A Practical Guide to PPM Surveys for Commercial Buildings

What is a Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) Survey? 

 A PPM Survey is a professional inspection and reporting service that assesses the current condition of a commercial building and provides a forward looking maintenance strategy. It focuses on all key elements such as roofs, walls, internal finishes, building services, and compliance items, outlining any issues that are likely to arise and setting out a timetable for addressing them. 

 The result is a PPM schedule: a detailed year by year plan for maintaining the building over the next 5, 10, or even 15 years. This becomes an essential tool for budgeting, decision making, and risk management. 

Why a PPM Survey matters 

 Rather than reacting to issues after they occur – often at significant cost – PPM allows you to:  

• Budget with confidence by forecasting spend across a multi year period 
• Avoid unexpected failures which can disrupt tenants and damage reputation 
• Meet legal and safety obligations with ongoing compliance monitoring 
• Maintain and enhance asset value, ensuring a competitive, lettable property

It is a strategic, preventative approach that helps commercial landlords stay in control. 

What does a PPM schedule include? 

 A typical PPM schedule provides:  

• A breakdown of each building element such as roof, windows, and services 
• Assessment of current condition and any identified defects 
• Recommended actions and their ideal timeframe 
• Year by year cost forecasting 
• Notes on health and safety or regulatory compliance risks

It is a living document that can be reviewed annually to stay aligned with actual conditions and evolving strategies. 

 The benefits go beyond the survey. For landlords and facilities managers, the advantages of investing in a PPM Survey include: 

 Smarter spending by spreading costs over time 

• Tenant reassurance, especially in service charge discussions 
• Protection against reputational damage from avoidable failures 
• Support for insurance valuations, funding rounds, or asset sales 

 In a market where transparency and reliability matter, a PPM schedule is more than a spreadsheet – it is peace of mind. 

Real example: helping Test Valley Borough Council manage 50 plus properties 

Bressummer ARK was appointed by Test Valley Borough Council to carry out PPM inspections across over 50 commercial properties in Hampshire, delivered in three stages. The brief was clear: provide the Council’s estates team with a clear picture of current condition, upcoming liabilities, and compliance across their stock. 

We liaised with occupiers to arrange access efficiently, and our reports offered the Council an evidence based, property by property breakdown of what needed to be done and when. Each report included a bespoke 10 year maintenance plan, identifying repair priorities and estimated costs. 

The result? The estates team could plan budgets more effectively, reduce the likelihood of reactive call outs, and engage with stakeholders using accurate data. 

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