Commercial property maintenance exists in this strange world of consistent access and ever-changing demand. Some months, things go according to plan, and there isn’t any major maintenance. Other months, multiple systems require attention, tenant improvements build up, and the small in-house team gets overwhelmed. There’s no easy answer on how to best staff.
The majority of property managers consistently have a permanent team with supplemental outside help as necessary. The question is when that tipping point occurs, and how you can structure maintenance support so you aren’t always searching for last minute assistance.
Creating a Core Team
All commercial properties require some degree of permanent maintenance staff who know the ins and outs of a building. These are the people who know which boiler is temperamental, where the shut-off valves are hidden, and how to reset the HVAC controls that always seem to be on the fritz. Institutional knowledge is hard to come by.
The size of a permanent core team depends on the building’s size and complexity. A single mid-size office building may only need one or two full-time technicians. A campus with multiple buildings or a larger complex may need more staff. The goal is to have enough staff dedicated to servicing all daily questions, routines, and maintenance concerns.
However, if there’s a demand for staffing at peak levels, a tremendous amount of payroll is wasted for hours not worked. If there’s a demand for average employment, the company will be consistently short-staffed during busy times. Therefore, most properties staff to an average and supplement outside help as needed.
Seasonal Demand Cycles
Commercial buildings experience predictable seasonal demand that can either provide increased or decreased maintenance. HVAC systems are put under tremendous pressure during the warmest and coldest months. Parking lots and walkways require consistent attention during the winter season. Landscaping is in its peak during the growing season. Acknowledging this allows for logical staffing advancement.
The best property managers plan for these peaks and troughs ahead of time instead of waiting until the last minute when they find themselves overwhelmed. Companies specializing in commercial maintenance services offer access to people who can support projected demand but may not be enough personnel to warrant full time permanent work year-round. This provides a better approach than waiting until everyone seeks assistance during peak periods.
The goal is to start relationships with outside supportive staffing options before there’s a dire need. Once there’s established rapport, bringing in additional technicians who understand the building, company standards, and practices becomes easier. Starting from square one in an emergency rarely is beneficial.
Project-Based Demand
There are certain large-scale projects that require attention beyond what current staff can handle. Replacing a roofing system, changing electrical wiring or upgrading HVAC controls require either a specialized skill or more hands than permanent staff is available.
Certain projects can bring in outside support with specialists on the level required without a permanent obligation needed. Once the project is completed, the need for advanced staffing returns to previous levels without laying people off or trying to find additional work for them to avoid unemployment.
This logic applies to tenant improvements and build outs as well. Temporary spikes in demand do not warrant new staffing capabilities but contracting out allows for multiple tenant needs to be addressed without placing too much strain on the existing team—nor making tenants wait weeks while their spaces are ready.
Specialized Work Per System
Most commercial buildings have systems that occasionally need specialized attention but not consistently enough to have someone on full-time staff. Fire suppression systems, emergency generators, advanced HVAC controls and security systems need quality technicians.
These types of services work best with outside help instead of having them on payroll or training in-house staff who are only good for basic repairs but not great assessments. Team members will handle routings and general maintenance but when work goes beyond basic, outside specialists should be brought in.
This type of approach also works with liability compliance. Most serious systems require certified technicians with appropriate paperwork. Getting assessed by an outside vendor ensures compliancy protocols are met with the paperwork to satisfy inspections and insurance.
Filling Gaps
People leave jobs—retirement, other opportunities, need extended medical leave. The gap between when people leave and when someone new starts presents a dilemma that leaves properties with too few staffing options.
Temporary maintenance support provides interim assistance without rushing to get a permanent team in place—to stress everyone out—and hiring someone who isn’t up to par. In addition, no gaps should be present between jobs so that current technicians take on more than they should and cause resentment.
Planned absences also require coverage—vacation time, training sessions and medical leave should never halt property operation because one person is gone for a week or two. Accessing temporary talent provides seamless transition so that no one feels pressured to cancel vacation or return early because they’re wanted back in the office.
Fixed vs. Variable Price Options
Permanent staff create fixed costs—salaries, benefits and staffing overhead create consistent expenses no matter how much work is being done at any point in time. Sourcing outside help places part of maintenance costs into variable expenses based on actual needs which helps budget needs more effectively.
During slow times, fixed costs aren’t money wasted on unneeded resources. When help comes along with mounting demand increases, help requested is commensurate with expense—and services rendered are only paid for as needed; properties with variable demands see significant risk if costs remain fixed.
However, contract labor costs more per hour than full-time employees who are already absorbed into companies’ benefits arrangements through hourly costs. Yet when considered from a total picture of dollars spent—not including benefits and payroll taxes or appropriate credit hours for continued education—the proper blended system typically favors variable expenses instead—unless properties have consistent needs year-round.
Finding the Right Mix
There’s no perfect solution to how much permanent help versus contractor assistance makes sense; instead it depends on building size and complexity, tenant expectations, budget limitations and current workforce options within the area around the property. For example, it would make sense for a consistent single-tenant office space compared to a retail mall struggling with peak demand period after period.
The final conclusion most successful properties reach includes core staff that accounts for consistent baseline needs then blends appropriate outside help for seasonal spikes as well as project needs and temporary gaps in employment. This allows for successful continuity through manager knowledge while supplementing temporary variance when needed without permanent overhead.
The key component for success—in blending—comes from proactive planning instead of reactive assessment down the road. Know how your building operates, find outside traders who can deliver reliable support for staffing gaps and plan well enough ahead of time so there’s no last-minute deluge begging for help from those who’ve sought out similar assistance first.
