Close-range façade inspection support.
Vertical drops and trails covering at least 10% of each elevation, executed on rope access, gondola or boom lift — under the direct supervision of your appointed Competent Person or Façade Inspector.
Why close-range matters
From the ground, even a well-photographed façade can hide the defects that matter. Hollow tile zones do not show in a wide-angle shot. Sealant joints that are pulling at the substrate can look intact from 15 metres. Hairline cracks at slab edges and the early stage of carbonation in render are usually invisible until an inspector is within arm's reach.
Close-range inspection is the part of a PFI cycle where the building gets touched. Under the Building Control (Periodic Inspection of Buildings and Building Façades) Regulations 2021, the close-range component must cover at least 10% of the surface area of each elevation, carried out along defined vertical drops or trails using tools that do not require special training to operate.
What "10% per elevation" looks like in practice
A common misreading of the requirement is that 10% of the building, taken in total, is enough. The regulations are explicit that the 10% is measured per elevation — so a building with four faces requires drops or trails covering at least 10% of each face individually.
In the field, this usually translates to:
- Vertical rope-access drops spaced across the elevation so that the surveyed strip is representative of the whole face.
- Or gondola/BMU trails moving systematically across the elevation, with horizontal traverses at chosen levels.
- Or boom-lift positions for buildings where lift access is practical and the geometry allows.
- The chosen drops or trails being recorded against an elevation grid so that the coverage is auditable.
The Competent Person decides the drop/trail strategy — informed by the 100% visual sweep, the building's elevation geometry, and any zones where the visual sweep showed concentration of defects.
Tools used in close-range inspection
Probing tool / tap test
Used to identify hollow zones in tiles, render, GRC and applied finishes. A simple, durable technique that does not require special training to operate.
Borescope
Used to inspect inside cavities, behind cladding return edges, and into sealant joints that have opened or pulled away from the substrate.
Camera with scale reference
Close-up defect photographs taken with a ruler, marked tape or coin in frame for scale, at consistent angle and distance to allow comparison at the next cycle.
Crack gauge / feeler gauge
For measuring crack widths against a calibrated card, supporting categorisation of cracks as cosmetic, working or structurally relevant for the CP's assessment.
Moisture meter
Non-destructive moisture readings on suspected water-ingress zones, supporting the case for follow-up water-ingress investigation where appropriate.
Scanning equipment
Where applicable and accepted by the Commissioner, scanning equipment can supplement the basic tools — subject to the regulations' provisions on equivalent methods.
Access methods we work from
We are an access contractor first — close-range inspection is impossible without it. The right access method depends on the building, the elevation and the inspection scope:
- Rope access (IRATA-style). Flexible, cost-effective for tall buildings and irregular geometry. Crews work in pairs with redundant safety systems.
- Gondola / Building Maintenance Unit (BMU). Where a permanent BMU is fitted, we work from the existing system after pre-use checks. The BMU is also the natural fit for sustained close-range traverses across a wide elevation.
- Boom lift / mobile elevating work platform. For mid-rise buildings, accessible kerblines and clear ground space, a boom lift gives a stable working position for the inspector and a controllable working envelope.
- Scaffold or hoarding scaffold. Where a defect or rectification programme calls for a long, sustained working face, scaffold can be the most practical answer.
Working under the CP's supervision
The regulations are explicit that the close-range inspection — like the visual inspection — is the Competent Person's responsibility. The CP may carry it out in person, through a Façade Inspector under direct supervision, or by engaging a service provider where the work is performed under the CP's or Façade Inspector's direct supervision and the CP personally reviews the outputs.
We typically operate in that third pattern: the access crew and the field photographer/recorder are our team; the CP or Façade Inspector is on site directing the close-range work; and all field outputs go back to the CP for review before they enter the inspection report.
Deliverables
- Drop/trail logs showing the location and coverage of each vertical drop or horizontal trail per elevation.
- Photographic record indexed by elevation, zone and defect class.
- Defect notes from tap tests, probing and borescope inspection, indexed against the elevation grid.
- Crack-width and moisture-reading records where taken, with location reference.
- Safety documentation: risk assessment, safe work method statement, permit-to-work and rescue plan.