Building Operations & Maintenance
Commercial Building Maintenance: Facility Checklist, Best Practices, & Use Cases
Proper maintenance of commercial buildings is important because it preserves their value, ensures tenant satisfaction, and minimizes long-term operational costs. If you neglect, routine upkeep can lead to costly repairs and even safety hazards.
For example, a major office building that experiences an HVAC failure due to poor maintenance can disrupt daily operations, which can cost the company thousands in downtime and emergency repairs.
With this in mind, facility managers must get a detailed maintenance checklist paired with industry best practices to prevent such issues.
The checklist will give a guide to regular inspections of the building's interior, exterior and systems like HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning.). This proactive strategy enables you to keep your facilities running efficiently and safely.
This article will give you a comprehensive commercial building checklist, best practices, and benefits of building maintenance for commercial facilities.
Commercial building maintenance checklist
A facility maintenance checklist, or preventative maintenance checklist, helps build safety through regular planning and inspections. This systematic strategy allows facility management service providers (FMSPs) to identify potential issues early, reducing repair costs and extending the lifespan of building components.
The first step you need to take is to evaluate the condition of all assets in and around the building. Determine their worth based on market value, production impact, replacement costs, or a suitable combination for your organization.
Below is a comprehensive table detailing various building maintenance assets, covering both interior and exterior elements, as well as facility equipment.
Create a maintenance schedule that prioritizes safety hazards and high-value assets. Establish routine maintenance for each asset, assigning specific tasks to daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual timeframes. This structure ensures that important assets are regularly inspected and maintained.
1. Daily Routine
2. Weekly Routine
3. Monthly Routine
4. Quarterly/Bi-Annually
5. Annually Routine
Best Practices for Commercial Building Maintenance
When it comes to commercial building maintenance, following best practices ensures safety, efficiency, and long-term value for your property. Here are some essential guidelines:
1. Regular Inspections and Maintenance
Develop a maintenance checklist for routine inspections of HVAC systems, plumbing, electrical wiring, and structural components such as roofs and windows.
The routine maintenance schedule should include daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly tasks. As an FM, you’ll be able to identify potential issues and perform predictive maintenance before they escalate into costly repairs.
2. Focus on high-traffic areas
High-traffic areas like lobbies, corridors, restrooms, and entrances show more wear and tear than other parts of your building. Because of this, they need more frequent cleaning, repairs, and inspections to stay in top shape.
If you let these areas go, you might end up with safety hazards and a poor impression of your building's overall condition.
3. Repair damage immediately
Taking care of minor damage right away is key to stopping it from becoming a big problem. Little issues like a leaking pipe, a cracked tile, or a flickering light can quickly turn into major headaches if you don’t fix them promptly.
By handling these repairs quickly, you show your tenants you care about keeping the property in great shape and that their safety and comfort are top priorities.
4. Monitor for mold
Mold is a big concern in any commercial building because it can lead to health issues for the people inside and damage to the property. To keep mold in check, you should regularly inspect areas prone to moisture, like basements, bathrooms, and kitchens.
If you find any leaks or humidity problems, fix them right away. Good ventilation and dehumidification are also essential to prevent mold growth.
5. Keep to code
Keeping up with local building codes and regulations like SFG20 standards isn’t just about staying on the right side of the law; it's crucial for ensuring your property stays safe and functional.
You should regularly check and update your property’s compliance with fire safety regulations, accessibility standards, electrical codes, and other important rules. Ignoring these can result in fines, legal troubles, or even the closure of the building.
6. Seek Professional Help
For complex tasks or when managing multiple properties, consider outsourcing certain maintenance functions to specialized service providers.
Also, train maintenance staff on best practices, new technologies, and safety protocols to enhance their effectiveness and confidence in handling various tasks.
The benefits of building maintenance for commercial facilities
Building maintenance for commercial facilities offers numerous benefits that significantly enhance the value, safety, and functionality of the property. Here are the key advantages:
- Preservation of Property Value: Keeping up with regular maintenance not only helps maintain your property's appeal but can also increase its market value over time. A well-maintained property attracts buyers and renters alike.
- Cost Savings: By proactively addressing maintenance issues, you can prevent costly repairs and replacements down the line. This approach significantly reduces overall operational costs, allowing you to allocate resources more effectively.
- Safety and Compliance: Regular maintenance ensures your property meets safety standards and regulations, which is crucial for avoiding legal issues and potential liabilities. A safe environment protects both your investment and the people who use the space.
- Tenant and Employee Satisfaction: A well-kept property enhances the experience for tenants and employees, leading to higher satisfaction rates. Happy tenants are more likely to renew leases, and content employees contribute to a more productive workplace.
- Aesthetic Appeal: A visually appealing property makes a strong first impression on clients and visitors. An attractive exterior and well-maintained interior can create a welcoming atmosphere that reflects positively on your brand.
Introducing Facilio: your partner in commercial building maintenance
Facilio offers a comprehensive platform for managing all types of operations and maintenance tasks, including breakdown, reactive, corrective, scheduled inspections, preventive maintenance routines, and audits.
Its user-friendly interface and intelligent routing simplify the planning, scheduling, and documentation of maintenance activities.
You can schedule tasks and generate work orders based on a calendar system. Facilio automatically assigns technicians to these tasks, attaches relevant checklists, and sends reminders via email, SMS, and mobile notifications.
The platform's robust preventive maintenance (PPM) engine can trigger automatic work order dispatch based on specific conditions. This capability allows for the automation of repetitive processes such as approvals, work routing, and collaboration across multiple locations.
Facilio's cloud-based solution allows for aggregating real-time data across property portfolios, enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions.
The platform also supports custom workflows for third-party maintenance and vendor management. Its IoT integration is hardware-agnostic, allowing seamless compatibility with existing systems.
Conclusion
The commercial property maintenance game is changing fast with the rise of IoT, AI, and CMMS. These technologies are giving facility managers and FMSPs more control and efficiency than ever before.