What Should You Expect from Your Commercial Maintenance Contractor?
After your people, your buildings are probably your biggest assets. So, making sure they are safe, secure and fit for purpose is likely high on your list of priorities.
That’s why, if you manage buildings, choosing the right maintenance contractor should be an important part of your business strategy. Getting it wrong can impact your investment, your clients and your bottom line.
In this article, we explore what you should reasonably expect from a commercial maintenance contractor with IL Solutions Director and Founder, Ian Lamb.
It’s All in the Preparation
If you’ve ever received a maintenance quote and wondered how on earth the company arrived at that price or level of service when they don’t even know your building, then you’re not alone.
Before taking on a larger or more complex maintenance contract, your contractor should have a clear understanding of what they are being asked to support.
That may mean working from a comprehensive asset register or, particularly across larger or multi-site estates, carrying out on-site surveys to understand the condition of each building and its systems.
Ian explains:
“We want to know what we’re servicing. What’s working? What isn’t? Is anything obsolete? We need a good understanding of the building before we can start putting resources and costs together.”
The level of detail required will naturally depend on the size and complexity of your estate. But you should always expect your contractor to do their homework before telling you what they can deliver and what it will cost.
Details Matter
Hidden costs, elevated call-out charges, and not knowing who to contact or even when you’ll see an engineer. Sadly, these issues are not uncommon in the commercial maintenance world.
Understanding exactly what you’re buying is essential to building a trusted relationship. So, from the outset, your contract should make it clear what is included and what you can reasonably expect.
For example, does it tell you:
- Exactly when planned maintenance visits will take place?
- Who to call if there’s a problem, including out of hours?
- How and when you’ll be kept up to date?
- What’s included and what costs extra?
- What service levels have been agreed?
- How performance against the contract will be measured?
For Ian, thoroughness is key:
“The contract should cover everything from asset lists and call-outs to costs, SLAs, planned maintenance schedules and KPIs. Everyone needs to know what’s expected from the start.”
A detailed contract protects both sides. More importantly, it removes ambiguity before work begins.
Capability & Coverage
Commercial buildings can contain a complex mix of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, BMS, electrical and other systems. Before appointing a contractor, consider whether they genuinely have the resources and geographical coverage to support your buildings.
Ian suggests asking some straightforward questions:
“Look at their capabilities. Do they have the right skill set? Have they got engineers within reach? If you need a call-out, you should know how quickly someone qualified to deal with the issue can get there.”
For multi-site organisations in particular, that may mean access to a broader network of engineers and tradespeople, along with the ability to provide planned maintenance, reactive support and out-of-hours response across different locations.
Building systems are varied and often complex. Your contractor should therefore have access to experienced, specialist engineers who can understand what they are dealing with, identify problems and work safely and effectively on the systems they maintain.
And capability extends beyond the people carrying out the work.
Effective administration and contract management, combined with reliable internal systems, make sure visits are scheduled, information reaches the right people and agreed service levels are met.
Communication & Reporting
You can’t be everywhere at once, and you need someone who can keep things moving and keep you informed every step of the way.
For Ian, this is fundamental:
“Communication has to be 10 out of 10. Clients don’t want to manage every visit. They need to know the building has been serviced and maintained, that it’s compliant and that anything needing attention has been identified. We’re their eyes and ears on the ground.”
Effective communication means attending when agreed, meeting SLAs, reporting promptly and keeping you informed about work that has been completed or still needs attention.
Regular review meetings can also help keep contracts on track, allowing both parties to look at completed work, outstanding actions and any developing priorities.
Your contractor should be able to tell you where any issue stands and what needs to happen next.
Good communication makes sure nothing quietly falls through the gaps.
On-Site Professionalism
Site engineers and tradespeople represent their own business, but while they’re working on your building, they also represent you.
Professionalism requires more than just turning up and completing the work.
What does your maintenance contractor expect from the people they send to site?
Are they appropriately presented? Do they follow sign-in and site procedures? Can they liaise confidently with your maintenance team? Do they keep relevant people informed? And do they understand that the building around them still has a job to do?
Ian gives the example of maintenance work in a large hotel:
“An engineer may need to work around occupied rooms, guests, housekeeping schedules and areas that cannot simply be taken out of use. That requires patience, flexibility and consideration as well as technical ability.”
The same principle applies whether the environment is a hotel, office, school or another occupied building.
A good maintenance contractor should consider not only what needs doing, but how their team will work around the people using the space.
Compliance Considerations
Effective health and safety is much more than ticking boxes.
A responsible maintenance contractor should be thinking about how work will take place before anyone arrives on site.
Depending on the building and scope of work, that might include RAMS, DBS checks where required, access arrangements, PPE, scaffolding, hot works, waste removal, welfare facilities and how engineers and equipment will move safely through the building.
Ian explains:
“It’s about looking at exactly what we’re doing and how we’re going to do it. Where are we coming in? Where is the equipment going? Are there hot works? What access can we use? You have to think it all through.”
At IL Solutions, a dedicated compliance manager assesses requirements and works alongside the project and engineering teams. Site checks are also used to make sure the agreed standards are being followed in practice.
And plans shouldn’t necessarily remain static. If circumstances change as work progresses, RAMS and working methods may need to change with them.
Good compliance is about making sure the work remains safe, appropriate and considerate of the client's building and the people within it.
To Summarise
A maintenance contract isn’t simply an agreement to service a list of assets. It’s an agreement to take responsibility for helping keep your buildings safe, compliant and working as they should.
Your contractor should demonstrate an understanding of what they are taking on, clearly define what they will deliver and have the capability and expertise to deliver it.
You should also be able to rely on them to communicate, report, work professionally and manage compliance without needing to be chased at every stage.
Ultimately, a good commercial maintenance contractor should make managing your buildings easier.
Looking for a commercial maintenance partner?
Contact us to discuss your requirements.
19‑22 Trent Business Centre, Eastern Avenue, Lichfield, WS13 6RN
