A pre-demolition audit is the systematic survey of a leased space or building before strip-out: type, quantity and quality of components and materials, hazardous substances, and the potential for reuse and recycling. In retail, it usually concerns the tenant fit-out of a store before closure or remodel.
What is recorded
- components and materials by type, quantity, location and condition
- types of connection: reversible or bonded (deconstructability)
- hazardous and contaminating substances
- potential for reuse, recycling and disposal
What it is for
The pre-demolition audit is the basis for the strip-out plan, tender and cost estimate. It shows which fit-outs can be relocated to other stores (reuse of store fixtures) and which materials must be collected separately (waste hierarchy in strip-out). Without an audit, fit-outs are usually demolished and disposed of across the board.
How it differs
A hazardous materials survey only checks for harmful substances. The pre-demolition audit goes further and also assesses quantities and reuse potential. The term is not used consistently; in German it is known as Rückbauaudit.
In the retail business
For retail chains, the audit often has to be carried out at short notice before the end of a lease, and existing documentation is incomplete. Recording installed components in a material inventory from the outset shortens the audit considerably and creates the data basis for Restwertrückführung.