Every system. Every crack. Priced.
We survey every visible system in older New York buildings and give your board a ten-year repair plan with a cost and a year on every line. Fewer surprises at budget time.
- 01 Bulkhead roof Poor 2 yrs · $48K
- 02 North facade Fair 3 yrs · $96K
- 03 Elevator Fair 6 yrs · $185K
- 04 Steam boiler Fair 5 yrs · $140K
- 05 Water risers Good 15+ yrs
Old roofs. Tight blocks. A city that inspects.
Tanks, parapets, cornices and steam plants age on a schedule nobody wrote down. We write it down.
Rooftops in SoHo, Manhattan. Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and color adjusted.
One finding.
Shown the way you’ll get it.
Every issue gets a photo, a marked-up location, a rating and a price. Your facilities team can act on it Monday. Your board can understand it in ten seconds.
Spalled brick and open joints, north wall
Example 186 Front Street, Manhattan. Photo: Historic American Buildings Survey, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped.
One scale. Used on every line.
A rating means the same thing on the roof as in the boiler room, so you can compare a $12,000 item against a $180,000 one and decide what goes first.
Working as designed. Routine upkeep only. More than half its expected life remains.
Showing wear. Plan for repair or replacement within the ten-year window.
Failing or near the end of its life. Budget for it in the next one to three years.
A safety, code or water-damage risk. We tell you the same day, not in the report.
Life safety and code
Keeps water and weather out
Keeps the building running
Upgrades and efficiency
Costs are opinions of probable cost in today’s dollars, with an escalated column for future years
What we walk, system by system.
Sorted into the industry’s standard UNIFORMAT II groups, the same way engineers, estimators and contractors already break down a building and price the work.
Foundations and cellar
- Foundation walls
- Slabs and waterproofing
- Vault and areaway conditions
Facade and roof
- Brick, mortar, stone, terra cotta
- Lintels, parapets, cornices
- Windows and doors
- Roofing, flashing, drains, bulkheads
Rooms and finishes
- Stairs and corridors
- Floors, ceilings, walls
- Restrooms and locker rooms
Mechanical and electric
- Boilers, chillers, ventilation
- Plumbing, risers, water heaters
- Gas piping
- Electrical service and panels
- Elevators and lifts
Fire and life safety
- Fire alarm and sprinklers
- Standpipes
- Exit signs, emergency lighting
- Egress paths
Site and access
- Sidewalks and sheds
- Play yards and fences
- Accessible routes and entrances
Photos, cropped: Castle Village retaining wall, Washington Heights, Manhattan, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Row buildings, Bronx, Emilio Guerra, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; School hallway, Bronx High School of Science, Jazzmanluc5, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Boiler room, E. Greenfield's Sons, Brooklyn, 1919, Underwood and Underwood, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Fire department connection, New York, Axel Tschentscher, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Ramp and handrails, Williamsburgh Library, Brooklyn, Tdorante10, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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Ten years of spending, on one page.
The findings roll up into a year-by-year plan. You see the expensive years coming, so you can spread the work, set reserves, or start a campaign early.
Example plan hover, tap or use arrow keys on a year · dashed line = level reserve, solid = cumulative spend
Largest items in the plan · the chart also includes smaller work
| Ref | System | Rating | Priority | Years left | Action | Year | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Bulkhead roof | Poor | Priority 2 | 2 | Replace membrane, flashing | 2027 | $48,000 |
| 02 | North facade | Fair | Priority 1 | 3 | Repoint, reset parapet coping | 2028 | $96,000 |
| 04 | Steam boiler | Fair | Priority 3 | 5 | Replace, convert controls | 2030 | $140,000 |
| 03 | Passenger elevator | Fair | Priority 3 | 6 | Modernize controls and cab | 2031 | $185,000 |
| 05 | Water risers | Good | - | 15+ | Monitor | - | - |
Inside the report.
Short at the front for the board. Deep at the back for the people who fix things.
- 01Two-page summaryOverall condition, the five biggest costs, and what to do this year.Board
- 02Ten-year capital planEvery item by year, today’s cost and escalated cost.Finance
- 03Immediate and Priority 1 itemsSafety and code issues with photos and next steps.Facilities
- 04Findings by systemOne plate per issue: photo, location, rating, action, cost.Facilities
- 05NYC compliance calendarWhere each city inspection cycle stands for your building.Facilities
- 06Equipment inventoryMake, model, age and expected life of major equipment we can see and read.Facilities
- 07Live spreadsheetThe whole plan, sortable and yours to update as work gets done.Everyone
How we’re different.
