Finding qualified, experienced, and licensed maintenance contractors is an essential job for homeowners or property managers. Properties do not stay in good condition on their own. And if the property management is 75% maintenance, this is a key business optimization area for you.
Whether commercial or residential, without the help of excellent and honest contractors, property owners will likely choose other property management companies that have these reliable and capable assets available. If you are currently conducting a business check-up right now, you may be examining your contractor’s performance.
Repeatable Processes Key To Business Success
Acquiring a good contractor is very important that you are likely looking to hire one as your in-house maintenance professional. Internal maintenance staff is valuable because of the systems and processes. They can get work done faster, communicate better with you, all because they are part of your system.
However, if you have to outsource or don’t want to hire someone internally, you will want contractors to be able to work through your management processes efficiently. And that’s where property management software helps keep costs down and ensures a good job.
Who are the contractors? They are professionals in the plumbing, heating and air conditioning, electrical, landscaping, paving, earth development, janitorial, carpentry, remodeling (general contractors), painting, roofing, parking lot maintenance, and more.
Ways To Get The Best Results
Here is a detailed process for finding the best contractors:
- Have a clear, written and detailed description of your project or ongoing maintenance service needs and set a realistic budget.
- Get deals, not at lower prices, but to learn more about local maintenance companies and how they work.
- Ask for their descriptions of their work and details on similar projects they have done.
- Ask them about the properties they are working on right now so you can drive to the site and see their service staff in action.
- Ask them about common problems with specific brands of equipment.
- Check your references regarding reliability, owner relationships, and budget.
- Check their licenses and request physical evidence, and verify validated complaints and disciplinary action taken against them.
- Do they appear reasonable and willing to be responsible for any aspect of their performance and responsibilities?
- Ask them for an estimate of their potential capabilities and make a list of their areas of expertise and experience; If they specialize in your services in any way (e.g. plumbing, landscaping), it could mean that you will have to hire another company to do it.
