Developing and implementing a thorough building maintenance schedule for your high-rise community is essential for your board and property management firm. This proactive approach to building maintenance offers numerous advantages, including the prevention of early mechanical system failures, the extension of your community's asset lifespan, and predicting future repairs or replacements.
All these measures contribute to creating a precise budget for your community high-rise. By maintaining an accurate list of repair costs and asset lifespans, board members and management teams can effectively anticipate and allocate funds for essential capital projects. This also ensures that the property maintains an up-to-date reserve study, outlining the maintenance and replacement schedule for the building’s assets. Significantly, a comprehensive building maintenance plan helps minimize service disruptions, such as temporarily closing an amenity for necessary repairs.
With so many moving parts to keep track of in a robust high-rise community, it may seem a little daunting to imagine how to manage and implement a building maintenance schedule to cover your entire community. This is where a licensed professional team and knowledgeable property management company can really help.
But first, the preliminary question…
What is building maintenance?
Building maintenance involves a comprehensive array of tasks designed to meet the specific requirements of a community. It includes numerous critical activities carried out behind the scenes to ensure the ongoing functionality and preservation of amenities and structures.
These maintenance tasks include cleaning communal spaces, disposing of waste regularly, and fixing broken items. They may also involve inspecting, repairing, and maintaining community assets like electrical systems, HVAC systems, and other essential utilities.
In certain cases, building maintenance also extends to the outdoors, such as managing sprinkler systems, tending to vegetation, and maintaining the overall landscape.
Who is responsible for maintenance in my community?
Typically, the maintenance workforce in a high-rise community is structured based on experience and responsibilities, ensuring efficient building management.
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Housekeeping: Janitors/housekeepers are responsible for the cleanliness of the property and its facilities. Their tasks include mopping floors, vacuuming carpets, cleaning bathrooms, and washing windows and glass doors.
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Maintenance Technicians: Maintenance technicians are skilled professionals who inspect, repair, and maintain various building systems, including HVAC, electrical, and water systems. They receive tasks through work orders and report to supervisors who oversee their assignments.
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Maintenance Supervisors / Chief Engineer: Maintenance supervisors / chief engineers play a crucial role in planning, assigning, and managing a team of maintenance workers. They prioritize the day-to-day and weekly workload by reviewing incoming work orders and considering both short- and long-term objectives. Additionally, the chief engineer handles vendor relationships and helps ensure they are completing their services according to the service contract signed with the association.
This staffing hierarchy is tailored to the community's needs, so your high-rise property might not include these exact roles. However, with access to the necessary maintenance team, this structured approach ensures efficient property management and maintenance, guaranteeing optimal functionality and cleanliness.
How to create a building maintenance plan:
Work with experts.
Why does building maintenance matter for your community? High-rise and large-scale buildings demand diligent care and upkeep because they host numerous complex systems, including HVAC units, plumbing, boilers, and water filtration systems. Regularly checking, servicing, and adjusting these essential components is crucial to maintain the building’s efficiency and prolong its lifespan. Proper maintenance not only ensures the comfort and safety of residents but also enhances the overall value and sustainability of the property.
To create, implement, and monitor a complete building maintenance schedule for your high-rise community, it’s imperative that you enlist the help of experienced professionals. A respected community association management company can create and execute your overall plan, but you will also need the commitment of your in-house maintenance staff, as well as outside expert service technicians and professionals with a deep understanding of specific systems.
Focus on the details.
The cornerstone of an effective preventive maintenance plan lies in attention to detail. By addressing minor issues promptly, your community can dramatically cut down on repair and replacement expenses. This begins with the property manager and chief engineer regularly inspecting the entire property and meticulously documenting building systems, public areas, private spaces, and structural surfaces. These inspections should take place at least once a month and should follow a comprehensive checklist to ensure that nothing is overlooked.
Make a list.
Throughout the management team’s walk through the property, have them create a list of components to be inspected and maintained and develop a preventative maintenance schedule that’s broken into at least four categories: monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, and annually.
Experienced property management companies often have systems in place to help facilitate your schedules, like FirstService Residential Connect, which provides timely reminders and notifications when routine maintenance is required. The FirstService Residential Connect portal also delivers communications to keep residents up to date on maintenance windows, repair work, and more.
Set the building maintenance schedule.
Once you have a complete list of all the equipment and systems within your high-rise property, you and your team need to establish a building maintenance schedule. Work with the system manufacturers to identify suggested maintenance schedules for equipment to run at maximum efficiency. Then, put your plan into action.
By executing your preventative maintenance plan, you’ll rest easier knowing you’re one step ahead.
By implementing an effective building maintenance schedule, your entire high-rise community will reap the benefits through reduced repair costs in your annual budget to fewer amenity service interruptions.
Your building maintenance schedule will allow you to begin to identify and anticipate repair or replacement costs throughout the year and also forecast when major costs need to be included in your yearly budget. Through careful, regular inspections and maintenance, you can help ensure the value of your high-rise property is maintained while elevating resident experiences.
For more information on how to create a successful building maintenance schedule and how a professional management company can support your high-rise community, contact FirstService Residential.