Most assessments end at a list of problems. Ours ends at a plan your board can act on.
Typical: A long PDF that gets filed and forgotten.
Groundline: A two-page summary up front. The detail sits behind it for the people who fix things.
Typical: Paragraphs of text, a few small photos.
Groundline: One plate per issue: photo, location, rating, action and cost.
Typical: A lump sum, or a range with no year.
Groundline: A cost and a year on every line, in today’s dollars and escalated.
Typical: A fixed document the day it is printed.
Groundline: A live spreadsheet you can sort and update as work gets done.
Typical: A generic checklist from somewhere else.
Groundline: Built around the city’s own inspection cycles, so the plan lines up with your filings.
Typical: Hourly, or open-ended until it is done.
Groundline: One fixed fee for a written scope.
Typical: Findings only. Pricing the work is your problem.
Groundline: Scopes written clearly enough to send to any contractor for a bid.
Example Positioning copy for illustration.
The city runs on cycles. So does your plan.
New York buildings carry their own inspection clocks. We line your plan up with them. The inspections and filings themselves are done by the licensed professionals and owners each law names.
Facade
Every 5 years for buildings over six stories. Repairs found here often drive the biggest line in a plan.
Gas piping
Every 4 years, scheduled by community district. We note when yours falls.
Energy audit
Every 10 years for large buildings. Our findings cover the same systems.
Carbon limits
Yearly limits for larger buildings. We flag heating and lighting upgrades worth timing with planned replacements.
Each row shows ten years · filled = a cycle year
Who it’s for.
Independent schools
A campus-wide picture sorted by what touches students first, ready for the finance committee and the next campaign.
Co-ops and condos
A reserve plan your board can defend at the annual meeting, with facade, roof and boiler costs laid out by year.
Buyers and lenders
The real cost of a building before you close or refinance, in plain findings with photos.
Photos, cropped: Trinity School, Upper West Side, Jay Dobkin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; 279 Central Park West, Upper West Side, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Flatiron Building, Fifth Avenue, Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
How it runs.
Scope call
Your buildings, history, and what the board needs to decide.
Fixed-fee proposal
One price for the full scope. No hourly billing.
Site walk
Every system, photographed. Scheduled around classes or residents.
Report and briefing
Report, spreadsheet, and a walk-through with your team or board.
How we assess.
Four steps, the same on every building, so two reports from us can be compared side by side. Follow one finding from the drawing above through all four.
Look at everything
A visual, non-destructive survey of every accessible system, photographed as we go.
North facade, photographedOne scale
Good, Fair, Poor or Immediate on every line, with the years of life we expect to remain.
Fair, about 3 years leftProbable cost
An opinion of probable cost in today’s dollars, with an escalated column for future years.
$96K in today's dollarsTen-year plan
Items ordered by risk and timing, so the urgent work comes first and the rest can be saved for.
Planned for 2029
What we ask of you
Drawings and past reports if you have them, and access to roofs, cellars and mechanical rooms.
What we do not do
We do not open walls, test equipment or give structural engineering opinions. What we cannot see, we flag rather than guess.
What sets the fee.
Each proposal has one fixed price for a written scope. These six things affect the price. Published prices from other firms show the range.
- Biggest driver
Floor area
More square feet means more days on site.
Published exampleOne architect's flat fees: $1,500 under 5,000 sq ft, $2,500 up to 15,000, $4,000 up to 50,000.
- Can add
Building age
Older buildings have more hidden history to review.
Published exampleOne inspector adds $50 per 2,500 sq ft for buildings built before 1950.
- Can add
Systems in scope
A shell-only survey costs less than a full look at heating, plumbing and electric. The price includes anything that needs an engineer's opinion.
Published exampleNo firm we checked lists a price for each system. The proposal sets the price.
- Can add
Extra reports
A cost-to-fix list, a long-range capital plan or an accessibility review each adds work.
