Commercial Property Report (CPR) brings together important information that enables underwriters to evaluate risk and determine accurate loss costs. In this article, we will dive into what is included in a WSRB CPR.
In this article, you'll find answers to these questions:
What is a CPR?
A CPR summarizes information gathered during an on-site inspection conducted by WSRB’s trained commercial property analysts. It captures the essential elements of COPE (Construction, Occupancy, Protection, and Exposure) that influence how insurers price risk.
You can read more about COPE and its importance in property underwriting in Understanding COPE for Property Insurance.
WSRB’s inspection data helps underwriters:
- Verify property characteristics for accurate premium pricing.
- Identify potential hazards or opportunities for protection improvements.
- Compare building attributes against current codes and risk standards.
Learn more about how these inspections work in Inside a WSRB Property Inspection.
What is included in a CPR?
Each CPR follows a consistent format designed to give underwriters a clear, data-rich overview of the property being insured.
Let’s take a closer look at each section, using the report for Smith Tower (Risk No. 1937) as an example.
General Overview
This first section provides a snapshot of the building’s key identifying details and risk factors, essentially the who, what, and where of the property.
For Smith Tower:
- Risk No. 1937
- Address: 204 Yesler Way, Seattle, WA 98104
- Inspection Date: 04/26/2023
- Construction Class: 6 – Fire Resistive
- Year Built: 1914
- Stories: 42 plus 1 basement
- Height: 500 ft
- Total Area: 519,097 sq ft
- Combustible: 0%
- Incombustible: 100%
- Public Protection Unit: Seattle – PC 01
- Risk Protection Class: PC 01 / 01
- Distance to Station: 1 mile
- Building CSP: 0702 / 0702
- RCP: 1601 / 1601
- Earthquake Class: C1
- Automatic Sprinkler: Yes
- Qualified Sprinkler: No – Reason: Insufficient Area Sprinklered / Missing Design, Test, or Other Required Documentation
These metrics establish the building’s foundation for underwriting, combining construction type, fire protection class, and geographic exposure into a concise reference for determining loss costs. Learn how these factors connect to insurance pricing in What Is a Loss Cost?
Structural Details and Construction
The next group of sections examines the physical makeup of the structure — how it’s built and what materials were used. This includes:
Walls: Material composition, thickness, and support structure.
Floor Openings: Elevators, stairwells, and shafts that can allow vertical fire or smoke spread.
Roof and Floor Systems: Surface, deck, truss/joist type, and support materials (concrete slab construction in this case).
Interior Finish and Sheathing: Ceilings, partitions, and wall materials — metal ceilings and plastered walls throughout Smith Tower.
Concealed Spaces: Hidden voids that can harbor fire spread; documented in square feet when applicable.
Condition Notes and Foundation: Observations about the building’s overall state and foundation integrity.
These construction details form the C in COPE — critical for assessing how a building might perform under fire conditions and how it aligns with modern standards.
Occupancy
The Occupancy section lists all business or tenant uses within the building, along with notes about any special hazards or inaccessible areas observed during inspection.
For Smith Tower:
- Shawn O’Donnell’s American Grill – Restaurant with cooking facilities (hood and vent through concealed space with nonstandard extinguishing system).
- Smith Tower – Offices – Non-governmental offices.
- Dry Soda – Office use.
- Sprout – Eatery offering salads only (no cooking).
- Hightower Group – Non-governmental offices (no photo available).
Each occupancy contributes differently to the overall risk profile. Restaurants, for instance, bring additional heat sources and grease accumulation risks, while office spaces tend to be lower hazard. This is the O of COPE.
Exposure
This section identifies hazards outside the building that could influence its risk — nearby structures, distances, and occupancies.
For Smith Tower, neighboring office and service occupancies were found just 1 foot and 12 feet away, respectively.
These proximities are illustrated with photographs and distance notations, helping underwriters understand how closely packed urban buildings may amplify fire-exposure risk. This is the E of COPE.
Interior Protection
Interior protection covers the building’s private safeguards: sprinkler systems, alarms, and portable extinguishers.
Smith Tower earned credit for having an adequate supply of listed portable extinguishers, though its automatic sprinkler system was not qualified for credit due to incomplete documentation.
This section represents the P in COPE and links directly to underwriting credits that can reduce a property’s loss-cost factor.
Risk Photos and Diagram
Every CPR includes visual documentation: photos of the structure and surrounding exposures, plus a basic diagram of the building footprint. These visuals validate the inspector’s findings and provide important context for underwriters reviewing the file remotely.
How do you use the CPR?
The CPR is not a compliance report or safety audit — it’s a risk assessment tool. Underwriters combine its data with other WSRB resources like loss costs and loss Cost Multipliers to develop a more precise rating for each insured property.
Learn how these pieces fit together in Loss Costs and Commercial Property Reports and Loss Cost Multipliers.
Because property conditions and underwriting standards evolve, WSRB encourages customers to order re-inspections to maintain the most accurate and up-to-date data.
You can request a re-inspection here →
Need to update your report?
Ensure your property data reflects current conditions. Request a new WSRB inspection →