In 2004, a long-time client sought ON-SITE INSIGHT’s help with a significant REAC problem. A failing UPCS score (34c) threatened its 2530 clearance to do business with HUD; it had a $9 million affordable housing project under construction. OSI responded at several levels –
- a quick desk review of the REAC inspection summary to identify key scoring losses in order to expedite site staff repairs
- a mock UPCS inspection, to fine-tune corrective work, with an emphasis on prioritizing 'big-hit' defects that could be remedied in-house at relatively modest expense
- and representation of the owner/agent at the re-inspection by REAC
The property was not in poor condition but suffered the vagaries of the UPCS scoring system (very sensitive for small, single building developments). For example, non-conforming boiler pressure relief valve extensions cost the property essentially all 16 possible building system points. During the mock inspection, OSI inspected all building elements, systems and components, and a sample of units, to the UPCS standard. The location and type of defects were carefully recorded, and in many cases photographed. With the list of defects established, OSI used its knowledge of UPCS scoring to set priorities and prescribe manageable and cost-effective repairs (some actions, such as tuck pointing by a third party, were impractical due to cost or time needed to complete).
Over three weeks, the property worked through the prioritized list of repairs identified, with OSI consulting on progress by phone. We then acted as advocate for the owner during REAC’s re-inspection, engaging with the inspector on observations that were recorded contrary to the UPCS protocol, and detrimental to the property’s interests. Key to this was a thorough command of protocol updates that were in paper form, and not embedded in the UPCS software. The inspection went very well, with no surprises, and a REAC score of 93a!
It is worth noting OSI's fees were a small fraction of the daily cost of construction delays that could have resulted from a 2530 clearance problem.
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