What Is Planned Preventative Maintenance and Why Is It Important for Buildings?

What Is Planned Preventative Maintenance?

PPM, or planned preventive maintenance, is essentially a proactive, scheduled approach to maintaining your building and its assets. Things like your HVAC systems, electrical infrastructure, fire systems, lifts, roofs, plumbing, you name it. Instead of leaving them all alone and waiting for something to break (and then dealing with the drama, downtime and expensive emergency invoices that come with it), you schedule in regular maintenance. Inspections, testing, servicing and repairs, all done at set intervals, before anything has gone wrong. It’s the difference between replacing a £20 filter now, or replacing a full £20,000 air handling unit 6 months later. It really is as simple as that.

But there are a few more reasons a proactive approach can save you money.

How Does Planned Preventative Maintenance Help Identify Building Issues Early?

One of the biggest advantages of PPM is that it allows you to spot problems before they become problems. After all, most major system failures don’t happen out of nowhere. Boilers give warning signs. Roof membranes start to deteriorate long before they leak. Pumps sound different before they give out. If you can catch things like that in the early stages, the cost to fix them is usually much cheaper.

But if you miss the warning signs? It’s emergency callouts, new parts with premium shipping to reduce downtime, possible damage to the premises. There might even be legal compliance issues depending on what’s failed and when. Of course, it’s easy to say that, so let’s look at an example.

Say there’s a small refrigerant leak in your HVAC system. If you’re inspecting the system regularly, then you can catch that leak while it’s still small, and your repair cost might be a few hundred pounds. Left undetected, that same leak can damage the compressor, which eventually gives out and costs you thousands to replace, not to mention the damage it could cause to the surrounding finishes, building fabric and more.

PPM buys you time, and time is money.

How Does Planned Preventative Maintenance Extend the Life of Building Assets?

Every single mechanical and electrical asset in your building has a predicted lifespan. But that lifespan isn’t based on installing it and then leaving it alone – it’s based on proper maintenance. In that way, owning buildings is a bit like owning a car. If you never change the oil, you can’t really complain when the engine fails. Buildings are really no different.

Regular servicing is what keeps your equipment performing smoothly and efficiently, and prevents wear and tear from building up too quickly. And when your assets last longer, you can delay replacing them (which is always a positive, since replacing them can cost a small fortune).

For example, a commercial boiler can last 10-15 years. With proper maintenance, that same boiler’s lifespan can be stretched to 20-25 years. That extra decade could easily save you tens of thousands of pounds.

PPM keeps your assets operating at optimum, directly protecting your investment.

How Does Planned Preventative Maintenance Reduce Repair Costs?

If you’ve ever had that ‘oh no, something just broke’ moment, you know just how expensive reactive maintenance can cost. Those unscheduled repairs come with premium callout fees, out of hours charges, and the cost of having to fix things under pressure with limited options.

PPM essentially flips this on its head, so you’re planning instead of reacting.

Instead of sudden big expenses, you know what work is coming up and you can budget for it. You can make plans around any downtime requirements, and you have time to source replacement parts at reasonable prices. And most importantly, you avoid those 2am callouts and the invoices that you never want to deal with.

Multiple studies have been done across facilities management on this, and they all show that PPM costs significantly less over the life cycle of a building than reactive maintenance alone, simply because you’re controlling the environment rather than it controlling you.

How Does Planned Preventative Maintenance Improve Budget Forecasting?

While we’re talking about costs, we have to mention the fact that financial predictability is massively underrated. With a PPM approach, you will know:

All of which allows you to build accurate capital and operational expenditure forecasts, prepare for major costs and avoid any nasty surprises. For landlords and block managers, it improves service charge transparency. For tenants it prevents operational disruptions, and for portfolio owners it helps maintain consistent financial performance. Because predictable performance is cheaper than unpredictable spending.

And remember, a good PPM isn’t a fire and forget process, its an active document that should be used and updated adding accurate cost information and balancing works to aid cashflow.

Can Planned Preventative Maintenance Improve Energy Efficiency?

Planned preventive maintenance isn’t just about preventing failures though. It’s also about how your assets perform. Equipment that’s well-maintained runs much more efficiently than equipment that isn’t. Pumps run smoother, HVAC systems don’t overwork, lighting systems don’t flicker or drain too much power from the circuit. Over time, this translates to a real, measurable reduction in your energy bills.

All of that may seem small, but it does add up. For example, a clogged filter or poorly calibrated sensor might not be seen as a major issue. But they can force the whole system to work harder to make up for the deficit, overworking it. Every single day it’s working too hard, the equipment is wearing out faster and taking up more energy to do it. Which leads to higher running costs. PPM means you replace that filter before it gets clogged and recalibrate that sensor quickly, lowering your running costs.

How Does Planned Preventative Maintenance Help You Stay Legally Compliant?

All of that is great, but don’t forget that there are strict statutory requirements for certain building systems. Fire alarms, emergency lighting, gas installations, lifts and more all have to meet certain levels of operation. Failing to maintain them can leave your business open to fines, legal liabilities or even insurance claims being rejected if something does happen.

Planning in your maintenance ensures that these systems stay compliant, your records are up to date, and nothing is left to chance. So lower risk of downtime and compliance failures. And trust us, the cost of non-compliance is almost always higher than the cost of keeping things up to standard.

How Does Planned Preventative Maintenance Increase Property Value and Tenant Satisfaction?

For landlords and property owners who want to either preserve or increase their asset value, PPM is an essential piece of the puzzle. A well-maintained building:

On top of that, tenants notice when a building is being actively cared for. They’re much less likely to raise complaints, they experience fewer disruptions, and overall, they’re more satisfied. All of which translates into longer leases and a more stable income for building owners, and better performance of the entire building.

How Does Planned Preventative Maintenance Help Prevent Operational Disruption?

No one likes unexpected equipment failures. Not least because they cause unexpected downtime, and downtime always has a cost. Maybe its staff being unable to work because the building is too hot or cold. It might be customers being turned away because the doors won’t open. Or it could be entire floors being shut down because of a leak, leaving dozens or even hundreds of people unable to work. Planned preventive maintenance significantly reduces the likelihood that these disruptions will happen, protecting productivity revenue and operational continuity.

As you can see, there are just a few benefits to taking a proactive approach to maintenance! It’s not just about knowing what’s going to happen and when. By planning and undertaking preventive maintenance you can avoid major failures, extend the lifespan of your assets, make sure you’re compliant and reduce the number of expensive emergency callouts you need to pay for. While PPM is a cost, it’s also much more than that. It’s a strategic investment, and when it’s done properly it pays for itself many times over.

If you’d like to know more about planned preventive maintenance, or if you need some support, please feel free to get in touch with our team, and we would be happy to help.

For more expert advice on surveying and property matters, check out our range of informative videos on our website or YouTube channel. Harrison Clarke Chartered Surveyors is here to guide you every step of the way!

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