Enabling circular building services: a streamlined method and tool for condition assessment and remedial works to support reuse

Purpose The construction sector's pressure on natural resources drives interest in circular strategies such as component reuse. Reuse of building services components remains limited, partly due to a lack of fast tools for assessing condition and remedial needs. This study develops a streamlined method and digital tool for such assessments. Design/methodology/approach Adapting the NEN 2767 condition assessment standard, the research proceeded through four phases: analysing NEN 2767's limitations for reuse, developing a streamlined assessment method, implementing it as an Excel-based tool and evaluating it through a case study and practitioner feedback. Findings The method enables systematic defect identification and structured determination of feasible remedial works, with early indications of reduced assessment time relative to manual NEN 2767 application. Practitioner feedback supported the plausibility and practical relevance of the results. Research limitations/implications Evaluation relied on a single exploratory case study and qualitative practitioner feedback rather than large-scale testing. Future research should validate the method across more component types and contexts, and assess its reliability quantitatively. Practical implications The tool gives practitioners a faster, more structured way to assess reuse feasibility of building services components, supporting earlier, better-informed decisions in deconstruction and refurbishment projects. Originality/value This study proposes a structured method and tool for determining feasible remedial works for building services components in a reuse context, distinct from existing reuse-support tools that focus on traceability or salvage identification rather than remedial works determination.