Article · MKD major repair
Inspecting a building before a major repair
How a technical inspection helps homeowners' associations and management companies properly plan a major repair and justify the estimate to residents and the akimat.
A major repair of a multi-apartment building means big money and responsibility towards residents. Planning the work by eye makes it easy to spend the budget in the wrong place — cosmetic work where strengthening is needed, and vice versa. To avoid this, a technical inspection of the building is carried out before the major repair.
Who orders the inspection
Inspections are initiated by the building's management bodies and authorised structures:
Homeowners' associations, condominium associations and management companies — when preparing for a major repair and planning the work.
Akimats and housing inspectorates — when forming major-repair programmes and allocating funds.
Design firms — as input data for the major-repair design.
What the inspection gives you
The main value is objectivity. The inspection shows the actual condition of the structures and justifies the estimate: residents and the akimat can see that the money is going towards genuinely necessary work, not on “everything at once”.
The results make clear what can be kept, what should be strengthened and what needs replacing. This rules out both under-repair (where critical structures are left unattended) and overpaying for unnecessary work.
What the work includes
Examination and instrumental inspection of the load-bearing and enclosing structures, roof, façades and engineering systems.
Assessment of the condition and residual life of the structures, recording of defects with photo evidence.
Where needed — verification calculations and strengthening recommendations.
A technical report with conclusions and volumes — the basis for the major-repair design and estimate.
Process and timelines
It usually takes 1 to 6 weeks depending on the number of storeys and floor area of the building. KAZNICEP LLP works under a contract, with a cost from 200,000 KZT. More about the service — Inspection before major repair. If not only a repair but also a change to the structure is planned — see Reconstruction and major repair.
Frequently asked questions
Who orders an MKD inspection before major repair?
Inspections are ordered by the building's management bodies — homeowners' associations, condominium associations and management companies — as well as akimats and housing inspectorates when forming major-repair programmes. It provides objective data on the building's condition, which the planning of the work and the estimate rely on.
Why is an inspection needed if it's obvious the building is old?
You cannot determine the residual load-bearing capacity of the structures and the real scope of work by eye. The inspection shows what can be kept, what should be strengthened and what needs replacing, and justifies the estimate to residents and the akimat — so the money goes towards genuinely necessary work.
What does an inspection of a building before major repair include?
Examination and instrumental inspection of the load-bearing and enclosing structures, roof, façades and engineering systems, an assessment of their condition and residual life, recording of defects and, where needed, verification calculations and strengthening recommendations. The result is a technical report with conclusions and input data for the design.
How much does an MKD inspection cost and how long does it take?
The cost starts from 200,000 KZT and depends on the number of storeys, floor area and scope of work; the timeline is 1 to 6 weeks. An exact price is given after clarifying the data for the building.
Inspection before
a major repair
We will assess the building's condition, define the scope of work and justify the major-repair estimate.