Who Facility First Works With
Facility First manages facility maintenance and repair programs for multi-site businesses, including retail and luxury retail stores, restaurants, offices, bank branches, hotels and distribution sites. Facility First does not perform trade work itself. Independent local Service Providers do, holding the licenses and insurance the work requires.
The network covers all 44 trades on the Services page, from HVAC, refrigeration, plumbing and electrical to roofing, locksmith, cleaning and janitorial and loading dock equipment. Providers are needed in every market on the Coverage page: every U.S. state, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories, Canada and markets worldwide. A provider can apply for one trade in one city or for several trades across a wider region.
Why Join
- Work orders from multi-site clients in the provider’s own market. Programs bring repair calls, preventive maintenance visits and project work for locations the provider already serves.
- Clear scopes on every job. Each work order carries the location, the problem, the priority, access instructions and the not-to-exceed (NTE) amount, so the provider knows what is approved before arriving.
- One platform for everything. Work orders, check-in, photos, proposals and invoices sit on Facility Control, the facility management engine of PostControl, instead of in email threads and phone messages.
- Fewer disputes. Recorded arrival times, photos and approvals give both sides the same record of what was done and what was approved.
- Clear payment terms.
- More work for good performance. Providers who meet the standard over time receive more work.
Requirements
Providers are reviewed before they receive work. The review covers:
- Business registration and tax documentation. Proof that the business is registered where it operates, and the tax form that applies, such as a W-9 for U.S. providers or the local equivalent elsewhere.
- Trade licenses. The licenses required for the work in the provider’s state, province or country, and any city or county licenses that apply. Licenses are checked against the issuing authority where a public lookup exists.
- Trade certifications where the work requires them. In the United States, for example, technicians who service or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants must hold EPA Section 608 certification, and firms paid to do work that disturbs paint in housing or child-occupied facilities built before 1978 must be EPA RRP certified.
- Insurance. General liability, workers’ compensation and auto insurance, with Facility First and its clients named as additional insured where required.
- Safety practices. A safety program that fits the trade, including the practices described under Safety on client sites below, and any required certifications.
- References and work quality. Work history with commercial or multi-site clients, and references.
Keeping Documents Current
Certificates of insurance and licenses are kept on each provider’s record with their expiration dates and are requested again before they lapse. A provider whose license or insurance is not current does not receive new work until the updated document is on file. Providers should send renewed certificates as soon as they are issued and report any change in licensing, insurance or ownership.
How Work Is Assigned
Work goes to a provider whose trade, licenses, insurance and coverage area fit the job. Facility First also considers the type of equipment, the site’s requirements and the provider’s performance on earlier work. Every request is triaged at intake:
| Priority | What it usually means | What the provider is asked to do |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency | A risk to people, a site that cannot be secured, active damage, or a location that cannot operate | Accept or decline at once, attend as agreed, make the site safe first and report |
| Urgent | A problem that affects operations or appearance and should not wait for routine scheduling | Schedule promptly and confirm the visit |
| Routine | Planned or minor work that can be scheduled around trading hours | Schedule within the agreed window, usually outside busy trading hours |
| Scheduled | Preventive maintenance and recurring services | Complete the visit on the planned date and record the checklist |
Providers accept or decline each work order on the platform. A provider who cannot attend should decline at once so the job can go to another provider without delay.
What a Work Order Contains
| Field | What it tells the provider |
|---|---|
| Location | Site name, address, trading hours and site contact |
| Problem | The request as reported, with photos where available |
| Priority | Emergency, urgent, routine or scheduled |
| Access | Entry instructions, key or code arrangements, site rules and any after-close requirements |
| Scope | What is approved, including any preventive maintenance checklist |
| NTE amount | The not-to-exceed amount the provider may spend without further approval |
| Equipment | Asset details where the client has them, such as unit make, model and location |
On Site
Providers represent Facility First and its clients on site. On every job the provider is expected to:
- Check in on arrival on the platform, so the arrival time is recorded.
- Follow site rules and brand standards, including where to park, where to stage tools and materials and how to work in customer, guest or employee areas.
- Work around trading hours where the work order says so. Noisy or disruptive work in stores, restaurants and hotels is often scheduled after close or before opening.
- Take before and after photos, with notes describing what was found and what was done.
- Leave the work area clean and safe, with exits and walkways clear.
- Check out when leaving, recording whether the job is complete or needs a return visit, parts or a proposal.
Industry pages describe what each type of site needs, for example retail, restaurants, hotels, financial institutions and distribution and logistics.
Approval Limits, Proposals and Change Orders
Work proceeds within the not-to-exceed amount on the work order. If the provider finds that the job needs more time, parts or a larger scope, the provider stops at the approved limit and submits a proposal on the platform, with photos, a description of the problem and a breakdown of labor and materials. Work above the limit waits for the client’s designated approver, and every approval is recorded with the name, time and amount. The provider does not continue past the limit until the revised approval is recorded. See What Does NTE Mean.
In an emergency, the provider’s first task is to make the site safe, for example by stopping a leak, isolating power or boarding a broken storefront, and then to report and propose the permanent repair. See Emergency Response.
