What a facility maintenance company does
A facility maintenance company sits between a business and the trades that keep its buildings running. Instead of a store manager calling a plumber, an electrician and a roofer separately, every request goes to one place. The company:
- Receives service requests from each location
- Confirms the scope, priority and any warranty
- Dispatches a vetted, licensed and insured provider for the trade
- Tracks the job until it is complete and documented
- Checks the work and invoices it in one format
- Runs preventive maintenance on a schedule so fewer emergencies happen
Self-performing companies and managed-network companies
There are two common models.
- Self-performing companies employ their own technicians for some or all trades. They control the labor directly but usually cover a narrower set of trades or regions.
- Managed-network companies coordinate vetted local providers in each market. They can cover more trades and more locations, and the quality depends on how carefully providers are chosen and managed.
Facility First uses the managed-network model, with every provider vetted for licensing and insurance, every job documented with photos, and one standard applied in every market.
What to check before choosing a facility maintenance company
- Coverage. Does the company serve every market where you have locations, including smaller cities and locations outside the United States?
- Trades. Does it manage every trade you need, or only the most common ones?
- Provider vetting. How are providers checked for licenses and insurance, and how often is that rechecked?
- Approval limits. Can you set a not-to-exceed amount so routine work proceeds and larger work is quoted first?
- Documentation. Is every job closed out with photos and notes you can see?
- Invoicing. Is every location invoiced in the same format?
- Preventive maintenance. Can scheduled maintenance run alongside repair calls?
- Security. Can the same partner protect a site during repairs or after a break-in?
Why multi-site businesses choose Facility First
- Every trade on one program: 44 trades from HVAC and plumbing to EV charging and parking lot striping
- The same markets McCray serves worldwide, with one request process everywhere
- Vetted providers with the licenses and insurance the work requires
- Photos and notes on every job
- Approval limits set by the client
- One invoice format across every market
- Security through McCray Global Protection when a site needs it
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between facility management and facility maintenance?
Facility maintenance is the repair and upkeep of buildings and equipment. Facility management is broader and can include space planning, leases, security and workplace services. Facility First focuses on maintenance and repairs, with security available through McCray.
Do national facility maintenance companies use their own technicians?
Some do and some coordinate local providers. Many use a mix. Ask which trades are self-performed and which are subcontracted, and how subcontractors are vetted.
How is a facility maintenance program priced?
Programs are usually priced per job, per location or as a managed fee plus the cost of the work. Facility First quotes each program after reviewing the locations and the trades involved.
Can a facility maintenance company handle locations in other countries?
Facility First can. It runs the same program in the markets McCray serves worldwide, through vetted local providers.
Note
This page does not name or compare competitors. Keep it that way: naming competitors invites legal risk and adds nothing a buyer needs.