Property Resilience Assessments (PRAs)

Property Resilience Assessments evaluate how buildings and sites respond to natural hazards and climate-related stress, including:

• Flooding and stormwater exposure
• Water intrusion and enclosure performance
• Site grading and drainage effectiveness
• Building system vulnerabilities under stress conditions
• Operational and recovery impacts following an event

These evaluations help identify where vulnerabilities may exist and what improvements may reduce risk.

Property Resilience Assessments are typically performed when building teams need to understand hazard-related risk before making financial, operational, or design decisions.

Common scenarios include:

• During real estate due diligence before acquisition
• Before major renovations or retrofit work
• During capital planning cycles
• As part of portfolio-level risk reviews
• When insurance or reporting requirements change
• In early design for new construction or major redevelopment

As climate risk becomes a larger part of real estate decision-making, these assessments help stakeholders evaluate exposure earlier in the process.

Property Resilience Assessments are used to support decisions related to:

• Risk mitigation priorities
• Capital improvement planning
• Building enclosure and drainage upgrades
• Insurance and resilience strategy discussions
• Long-term property performance and operational continuity

They help teams understand where a property may be vulnerable, what improvements may reduce exposure, and how resilience considerations can be incorporated into planning.

Flooding and water intrusion are common sources of building damage. Intertek evaluates site conditions, drainage performance, enclosure vulnerabilities, and other factors that may increase the likelihood of damage, disruption, or recovery costs.

Findings may support targeted mitigation strategies, including site grading improvements, stormwater system upgrades, flood barrier integration, and other resilience measures.

Property Resilience Assessments are often performed alongside Property Condition Assessments (PCAs) (ASTM E2018-24) to provide a combined view of:

• Current building condition
• Deferred maintenance
• System performance
• Climate and natural hazard risk

This approach connects existing conditions with future risk exposure and supports more informed planning decisions.

ASTM E3429-24 defines how to evaluate building resilience to natural hazards. It supports:

• Hazard identification
• Risk evaluation
• Development of mitigation strategies

Using this framework, Property Resilience Assessments help property owners, architects, engineers, and insurers evaluate potential hazards and implement proactive measures that strengthen commercial and residential properties against natural hazards and climate risks while extending longevity.

As climate risk becomes a greater focus across global regulations, organizations are increasingly expected to assess how these risks may affect operations and financial performance.

Many of these requirements reflect guidance from the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. In the United States, evolving disclosure requirements from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reflect growing expectations for evaluating and reporting climate-related risks. At the state level, California's Senate Bill 261 will require companies doing business in California with annual revenues exceeding $500 million to publicly disclose climate-related financial risks beginning in 2026.

These developments reinforce the need to evaluate how buildings and properties may perform under changing environmental conditions.

Property Resilience Assessments support planning and investment decisions that help properties better withstand disruption and recover more effectively.

• Identify vulnerabilities before damage occurs
• Reduce exposure to flooding and water intrusion
• Support building durability and long-term performance
• Improve occupant safety during and after disruptive events
• Help limit damage and support faster recovery
• Support continuity of operations and reduce downtime
• Protect asset value and operational continuity

Intertek supports building owners, developers, architects, engineers, and contractors with services focused on evaluating and improving building resilience. Intertek’s team brings expertise in building science, engineering, and environmental performance to assess how natural hazards and climate conditions may affect buildings, sites, and enclosures.

Property Resilience Assessments are part of Intertek’s resilience services, which help clients understand risk, identify vulnerabilities, and implement strategies that support durability, performance, and operational continuity.

Intertek’s Resilience Services include:

• Property Resilience Assessments (PRAs)
• Climate risk and vulnerability assessments
• Resilient building guidelines and consulting
• Capital improvements, retrofits, and repairs

Intertek also supports these efforts through building enclosure consulting, testing, and analysis that help identify conditions that may contribute to water intrusion, material degradation, and other performance issues.

Together, these services help clients make informed decisions that support long-term durability, continuity of operations, and stronger building performance under stress conditions.

Intertek’s experience spans decades of assessing and strengthening buildings for long-term durability and resilience, with expertise in evaluating and mitigating flood risk.

Intertek supports Property Resilience Assessments with advanced building science capabilities, including hygrothermal analysis, enclosure commissioning, and material testing to identify vulnerabilities that may allow water penetration.

Testing and validation capabilities include:

• Hygrothermal analysis to evaluate moisture movement through building assemblies
• Enclosure commissioning to verify performance of walls, roofs, and transitions
• Material testing to identify weaknesses that may lead to water intrusion
• Third-party validation of flood mitigation systems, including barrier walls, flood doors, and drainage infrastructure

These capabilities support Intertek’s ability to diagnose deficiencies, validate solutions, and help keep buildings dry, operational, and resilient in the face of increasingly severe flood events.

• Property Condition Assessments (PCAs) for current building condition, deferred maintenance, and capital planning
• Climate risk and vulnerability assessments for exposure to flooding, extreme weather, and changing environmental conditions
• Building enclosure consulting, testing, and analysis to identify vulnerabilities tied to water intrusion, material degradation, and performance issues
• Resilient building guidelines and consulting for new construction and major renovations
• Capital improvements, retrofits, and repairs that address identified weaknesses and support long-term resilience
• Sustainability and resilience consulting for broader building performance goals

Climate risks can affect a property long after the initial event. Intertek helps clients strengthen resilience through services that support long-term durability, performance, and reduced risk. We guide clients through Property Resilience Assessments and support projects pursuing LEED® and WELL certifications for healthier, more efficient, and more resilient buildings. Contact us to discuss your property or green building project.