Commercial property maintenance can be an overwhelming endeavor when you have multiple properties under management. Your days can be spent “putting out fires” – hopefully, not literally – that arise at your various properties, and this constant deluge of requests can leave little time for other value-added activities.
To make things simple, our checklist organizes property maintenance tasks into timeframes, so you can plan ahead for what needs to be done rather than reacting to issues as they occur. Use the form below to download the checklist and continue reading for an overview of the most common commercial maintenance tasks. We’ll also cover how our company, Terra CPS, can put commercial maintenance on autopilot!
Daily and Ongoing Commercial Maintenance Tasks
Due to the heavy traffic of commercial properties, they require daily maintenance to remain presentable. Some of these activities, like interior cleaning, are often performed by a day porter – an onsite specialist who manages the upkeep of the property.
While day porters provide daily interior cleaning, an experienced sweeping team is responsible for keeping the exterior of your properties presentable. Most property managers contract sweeping for 5 – 7 days per week to remove debris, dirt, and litter from parking areas. However, the ideal frequency for these services can vary based on the industry and traffic to the business.
At Terra CPS, our highly trained day porters are on site to remove trash and sanitize high-touch surfaces like doorknobs, elevator buttons, and handrails. They also handle general maintenance tasks to help your property run smoothly. They can handle routine tasks like cleaning common areas, restocking supplies, and handling spills as they occur. In addition, our reliable sweeping team keeps your exterior looking sharp and free of dangerous or unsightly debris.
Weekly Commercial Maintenance Tasks
Certain tasks, like landscaping maintenance, are needed on a weekly basis – especially during the summer months when plants grow quickly and during autumn when leaf removal becomes a priority. Neglecting these tasks for even a few days can damage your reputation, while regular maintenance keeps a property inviting for customers, guests, and employees.
The Terra CPS team can handle all your landscaping maintenance tasks, including weekly activities like mowing, edging, weeding, and removing leaves. Partner with us to maintain a professional appearance and reduce the effort needed to revamp landscaping features throughout the year.
Monthly Commercial Maintenance Tasks
Monthly maintenance is typically focused on safety checks and preventative measures. These are often simple tasks that help create a safe and enjoyable environment for tenants and visitors.
First, pest control is nonnegotiable for most businesses, especially in the warm, humid climates of the South. Companies that focus on commercial pest control can prevent infestations from critters that carry disease and make the property look unkempt.
Second, safety features should be checked on a regular basis, and emergency response plans should be reviewed. One of the most common scenarios maintenance managers can plan for is fire. This involves checking sprinklers and illuminated signs, as well as reviewing fire safety procedures to ensure all visitors have a clear exit in case of emergency.
If you have vacant buildings, you will also need to add monthly inspections to your list of property maintenance tasks. When you partner with us, our team will routinely travel to each property to check for break-ins, vandalism, and potential maintenance issues to protect the asset while it is empty.
Quarterly Commercial Maintenance Tasks
Quarterly tasks address larger issues that take more time to plan, like seasonal landscaping changes and critical infrastructure updates. These activities are generally more involved than those listed above and benefit from time to perform advanced planning.
Larger landscaping projects will need to be addressed approximately quarterly – with the changing of the seasons. Some of the most beautiful flowering plants are seasonal, so you may need to replant or prune every few months.
Interior and exterior lighting should also be inspected on a quarterly basis. Burnt-out bulbs are a safety issue, so they should be addressed as soon as they are noticed, but the quarterly check may reveal some issues that aren’t obvious on the surface.
Finally, check your HVAC filters and have an experienced technician perform preventative maintenance on critical systems each quarter. This company should check heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems for small issues that need to be repaired.
By addressing small lighting and HVAC issues as they arise, you can prevent costly breakdowns and emergency replacements in the future. Combine these tasks with quarterly landscaping refreshes to give your properties new life with each seasonal change.
When you partner with Terra CPS, you won’t need to worry about quarterly property maintenance. Our landscaping teams will refresh flower beds, trim larger plants to promote healthy growth, and perform maintenance on retention or detention ponds during our quarterly visit. Your day porter will also oversee inspections of key equipment and replace things like bulbs or filters as needed.
