It is important that every building undergoes a survey every now and then to determine if they are still structurally sound, particularly for big buildings which contain a lot of people and are worth a lot of money. Often times these larger building’s insurance will require buildings surveys periodically for the insurance to remain valid.
A number of things need to be reviewed to determine if they need to replaced or repaired regularly. The two biggest ones that need to be looked at regularly are the water systems, which when containing leaks can cause significant damage to a structure, and roofing systems, which when containing leaks can begin to collapse. Even if the worst doesn’t occur to the building due to these issues, leaking water or a damaged roof can result in a significant cost in the long term.
Of course if you live in a earthquake zone or you notice damage to any support beams it is very important that an engineering survey occurs so that you can determine if any repairs are necessary. Although you can usually expect issues like this to not be as prevalent as leaking roofs and pipes, when issues around the actual structure occur significant costs can ensue.