1st Reporting
Have you ever walked into a building that looked like it had seen better days and wondered if anyone was doing maintenance? I have, and I can tell you some of the existing nightmare buildings are beyond count. However, with a strategic approach to standardizing things like maintenance, and an innovative tool like a digital Building Maintenance Checklist, you can easily avoid your building woes.
A building maintenance checklist is a comprehensive document designed to guide facility maintenance teams in systematically inspecting and upkeep a building’s various components. This tool serves as a structured itinerary of tasks that maintenance personnel need to carry out regularly to maintain the optimal functioning and safety of the building.
The checklist typically covers a wide array of components, including, but not limited to, lighting, electrical systems, HVAC, and plumbing systems. It’s instrumental in preventive, routine, and corrective maintenance, assisting teams in identifying potential issues before they escalate into significant problems. A building maintenance checklist helps prolong the building’s lifespan, enhance its value, and ensure a safe, efficient environment for its occupants by facilitating regular inspection, repair, and cleaning activities.
Why Standardize Your Building Maintenance Checklist
The importance of proper building maintenance cannot be overstated. Running a business is costly; there is no doubt. According to BOMA‘s (Building Owners and Managers Association International) Office Experience Exchange Report (Office EER) and the 2018 Industrial Experience Exchange Report (Industrial EER), the cost is high:
| Private Sector Industrial Building Expense Figures | ||||||
| Total operating expenses (TOE) | Energy | Exterior building maintenance | Grounds and landscape and exterior | Management fees | Water and sewer | Real estate taxes |
| $1.54 psf | $0.06 psf | $0.03 psf | $0.02 psf | $0.17 psf | $0.08 psf | $0.97 psf |
| Private Sector Office Building Expense Figures | |||||||
| Total operating expenses (TOE) | Cleaning | Utility | Fixed | Parking | Roads/grounds | Repair/maintenance | Real estate taxes |
| $17.68 psf | $1.68 psf | $2.14 psf | $5.57 psf | $0.58 psf | $0.24 psf | $2.15 psf | $5.32 psf |
Understanding Building Maintenance
Building maintenance is the act of inspecting, repairing, and performing upkeep duties to maintain a building or structure. As with any structure, building systems break down over time. Due to wear and tear, natural conditions tend to accelerate building system deterioration when left to its own devices. But with a robust building maintenance program, you can counter some of nature’s abuse.
Building maintenance inspections are not enough. Take the case of the condo complex in Florida that collapsed due to structural neglect in 2021. The Surfside condominium collapse is a perfect example of building owners hesitating to get preventive work done on their buildings. The owners were warned 2.5 years before the collapse.
The collapse caused the deaths of 98 people. If that isn’t a reason to have a good building maintenance program, then I don’t know what is. The worst part – it was preventable.
What is the best way to prevent these sorts of catastrophic events? We think it’s by implementing a robust inspection documentation system and using a well-thought-out inspection checklist. Let’s talk more about this modern solution – it could save someone’s life.
The Role of a Building Maintenance Checklist
The concept behind the Building Maintenance Checklist is simple: Provide maintenance personnel with a standardized list of items they must inspect periodically and as prescribed by building engineers, management, or other responsible parties.
The checklist ensures that maintenance personnel review every critical system required to ensure the safe and efficient continued operation of the building.
The Building Maintenance Checklist is a critical component of your building maintenance program. However, other elements are equally valuable to the success of proper maintenance implementation: Standardized maintenance frequency and a customized checklist that ensures all critical components make their way onto the checklist for the specific building or facility.
Depending on the size of the facility, usage, and system requirements, your need for maintenance inspections may vary in frequency. At the very least, we recommend annual preventive maintenance inspections of all critical building systems. Some of these systems are required by law (like fire door drop testing, fire alarm system tests, and other fire system components), so it’s just a good idea to implement annual, semi-annual, or even quarterly inspections.
Let’s look at the standard Building Preventive Maintenance Checklist we have for you to download.
Detailed Building Preventive Maintenance Checklist
Our downloadable standard template, the Building Maintenance Checklist, is a 2-page document with multiple internal sections breaking the inspection into categories. Let’s review each section for uniformity, and please don’t hesitate to bookmark this page. You may find it helpful to train your team to use the document.
Administrative and General Form Use
Administrative Section
The first part of the Building Maintenance Checklist is the administrative information section. This section includes the document number, date of audit, site name, address, department, and contact information.
Checklist Section General Building Maintenance Checklist Use
The remainder of the document has seven components, aside from the final signature at the end of the report (for authenticity and to promote responsible reporting). In the checklist portions to follow, the user will find a line check column, an inspection item column, three columns to check for a pass, needs repair or is not applicable, and the final column for adding notes.