Preventive Maintenance Visits
Many programs include scheduled preventive maintenance by trade, using the schedules on the Preventive Maintenance hub as a starting point. On a scheduled visit, the provider completes the checklist on the work order, records readings and photos, and reports anything that needs repair. Repairs found during a visit are proposed separately, so the client can approve them and the location’s record shows what was found and when. See the Preventive Maintenance Checklist and HVAC preventive maintenance.
Getting Paid
Invoices are submitted against the work order on the platform and matched to the approved amount. Before an invoice is processed, Facility First checks that the work was verified as complete, that the photos and notes are on file and that the amounts match the approved scope and any approved proposals. Clear records of arrival, work done and approval reduce disputes and speed up payment.
Outside the United States, invoices follow the same format, with local currency, taxes and invoicing requirements handled under the provider’s agreement.
Standards on Every Job
Providers represent Facility First and its clients on site. That means arriving within the agreed window, following site rules and brand standards, leaving the work area clean and documenting the job with photos. Performance is reviewed over time, and providers who meet the standard receive more work. The review looks at:
- Accepting or declining work orders promptly
- Arriving within the agreed window and checking in and out
- Completing work on the first visit where possible
- Quality of photos and notes
- Return visits for the same problem
- Invoice accuracy against the approved scope
- Feedback from site teams
- Keeping licenses and insurance current
Safety on Client Sites
Every provider is responsible for the safety of its own workers and for following the safety rules that apply to its trade and the site. In the United States, that includes OSHA requirements such as:
- Lockout and tagout when servicing or maintaining machines and equipment where unexpected startup or release of stored energy could cause injury, such as HVAC units, refrigeration equipment, dock levelers and compactors.
- Hazard communication, including keeping safety data sheets readily accessible to workers for the chemicals they bring on site.
- Fall protection on construction work where a walking or working surface has an unprotected side or edge 6 feet or more above a lower level, such as roof work.
Outside the United States, the provider follows the safety law of that country. Providers must also follow each site’s own safety rules, keep exits and walkways clear and report any incident or injury on site at once.
Working Alongside Security by McCray
Some Facility First locations are also served by McCray Global Protection, a separate company that provides security officers, mobile patrol, fire watch and security consulting. Providers may work alongside officers on site, for example when a fire watch is posted while a fire alarm or sprinkler system is out of service, or when a store with a broken storefront needs an officer until it is secured. Providers should follow the site’s sign-in and access procedures with the officer on duty. See Security by McCray.
Trades
Every trade on the Services page, from HVAC to loading dock equipment, including:
- Building Systems: HVAC, refrigeration, electrical, plumbing, generator and backup power, elevator and escalator services, lighting
- Life safety: fire protection and life safety, water and fire sprinkler systems, cameras, access control and alarms, locksmith
- Building envelope: roofing, windows, glass and board-up, doors and automatic doors, loading dock equipment, fencing and gates
- Interiors: general maintenance and handyman, painting and drywall, flooring and tile, carpentry and millwork, commercial kitchen and food equipment
- Grounds and Exterior: landscaping, snow and ice management, asphalt, concrete and parking lots, power washing
- Cleaning and Environmental: cleaning and janitorial, pest control, waste, hauling and debris, environmental and remediation, restoration and disaster recovery
- Projects: general contractors and construction, retail rollouts and store projects
How to Apply
- Submit the application form.
- Upload licenses, insurance certificates and tax documents.
- Complete the review.
- Receive access to the platform and start receiving work orders.
The review checks each document against the requirements above. Applications with missing or expired documents are held until the documents are complete. Approved providers receive access to the platform, the program standards and the site rules for the locations they will serve.
Questions about joining the network go to info@mccraygp.com.
Apply to Join the Network
Thank you. The request has been received, and Facility First will follow up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can join the Facility First Service Provider network? Independent trade businesses that hold the licenses and insurance their work requires, in any of the 44 trades on the Services page and in any market Facility First serves.
Does Facility First perform trade work itself? No. Facility First manages facility maintenance programs for multi-site clients. Independent local Service Providers do the trade work.
What documents are needed to apply? Business registration, the tax form that applies (such as a W-9 for U.S. providers), the trade licenses required in the provider’s jurisdiction, any certifications the work requires and certificates of insurance.
How are work orders sent? Work orders arrive on the platform with the location, the problem, photos where available, the priority, access instructions and the not-to-exceed amount. Providers accept or decline each work order on the platform.
What happens if a job costs more than the approved amount? The provider stops at the approved limit and submits a proposal on the platform with photos and a breakdown of labor and materials. Work above the limit waits for the client’s designated approver.
What happens when an insurance certificate or license expires? A provider whose license or insurance is not current does not receive new work until the updated document is on file. Documents are requested again before they lapse.
Can providers outside the United States apply? Yes. Facility First serves markets worldwide and needs providers in every country on the Coverage page. Providers must hold the licenses and insurance that apply in their own country.
How do providers receive more work? Performance is reviewed over time, including timely arrival, first-visit completion, photo quality, return visits, invoice accuracy and current documents. Providers who meet the standard receive more work.
Sources
Learn More
- How It Works: each step of a request, from intake to close.
- Technology: the platform providers use for work orders, photos, proposals and invoices.
- Coverage: every market where providers are needed.
- Preventive Maintenance: recommended schedules by trade.
- Work Order Management: what every work order should record.