Semiannual Commercial Maintenance Tasks
On a semi-annual basis, you should complete several tasks to refresh the exterior appeal of your properties and prevent future issues. Our core service, pressure washing, is one of the most common semiannual quarterly tasks. It involves removing dirt, grime, and chewing gum from hard surfaces. Some of the most common areas we clean include sidewalks, parking lots, and dumpster pads.
Landscaping will also need to be addressed, including checks of soil and irrigation systems to promote healthy growth year-round. Awnings and windows will also need to be cleaned to restore their appearance and prevent buildup that would require more stringent intervention.
By performing these semi-annual tasks, you’ll notice a vast improvement in the beauty of the property. You’ll also have peace of mind that landscaping features are working properly to keep plants healthy year-round.
When you partner with Terra CPS, our landscaping teams will check irrigation systems to address leaks and ensure they are working efficiently. Further, we’ll complete soil testing to determine if nutrients are needed to keep plants vibrant throughout the rest of the year. We’ll also aerate, overseed, fertilize, and apply weed control when necessary.
Further, our specialized awning cleaning team will use gentle but effective solutions to restore the appearance of these features without damaging delicate fabrics. If it has been a while since your awnings were addressed, we can also perform an initial deep clean to remove years of dirt.
Annual Commercial Maintenance Tasks
Finally, some maintenance tasks are only needed about once per year in regular circumstances. These tasks address features that have long lifespans and don’t generally need frequent maintenance. Since these tasks are so infrequent, they often slip through the cracks without careful attention to your maintenance plan.
Parking areas should be carefully inspected at least annually to protect these significant investments. A detailed inspection can reveal hidden structural and safety issues – like cracks, forming potholes, and faded lines. Addressing these issues in a timely manner can save you thousands by extending the life of your assets.
When you partner with us, our concrete and asphalt team will travel to your properties to identify issues that have appeared throughout the year. Then we’ll recommend remediation, oversee any needed repairs, and schedule maintenance tasks to protect these valuable surfaces. We’ll also address safety issues by repainting lines to promote a smooth flow of traffic and make safety features more effective.
Ad Hoc Commercial Maintenance Tasks
Certain commercial maintenance tasks, like graffiti removal and repaving, are ad hoc by nature. While these tasks are extremely important, their exact timing often can’t be planned.
Graffiti removal is only needed after vandalism occurs, so it can be difficult to prepare in advance for this possibility. However, you should have a partner you can trust to handle these emergency cleanings quickly. Remember, the best way to prevent future graffiti is to ensure the current artwork is removed before it has time to be seen.
Parking lot repaving is another task that is needed infrequently, but you will definitely know when it’s too late. Annual inspections are necessary to spot early signals of wear and give you as much time as possible to plan for this major investment.
Similarly, installation of new fencing and gates is not needed on a regular basis, but can be important to the overall function, safety, and appeal of the property. Further, repainting and the application of specialty coatings are infrequent tasks that impact aesthetic appeal, and sometimes safety.
To stay ahead of emergency tasks, you need a partner that responds immediately and gets the job done right. Our team arrives quickly when unwanted “artwork” is left on one of your properties, and we remove it completely without damage to the structure.
We’ll also help you prepare for repaving projects through annual inspections that evaluate the wear and tear on hard surfaces. Then, we can handle the repaving when the time comes. Finally, our specialized teams can handle fencing, gates, painting, and specialty coatings to keep your property both appealing and safe.
All the tasks on our checklist require a professional maintenance partner to achieve optimal results. Fortunately, if you’re in the Atlanta area, you can rely on our specialized teams to manage your commercial property maintenance needs.
One Relationship for Commercial Property Maintenance
At Terra CPS, our trained technicians can put property maintenance on autopilot. We provide day porters to tackle day-to-day maintenance and highly trained technicians that specialize in sweeping, pressure washing, parking areas, and landscaping. Our comprehensive suite of services also includes ad hoc tasks like graffiti removal, painting, and fence installation.
Best of all, our consolidated solution allows you to bundle all your maintenance needs into one plan. You’ll have one dedicated account manager who simplifies scheduling and oversees the maintenance of your properties, plus simple monthly billing to reduce your administrative burden.
To learn more about our services or get started with the only commercial maintenance solution you will need, contact us today.