Published exampleOne inspector: capital forecast +3 cents per sq ft ($300 minimum), cost-to-fix +2 cents ($250 minimum). One architect: accessibility review $1,200 to $2,000.
- Can lower
Several buildings
Visiting several buildings in one trip can lower the price for each.
Published exampleOne firm: $1,200 to $2,000 per property in a group, compared with $1,500 to $2,500 for one.
- Can lower
Yearly refresh
Updating a plan costs less than starting over.
Published exampleOne reserve study firm: an update with a site visit is 50% to 80% of a full study, and 25% to 50% without one.
Priced in your proposal Access (roof hatches, locked rooms, occupied spaces), rush dates, reliance letters for lenders, and travel. None of the firms we checked lists a set price for these. One bills travel at cost.
What we need for a price
- Address and number of buildings
- Floor area
- Year built
- Systems in scope
- Your deadline
- Who will rely on the report
These are other firms' published prices, checked October 26, 2026. Scopes differ, so use them as a rough guide. Sources: M. J. DeVere, Architect · Hill Property Inspections · Envicon Group · Association Reserves
Questions boards ask.
How is this different from the city facade inspection?
A facade inspection covers the exterior walls for a city filing. A condition assessment covers every system in the building and turns it into a priced, multi-year plan. We note where your facade cycle stands. The facade inspection itself is done by the licensed inspector the law requires.
Will you disrupt classes or residents?
We schedule the walk around your calendar. For schools that often means early mornings, weekends or breaks. Occupied rooms are entered only with your staff.
Do you open walls or test equipment?
No. The assessment is visual and non-destructive. Where something can’t be judged by sight, we say so and recommend the right specialist test.
How accurate are the costs?
They are planning estimates for budgets, not contractor bids. Each one is shown in today’s dollars and escalated to the year the work is planned.
What happens after the report?
You keep the spreadsheet and update it as work gets done. We also offer a short yearly refresh so the plan stays current.
The details a board asks for.
The rules and prices here are researched, with a link to each source, checked October 25, 2026. Lines tagged “Sample firm detail” are made up, because Groundline is an example firm.
People and credentials
Who may legally do this work in New York.
- Licensed engineer or architect
- City-approved facade inspector
- Loan rule: 5+ years in the field
Sample firm detail A principal who is a New York licensed engineer or architect, a field assessor and a cost estimator. Names, license numbers and years of experience go here. Check any license number with the state before you hire.
Sources and detail
In New York, only a licensed engineer or architect may practice those professions or use the title. The law counts consulting, investigation and evaluation that protects people and property. A city facade inspection must be done by an exterior wall inspector the Department of Buildings has approved. A parking garage inspection needs a licensed engineer approved for it. Freddie Mac, which buys apartment loans from lenders, wants the consultant to have a related degree, five or more years in the field, and three or more years of apartment-building inspections.
Sources: NY Education Law, Article 145 (engineers) · NY Education Law, §7302 (architects) · NYC facade compliance · NYC parking structures · Freddie Mac Guide §62.8
Insurance
What coverage to ask for before you hire.
- Workers' comp for most employers
- City contracts: $1M liability minimum
- Loan rule: original certificate
Sample firm detail Professional liability, general liability and workers’ compensation. Carrier and limits go here. A certificate is sent on request.
Sources and detail
Most New York employers must carry workers’ compensation. City contracts set insurance in each contract, and the city’s procurement office says general liability must be at least $1,000,000. Freddie Mac, which buys apartment loans from lenders, makes the consultant hand over an original certificate of insurance.
Sources: NY Workers’ Compensation Board · NYC DCAS procurement FAQ · Freddie Mac Guide §62.8
Scope and limits
A walk-through survey, not a full test.
- Representative sample
- Findings as of the visit day
- Costs are estimates, not bids
Sample firm detail Anything we could not see, such as locked rooms and areas behind finishes, is listed as not observed instead of guessed.
Sources and detail
The standard behind these reports (ASTM E2018-24) is built on a walk-through of the building. It looks at a representative sample and can extend what it sees to similar areas. It is not technically exhaustive and cannot remove all uncertainty. Findings reflect the day of the survey. Cost figures are opinions of what a fix might cost, not bids. Freddie Mac also has the consultant review maintenance records and elevator, boiler and safety certificates.
