Quick answer: a vacant commercial property in the East Bay is a liability clock — squatters, copper strippers, dumping and insurance exclusions all start running the day the tenant leaves. This is the checklist we hand owners and receivers from Richmond to Antioch, with coverage dispatched through our Bay Area operation in Mountain View.
Why vacant is different
An occupied building defends itself with people. A vacant one advertises: dark windows, full gutters of copper, an unwatched lot. Many property policies restrict or exclude coverage after 30–60 days of vacancy unless protective safeguards are in place — which makes documented security not just protection but policy compliance. Confirm your policy’s vacancy clause with your broker, in writing.
The vacant property checklist
- Day 1 — document the baseline: photo survey inside and out; meters, panels, risers, roof units inventoried
- Harden the obvious: locks re-keyed, ground-floor glass boarded or filmed where appropriate, gates chained with logged keys
- Kill the free utilities: water off (freeze/flood risk), power down to what cameras and lighting need
- Light the exterior: dark buildings invite; lit perimeters deter and make patrol photos useful
- Put eyes on it: randomized marked-vehicle patrol with interior walkthroughs — GPS- and photo-logged — or a monitored camera unit for 24/7 coverage between visits
- Post it and mean it: no-trespass signage posted per local code, trespass letters on file with the police department where the city offers it
- Log everything: every patrol visit, every finding, every board-up — the file your insurer and your closing attorney will both ask for
Squatters: the 48-hour rule
Occupation hardens fast — the longer someone’s belongings sit inside, the messier removal becomes. Patrol frequency in the first weeks of vacancy is what keeps the building yours; our officers document, notify and coordinate with local PD per post orders, and board-up follows the same visit.
Construction and receivership flanks
Buildings between tenants often become buildings under renovation — construction site security and fire watch (sprinklers often impaired during TI work) continue the same file.
Where we cover
Concord, Walnut Creek, Richmond, Antioch and the 680/4 corridors — county map at the Contra Costa County hub.
FAQs
Patrol or cameras for a vacant building?
Under most budgets: a monitored solar camera unit plus two to four randomized patrol visits nightly. Pure cameras without response is footage of your losses.
What does it cost?
Patrol routes price per visit; standing posts hourly. Fixed quote after a free walk-through — receivers and brokers get portfolio pricing.
How fast can coverage start?
Same day in most of the county — call (800) 640-2327.
Start the file today
Free vacancy assessment via the Contra Costa hub or (800) 640-2327, any hour.