existing commercial building. It is published by ASTM International and establishes a consistent procedure for observing building systems, documenting physical deficiencies, and forecasting immediate and short-term repair costs.

The standard is used for due diligence, capital planning, and renovation planning. It limits assessments to visual observations and accessible data. It does not include destructive testing, laboratory analysis, or full code compliance review unless added as supplemental services.

Who Uses ASTM E2018-15?

This standard is commonly used in commercial real estate, architecture, engineering, and facility management. Common use cases include:

Pre-purchase due diligence for commercial real estate
Capital planning for institutional or multi-site portfolios
Documentation of existing conditions prior to renovation
Risk analysis for lenders and insurance providers

Users include architects, facility managers, building consultants, property managers, and real estate investors.

Included Building Systems in the Assessment

The standard organizes the PCA into a series of building systems. Each system is reviewed through a walk-through survey to identify observable conditions, deterioration, or deficiencies.

Building System	Included Scope
Site Improvements	Paving, curbs, walkways, landscaping, signage, site drainage
Structural Frame	Foundations, load-bearing elements, framing, visual signs of movement
Building Envelope	Exterior walls, roofs, finishes, water intrusion, flashing
Mechanical Systems	HVAC units, boilers, controls, heating and cooling distribution
Electrical Systems	Panels, wiring, emergency power, lighting
Plumbing Systems	Domestic water supply, waste lines, visible leaks
Fire Protection Systems	Sprinklers, alarms, extinguishers, emergency lighting
Accessibility (ADA)	Observed barriers to access in parking, entrances, and interior circulation
Interior Elements	Floors, ceilings, walls, built-in fixtures, restrooms
Conveying Systems	Elevators, lifts, general operational condition

Capital Cost Forecast Categories

ASTM E2018-15 requires cost estimates for observed deficiencies in two categories.

Cost Type	Description
Immediate Repairs	Corrective action needed within one year due to safety or performance issues
Short-Term Costs	Expected within two to three years, based on age, wear, or nearing failure

Estimates are provided in present-day dollars and usually organized by system type.

Items Not Included in the Standard

Unless specifically added to the scope of work, the following services are not included in an ASTM E2018-15 PCA:

Excluded Scope	Notes
Invasive or destructive testing	No cutting, disassembly, or sampling
Environmental assessments	Not a substitute for Phase I ESA or hazardous materials survey
Seismic analysis	Structural seismic risk not evaluated unless scoped separately
Energy performance reviews	No benchmarking or modeling included
Code compliance certification	Observations only; no confirmation of full compliance

Format of the Report

The standard does not dictate the exact report format but does require the inclusion of:

An executive summary
System-by-system observations
Photographic documentation
Tables of recommended repairs and costs
Assumptions and limiting conditions

Reports are generally structured for both technical review and financial planning purposes.

When should you use ASTM E2018-15 for a property assessment?

A Property Condition Assessment conducted under ASTM E2018-15 is used when a building’s physical condition must be documented to support financial decisions, renovation planning, or asset risk evaluation.

The standard works like a standardized intake form at a hospital. It ensures that every assessment collects the same core information, regardless of who performs it or where it takes place. This consistency makes reports easier to review, compare, and act on, especially across large portfolios or teams with different technical backgrounds.

Appropriate Use Cases	Not Typically Required When
Acquiring commercial property with third-party financing	Documenting minor renovations or tenant fit-outs
Conducting portfolio-wide capital planning	Assessing single systems (e.g. only HVAC or roof replacement)
Establishing existing conditions before major renovations	Performing detailed code compliance or forensic investigations
Meeting lender, insurer, or board review requirements	Creating marketing materials or general facility walkthroughs
Generating documentation for institutional or public ownership	Informal in-house facility reviews without external reporting needs

ASTM E2018-15 is most effective when conditions must be reported in a way that can be audited, compared, or reviewed by parties beyond the field assessor. For informal reviews or isolated scopes, a simplified internal checklist or discipline-specific report may be more appropriate.

How to Document a PCA in Layer

Layer includes a configurable template based on ASTM E2018-15. The template contains pre-structured categories that match the standard’s scope. Field users can document:

Condition ratings
Photo evidence
Cost estimates
Trade responsibility
Repair priority

Collected data can be tagged by location, synced to Revit (if needed), and summarized in views or reports. You can access the PCA template for ASTM E2018-15 in Layer’s template library.

View Layer Template →