Planned Preventative Maintenance
Reactive maintenance is the most expensive way to look after a building. A planned preventative maintenance schedule replaces surprise section 20 bills and emergency call-outs with a costed, dated programme that can be funded gradually through the service charge or an asset budget.
Get a PPM schedule quote
Tell us the building type, size, age and how it is currently maintained. We'll quote for a survey and a costed schedule.
What a PPM schedule actually is
A planned preventative maintenance schedule is a condition survey turned into a forward programme. A surveyor inspects every element of the building, records its condition and remaining life, then sets out when each element needs attention and what it will cost at today's prices.
The output is a spreadsheet you can budget from: year, element, work required, indicative cost, and priority. It is the document that lets you tell leaseholders or an asset committee what the next decade costs before it arrives.
Typical cycles by element
| Element | Typical cycle | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| External redecoration | 5–7 years | Often specified in the lease; the classic section 20 trigger |
| Internal common parts decoration | 5–8 years | Cheaper to keep on cycle than to restore |
| Flat roof covering | 15–25 years | Annual inspection, patch repairs in between |
| Pitched roof and rainwater goods | Annual clearance | Blocked gutters cause most damp claims |
| Lift refurbishment | 15–20 years | Plus statutory LOLER inspections every 6 months |
| Fire alarm and emergency lighting | Monthly / annual testing | Servicing under BS 5839 and BS 5266 |
| Boiler / communal plant | Annual service, 15–20 year replacement | Include a sinking fund line |
| Windows and external doors | 20–30 years | Phase by elevation to spread cost |
| Car park, paths and drainage | 10–15 years | Trip hazards are a live liability |
Funding it: reserve fund versus one-off levy
Most leases allow a reserve (sinking) fund. A PPM schedule is what makes that fund defensible — you can show leaseholders exactly which future works the contributions are for, which is far easier to justify than an unexplained annual figure.
The alternative is a one-off levy when the roof fails, which arrives with a section 20 consultation, an unhappy block, and a real risk of arrears. On a 20-flat block, a £120,000 roof funded over ten years is roughly £600 per flat per year; funded as a levy it is £6,000 in one demand.
Commercial and mixed-use portfolios
For commercial landlords, PPM does two additional jobs. It protects the asset's value at rent review and sale, and it provides the evidence base for recovering costs through the commercial service charge under the RICS professional statement.
It also feeds directly into dilapidations strategy: a documented maintenance programme is the strongest defence against an inflated terminal schedule from a tenant's surveyor, and the strongest evidence when you are the one serving it.
What we deliver
- Full condition survey of structure, envelope, common parts, plant and external areas
- Costed 5, 10 and 20-year schedules at current prices with an inflation assumption stated
- Statutory and compliance testing calendar mapped alongside the capital programme
- Reserve fund modelling with a recommended annual contribution per unit
- Section 20 consultation planned in advance of each qualifying item, not after
- Annual review and re-baselining so the schedule stays live rather than filed
- Delivery through vetted contractors with tendered pricing on every qualifying job
Frequently asked questions
What does PPM stand for in property?
Planned preventative maintenance — a scheduled programme of inspection, servicing and renewal designed to keep building elements in serviceable condition and prevent failures, as opposed to reactive maintenance carried out after something breaks.
How often should a PPM schedule be reviewed?
Annually. Costs move, works get deferred or brought forward, and a schedule that is not re-baselined each year stops being a budgeting tool within about two years.
Can PPM costs be recovered through the service charge?
The maintenance works themselves generally can, subject to the lease and to reasonableness. Reserve fund contributions can be collected where the lease permits them. Section 20 consultation still applies to any qualifying works, so plan the consultation into the schedule.
What is the difference between PPM and a condition survey?
A condition survey is a snapshot of the building's current state. A PPM schedule takes that snapshot and converts it into a dated, costed forward programme you can budget and consult on.