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Scheduling visits to ten buildings with a paper diary still works. Scheduling visits to hundreds of buildings, in several cities, coordinating suppliers and owners, does not. On-site inspections are the most visible part of a management company’s work, but also the hardest to organise. No two inspections are the same: some are routine, some depend on third parties, some are urgent. In this article we explain the four types of visit, how we plan them and what you should ask your management company.
In short
- There are four types of inspection: initial, routine, maintenance and supplier accompaniment.
- Inspections that depend on third parties are the hardest to schedule.
- A route algorithm fits routine visits between fixed appointments.
- No routine inspection is forgotten: its priority rises as the deadline approaches.
- The law defines what counts as indispensable and urgent repairs.
Why logistics matter to owners
When logistics fail, the building shows it: technicians crossing the city by car and arriving late, postponed visits, buildings that go months without anyone going there. Ask your management company how often it visits the building and how it guarantees that frequency. Few companies say so clearly.
The four types of inspection
| Type | What it is for | Who must be present |
|---|---|---|
| Initial | Survey of the building’s condition at the start of the contract | Technician and the condominium’s internal administrator |
| Routine | Regular and preventive visits, at the frequency in the plan | Technician |
| Maintenance | Solving anomalies that have been detected | Technician, sometimes an owner |
| Supplier accompaniment | Giving access to and supervising external work | Technician and supplier |
Initial inspection
This is the picture of the building at the start of the contract: common parts, equipment, signs of leaks, the condition of roofs and access routes. It requires our technician and the condominium’s internal administrator, who knows the building’s history, to be there together. The photographic record of this visit is the reference for all the following ones.
Routine inspections
These are the regular visits, at the frequency set in the contracted plan. Here, planning has freedom: the technician can visit the building at any time within the scheduled window. That is why these visits are fitted between fixed appointments, in the free slots on the route. See also how preventive maintenance adds value to a building.
Maintenance inspections
These are used to solve technical anomalies detected during an inspection or reported by an owner. In condominiums with the RepairMax add-on, our technicians handle small maintenance jobs, with labour included; the condominium pays for materials, according to the plans page. When the anomaly is serious, the rule on urgent repairs applies:
«2 – São indispensáveis e urgentes as reparações necessárias à eliminação, num curto prazo, de vícios ou patologias existentes nas partes comuns que possam, a qualquer momento, causar ou agravar danos no edifício ou conjunto de edifícios, ou em bens, ou colocar em risco a segurança das pessoas.» — Civil Code, article 1427(2)
In plain English: indispensable and urgent repairs are those needed to remove, at short notice, defects in the common parts that could at any moment cause or worsen damage to the building or to property, or put people’s safety at risk.
If the administrator is absent or unable to act, any owner may carry out these repairs, under paragraph 1 of the same article. A management company that is present avoids the need for that.
Supplier accompaniment
Many jobs require someone to open the door to the roof, the lift machine room or the garage, and to confirm what was done. Our technician goes to the building to give access, coordinate and supervise the work. These visits are the hardest to plan, because they depend on the supplier’s diary and sometimes on an owner.
When the diary depends on third parties
In a routine inspection, the algorithm has geographical freedom. In an initial inspection or a supplier visit, it has to combine the technician’s route, the time agreed with the supplier and the availability of the internal administrator or an owner. A single delay can affect the rest of the day, especially when the supplier has other jobs booked. That is why the system recalculates the route when an appointment changes.
How planning works
- Separate the urgent from the flexible. Fixed appointments go in first; routine visits fit into the gaps that remain.
- Raise the priority. If a routine inspection is pushed back by emergencies, its priority rises as the deadline approaches, until it becomes mandatory.
- Recalculate in real time. A cancellation or a delay reorganises the day’s route.
We carry out more than 35 inspections a day and around 700 a month.
From the field to the office
When the technician spots an issue during the route, they record it with photographs and the manager receives the information in real time. From there, the manager requests quotes, contacts suppliers or prepares the item for the general meeting. For extraordinary works, the law requires at least three quotes; see how construction management works.
The motorbike fleet
Visits are made by motorbike, prepared for city traffic and for carrying the most frequently used tools. A motorbike makes it possible to arrive on time and park near the building, even in the most central areas. We explain why being present in the building still matters in our article on the false dilemma between technology and proximity.
Inspections and the building's upkeep
Inspections are not only for fixing faults. They are also the basis of the building’s maintenance plan. The law says buildings must undergo maintenance works at least once every eight years, under article 89 of the Legal Regime for Urbanisation and Building (RJUE). Without regular visits and records, it is hard to know when the facade or roof was last worked on, and what is deteriorating. With the inspection history, the manager can propose a works calendar to the general meeting, with time to request quotes and build up the common reserve fund.
What to ask your management company
- How often do you visit the building, and how do you guarantee it?
- Is there a photographic record of each visit?
- Who gives suppliers access?
- How long passes between spotting a problem and requesting a quote?
- Can owners see the inspection history?
Who carries out the inspections
Logistics help us arrive on time, but it is the person doing the inspection who protects the building. Our inspection technicians go to the building by motorbike, at the frequency set in the plan, take the keys, the manager’s requests and the building’s history, and record each issue with photos, location and technical context. Problems go straight to the manager, who decides the next steps (how it works). Routes are planned by a proprietary algorithm, and postponed visits automatically move up in priority.
How Condoroo helps
Condoroo manages more than 600 condominiums, including buildings with more than 300 units, with a team of more than 20 professionals. We carry out more than 35 inspections a day, around 700 a month, with a route algorithm and a motorbike fleet. We hold in-person general meetings and have €500,000 civil liability insurance. Plans start at €6.50 per unit per month. Every inspection is recorded with photographs in the building’s file, and the manager can review them before each general meeting.
On-site inspections in condominiums: frequently asked questions
What types of on-site inspections does Condoroo carry out?
Initial, routine, maintenance and supplier accompaniment inspections.
How often is the building visited?
Routine inspections follow the frequency set in the contracted plan.
Who must be present at the initial inspection?
The Condoroo technician and the condominium’s internal administrator.
What are indispensable and urgent repairs?
Those needed to remove, at short notice, problems in the common parts that could cause damage or put people’s safety at risk.
How many inspections does Condoroo carry out?
More than 35 a day and around 700 a month.
How are routes planned?
With an algorithm that fits routine visits between fixed appointments and recalculates the route when something changes.
This article is for information only. Legislation and websites consulted on 26 October 2026.
