Prefabricated Panel House Appraisal Report

Whether a prefabricated panel house should be demolished or renovated depends on the appraisal report issued by a third-party institution, and a decision should be made after determining the safety level in accordance with the 'Standard for Appraisal of Dangerous Buildings' (JGJ 125-2016). The key points are as follows:

1. Appraisal Standards and Safety Level Classification The safety levels of houses are classified into four grades: A, B, C, and D:

• Grade A: The structure is safe, and the house can be normally inhabited. Priority should be given to old renovations (such as replacing aging water pipes and adding insulation layers).
• Grade B: Some individual components have minor issues (such as slight cracks in panel joints), but they do not affect the overall safety. Maintenance and repair are required.
• Grade C: Some load-bearing structures are in danger (such as loose supports and rusted steel bars). It is a partially dangerous building, and reinforcement should be considered first. Demolition will only be considered when the reinforcement cost exceeds 70% of the reconstruction cost.
• Grade D: The load-bearing structures have completely failed (such as significantly tilted walls and sagging floors). The building may collapse at any time. It is a completely dangerous building, and in principle, it should be demolished as much as possible.

2. Appraisal Process and Technical Specifications

• The detection focuses on panel joint cracks, loose supports, rusted steel bars, etc. For example, among the prefabricated panel houses built before 1980 in Chengdu, about 23% have the defect of insufficient panel end support length, which should be rated as a dangerous point according to the specifications.
• The detection period is usually 7-10 working days, and for complex projects, it does not exceed 20 days.

3. Policy Requirements and Residents' Rights

• The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development has made it clear that only 350,000 sets of prefabricated panel houses are planned to be demolished in 2026 (accounting for 2% of the total), and all of them are Grade D dangerous buildings. The '15th Five-Year Plan for Urban Renewal' of the State Council requires that the demolished area should not exceed 20% of the current total building area, and the proportion of demolition and reconstruction projects nationwide should be controlled at about 17%. There is no 'one-size-fits-all' comprehensive demolition.
• In Chengdu, prefabricated panel houses built before 1985 must undergo safety appraisals. The validity period of the appraisal report does not exceed 5 years, and for Grade D dangerous buildings, a danger relief plan must be initiated within 30 days.
• Residents can obtain reports through professional testing institutions and apply for subsidies in accordance with policies (such as Chengdu's various districts providing 30-50% financial subsidies for dangerous building renovations).

4. Signals that Residents Need to Be Alert To The safety of a house cannot be judged by the naked eye and depends on a professional appraisal report. Signals that truly require vigilance include 45-degree diagonal cracks in load-bearing walls, significantly sagging floors, and significantly tilted walls. A house with a snow-white and shiny exterior may be Grade A, while a dilapidated house with peeling wall paint may be Grade B. The appearance has no direct relation to the safety level.