We assume each line item will have the following inspection sequence:
- Inspect items or items noted.
- Check off that you have completed the inspection of the item.
- Note the items state (Pass/Needs Repair/N/A). If noting further observations is a requirement of your building audit, then the user can use the right-hand column to do so.
HVAC
A professionally qualified individual should inspect all HVAC systems. However, qualified maintenance personnel can complete a preliminary inspection using our template.
Lighting
Maintaining lighting systems is an ongoing process in most facilities. Even with today’s LEDs and other advanced lighting technologies, bulbs, ballasts, and other lighting-related components must occasionally be inspected and replaced. Team members can use this section to ensure they cover all lighting items within their facility.
Plumbing and Restrooms
Plumbing for buildings needs an annual inspection by a qualified professional. In commercial and industrial applications, this is vital and not an option. Maintaining appropriate pressure, water quality, and restrooms for your organization is as critical as any other aspect of the business because, without proper sprinkler systems or potable water, a business won’t function long before they are shut down for unsafe conditions.
Doors and Windows
Doors and windows, especially heavily used ones, will wear and require repair over time. In the north, where ice and snow are a part of life in winter, salt thrown down by landscapers or maintenance personnel can make short work of aluminum door frames and other components. Doors in shipping bays will also need professional inspection and maintenance.
Fire Safety Equipment
Fire safety equipment is critical to safe operation. Furthermore, fire exits, fire extinguishers, and other components require annual inspections to ensure that personnel have adequately working safety equipment at their disposal. Depending on the type of fire suppression system you have on-site, this step may coincide with the plumbing inspection. Remember, always have a qualified, trained professional inspect fire safety equipment.
Roofing
Roofing is a critical building element that keeps you and your team out of the elements. Roof leaks can cost time and money and even cause business shutdowns if severe. As a critical building component, the roof requires its own segment in the Building Maintenance process.
Interior Hazards
Due to the nature of safety and incident prevention, a few items don’t fit into other categories but must be part of the building maintenance process. These are interior hazards and prevention. The internal risks might differ from building to building or industry to industry, so you might want to customize your checklist in our app, 1st Reporting – a perfect tool to help your organization digitize your inspections for faster communication and more efficient collaboration.
Creating a Tailored Building Maintenance Checklist
As mentioned, you will likely consider using a custom digital template for the building maintenance checklist to ensure your team has a fast and convenient way to document inspection observations. You’ll want to consider the particulars of your operation and building and implement the key points into a custom Building Maintenance Checklist perfectly suited to your facility.
Effective Strategies for Building Maintenance
When it comes to building maintenance, having a checklist is just part of the equation. Implementing an integrated approach to managing your building’s maintenance is critical. This process entails a holistic approach that considers the different aspects of building maintenance, from daily cleaning activities to larger-scale repairs and upgrades.
One way to streamline building maintenance is to leverage modern technologies. In an age with an app for just about anything, it’s worth looking into solutions, like 1st Reporting, that make building maintenance more efficient.
Mobile apps designed specifically for facility management can significantly simplify the maintenance process, allowing you to monitor tasks in real-time, assign work orders, and even automate specific tasks. Such technology can help keep your building maintenance on schedule, reducing the risk of overlooking critical maintenance tasks.
Aside from mobile apps, regular audits, reporting, and data analysis are crucial in your maintenance strategy. Regular audits can identify areas that need immediate attention, and reporting these findings helps keep everyone in the loop. Meanwhile, analyzing the data collected from your maintenance activities can help you identify trends and patterns, allowing you to anticipate issues before they arise and take proactive measures.
Just imagine what could have happened in Florida (referring to the building collapse I mentioned earlier) if they used the 1st Reporting app to ensure fast response and turn around to building maintenance follow-up work.
Conclusion
Building maintenance is pivotal, whether you’re running a small office or a high-rise commercial building. Regular maintenance not only ensures the safety and efficiency of your building but also contributes significantly to its longevity and value.
Having a standardized Building Maintenance Checklist at your disposal is a good starting point. However, it’s equally essential to integrate modern technology and sound maintenance strategies into your regular procedures.
Ultimately, creating a safe and well-maintained building is a continuous endeavor that requires diligence and proactive planning. It’s not just about avoiding disasters like the Surfside condominium collapse but also about creating a comfortable and efficient environment for all building users.
By implementing these practices in your buildings, you’ll be well on your way to achieving these goals. Remember, maintenance is not just a cost—it’s an investment in the future of your building.
