Markets we serve
Education
Independent engineers and architects for K-12 and campus buildings: roof and wall assessments, capital planning, design and summer construction oversight.
Creating Safe, Long-Lasting Learning Environments
Educational institutions, from K-12 schools to universities, need to provide safe and comfortable environments for students and faculty. INSPEC provides expert building envelope consulting and maintenance services to help educational facilities remain functional and secure, even in the face of harsh weather and aging infrastructure. Our Services Include:- School roof inspections and maintenance
- Waterproofing and leak detection for educational buildings
- Campus-wide structural assessments
- Long-term maintenance strategies
Talk to us
Responsible for a school or campus?
Tell us about the building and what you are seeing. Our consultants work across Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis.
Common questions
Can INSPEC assess an entire school district rather than one building?
Yes. A district-wide facility condition assessment documents each roof area, wall assembly and site element across every building, then ranks them by condition and urgency. The result is a prioritized capital plan with opinions of probable cost, so the board can decide what is funded this year and what can reasonably wait.
Will the work fit inside our summer break?
Summer schedules depend on early planning. Investigation and design are generally done during the school year so bidding happens well before June and the contractor mobilizes on day one of break. Construction observation during the window helps keep phasing, tear-off limits and daily dry-in on schedule toward an August completion.
Does INSPEC perform the repairs it recommends?
No. INSPEC is a consulting engineering and architecture firm. We inspect, test, investigate, design, prepare bid documents and observe construction, but the repair or replacement work is performed by contractors you hire. Because we do not install or sell materials, our findings and specifications are not tied to any product or contractor.
Can your reports support a referendum or bond request?
Assessment findings, photographs, test data, service-life estimates and cost opinions can be organized to support funding requests and public presentations. Documenting existing conditions before a vote also helps show taxpayers and oversight bodies why particular buildings and scopes were chosen, and provides a baseline if the scope is questioned later.
How do you handle site visits while students are in the building?
We coordinate access through the facilities director or business office and work to the school's rules on visitor check-in, escorts and restricted areas. Interior inspection openings, testing and roof access are scheduled around instruction where possible, and we agree in advance on which corridors, stairs and roof hatches we will use and when.
Our natatorium ceiling and walls keep showing moisture. Is that a roof leak?
Often it is not. Pool air is warm, humid and chemically aggressive, and if it reaches a cold surface inside the wall or roof assembly it condenses there. The investigation has to separate water entering from outside from moisture generated inside, which usually means testing and sometimes hygrothermal modeling before any repair scope is written.
Can you look at our parking lots, bus loop and athletic fields too?
Yes. INSPEC has a civil engineering group covering pavement condition and design, stormwater inspection and management, and outdoor sports facilities. On school and campus sites these interact with the buildings, since drives, grading and drainage frequently determine what happens at foundations, entrances and below-grade spaces.
We have a new building on campus. Should you be involved before it is finished?
That is usually the cheapest time to involve us. Reviewing enclosure details during design and verifying the installed assemblies during construction catches problems while the contractor is still mobilized. Enclosure commissioning and field testing exist for exactly this, and both are far less disruptive than pursuing a leak after occupancy.