Sources: ASTM E2018-24 · Freddie Mac Guide §62.4
Pricing
Published fees start around $1,500.
- $1,500 under 5,000 sq ft
- $4,000 for 15,000 to 50,000 sq ft
- Reserve studies: $10,000 to $40,000
Sample firm detail One fixed fee, quoted after a scope call. No hourly billing.
Sources and detail
Published fees for a basic condition assessment run from $1,500 for a building under 5,000 sq ft to $15,000 and up for the largest. One architect lists $4,000 for 15,000 to 50,000 sq ft. Another firm’s 2025 guide says $5,000 to $10,000 for 50,000 to 200,000 sq ft. In 2023 a New York property manager told a news site a co-op or condo reserve study, a broader service than a basic assessment, costs $10,000 to $40,000. These are firm web pages and one interview, and scopes differ, so use them as a rough guide only.
Sources: M. J. DeVere, Architect · M2E guide, 2025 · Brick Underground, May 2023
Timing
Reports usually arrive 2 to 3 weeks after the visit.
- Site visit: 1 to 3 days
- Report: 2 to 3 weeks later
- Loan rule: report within 6 months
Sample firm detail A reply in one business day, a site walk within two weeks, and the summary three weeks after the walk.
Sources and detail
Published guides put the report two to three weeks after the site visit, and the visit itself at one to three days. One architect’s price page says 10 to 15 business days after the inspection. Loan rules add dates: Freddie Mac wants the report dated within six months before the loan package is sent, and the site visit within 30 days before the report date.
Sources: M2E guide, 2025 · M. J. DeVere, Architect · Freddie Mac Guide §62.3
Who may rely on the report
The contract says who may rely on the report.
- The parties who sign
- Others only by agreement
- Lenders decide for themselves
Sample firm detail The owner who hires us may rely on the report. Lenders and buyers get a reliance letter on request, written by counsel. No consultant can promise a lender will accept a report.
Sources and detail
The standard for these reports (ASTM E2018-24) says they are usually for the parties who sign the contract. Others may rely on a report only by agreement, and only as of the day of the visit. Loan rules spell it out: Freddie Mac requires a set statement in the report that names the lender and other listed parties. A lender also decides for itself whether the report and the building are acceptable, and it can add requirements.
Sources: ASTM E2018-24 · Freddie Mac Guide §§62.3, 62.7
Sample report
See the format before you hire.
- Photo, rating and price
- Ten-year plan
- Spreadsheet cost table
Sample firm detail A full sample would be a PDF of these same parts for an invented building.
More detail
The page already shows the parts: one finding with a photo, a rating and a price, the rating scale, the ten-year plan, and the table of largest items. Download that cost table as a spreadsheet to see the format.
Service area
Five boroughs, five counties.
- Bronx
- Brooklyn
- Manhattan
- Queens
- Staten Island
Sample firm detail All five boroughs. Nearby counties by request.
Sources and detail
New York City has five boroughs, and each is also a county: the Bronx (Bronx County), Brooklyn (Kings), Manhattan (New York), Queens (Queens) and Staten Island (Richmond). The city facade law covers buildings higher than six stories, and the inspection comes around every five years.
Sources: NYC311, counties · NYC facade compliance
How to reach us
A board should reach a person, not just a form.
- Direct phone
- Monitored email
- Office address
Sample firm detail (212) 555-0142 · hello@example.com · office address here. These are made up on purpose: phone numbers 555-0100 to 555-0199 and the web name example.com are set aside for examples.
Sources and detail
A board should be able to reach a person, not only a form. Show a direct phone, an email someone monitors, and an office address, and say who answers and when.
Sources: NANPA, 555 numbers · IANA, example domains
Privacy
What a live form must protect.
- Reasonable safeguards
- Truthful privacy notice
- Lighter rules for small firms
Sample firm detail A live form would use your details only to reply to your request, and would link a short privacy notice beside the button.
Sources and detail
New York’s SHIELD Act requires businesses that hold residents’ private information to keep reasonable safeguards, with lighter rules for small businesses. The Attorney General says what a site says about privacy must be truthful and not misleading.
Sources: NY General Business Law §899-bb · NY Attorney General, website privacy
Tell us about the building.
A few details are enough. We reply with questions and a proposed scope.
