The Stakes are High

For many commercial property managers, calls in the middle of the night and on weekends are common. This kind of chaos may even feel normal to some property professionals. But the real issue isn’t the unplanned call or the building emergency that sparked it–it’s the lack of a proactive, scalable process that prevents problems before they spiral out of control. The reality is the cost of emergency repairs and the damage to your reputation among tenants add up quickly when your system fails.  A well-maintained property doesn’t just run smoother; it increases in value, boosts tenant satisfaction, and gives you peace of mind.  Let’s take a look at the foundation of a solid property maintenance plan.

Your Bulletproof Plan in 5 Easy Steps

Step 1: Conduct a Full Property Assessment

Before you can fix the chaos, you need to understand what you’re working with. A thorough property assessment gives you a baseline—an essential first step to building a strong maintenance program. Start by walking every inch of the property and documenting the condition of key elements like HVAC units, plumbing systems, electrical panels, roofing, elevators, and more. This list will become the foundation for maintenance planning and budgeting.  As part of your review, consider any information you have on past work orders or service needs to identify recurring issues or signs of deferred maintenance—leaky windows, constantly clogged drains, or an HVAC unit that limps along every summer are important to note.  Identifying these patterns will help prioritize repairs, prevent future emergencies, and allocate resources.  Don’t focus only on items that are broken but also consider where risk exists.

Step 2: Build a Preventive Maintenance Schedule

Once you know what you’re working with, the next step is to create a preventive maintenance schedule to keep everything running smoothly.  Instead of waiting for things to break, define a schedule for inspections and upkeep—daily walkthroughs, weekly safety checks, monthly system tests, quarterly service calls, and annual inspections will be the cornerstones. You should also include seasonal tasks like winterizing plumbing or cleaning storm drains.  It may help to think of it as a calendar at this step to help identify some of these needs. 

Step 3: Manage Communication & Work Orders

If maintenance requests come in on sticky notes, voicemails, and text messages, things get missed—and problems build fast. Streamline communication of these critical items by moving away from outdated methods to a digital solution made for the task. There are a number of systems available that give you the ability to submit maintenance requests, track progress, assign tasks, and monitor every work order from a dashboard, keeping your team organized and accountable. This approach will help build trust with your tenants and give your maintenance team the tools to prioritize and respond efficiently to requests.  You’ll quickly see clearer communication, less confusion, and improved response times.

Step 4: Build a Trusted Vendor Network

When a repair needs to be made the last thing you want is to scramble for help. Building a network of trusted vendors will keep your maintenance system running smoothly. Start by screening potential vendors looking for strong references, proper insurance and licenses, and responsiveness. Creating service level agreements (SLAs) that define response times, pricing, and quality standards helps set expectations from the start.  When your team and partners know what to expect you’ll spend less time looking for solutions and more time focusing on the overall condition of the property.

Step 5: Monitor, Audit, and Continuously Improve

The final step to building a bulletproof maintenance program is to regularly check your work. Use the data your systems provide to measure established performance milestones like average response time, work order completion rate, and tenant satisfaction. These metrics help you spot trends and identify where adjustments may be needed.  A bulletproof system isn’t built once—it’s continuously refined.

Avoid These Pitfalls

As you build out your maintenance program, watch for a few common missteps that can undo all your hard work. First, don’t forget to maintain clear records of work orders, vendor interactions, and your overall property assessment for reference.  Second, make sure your team is properly trained—not just on tools and processes, but also on how to handle communication and emergencies. Reviewing often makes the unexpected easier to manage.  And finally, don’t forget to budget for preventive maintenance. It may seem like an added cost upfront, but avoiding emergencies and extending equipment life can result in big savings. By staying proactive, organized, and committed to improvement, you’ll transform maintenance from a constant headache into a value-add strategy for your property.

In Conclusion

Commercial property maintenance doesn’t have to be a constant source of stress. With a clear plan built on data, scheduling, communication, trusted vendors, and ongoing improvement, you can enjoy the benefits of a strong preventive maintenance program that reduces costly emergencies, protects your property’s value, increases tenant satisfaction, and makes your day-to-day operations more manageable.