Understanding Building Maintenance Service Levels

Building Maintenance Services is responsible for maintaining the systems and infrastructure that keep campus buildings safe, functional and operational.

Like many organizations across higher education, UC Davis Facilities Management is facing staffing and budget challenges while supporting a growing and increasingly complex campus. We know the impacts are visible through delayed repairs, deferred maintenance and longer response times for some services.

To help organizations assess maintenance capacity, APPA (the Association of Physical Plant Administrators) developed industry standards that describe different levels of facilities service based on available staffing and resources.

Based on current staffing levels, UC Davis Building Maintenance Services operates between APPA Levels 3 and 4, with most services currently aligned with a Level 4 standard. This is not the level of service we aspire to provide. However, it reflects the reality of what can be sustained today while continuing to prioritize life safety, regulatory compliance and critical campus operations.

The information below explains what each APPA service level means and how it compares to current conditions on campus.

APPA Service Levels

• Level 1: Showpiece Facility

• Customer Service & Response Time:  
  The facilities organization is able to respond to virtually any type of service request with immediate response capability.
  
  Customer Satisfaction:  Customers take pride in their facilities and have a high level of confidence and trust in the facilities organization.
  
  Preventative Maintenance: 
  Preventive maintenance programs are fully funded and completed as scheduled, with 100% of recommended maintenance performed on time.
  
  Maintenance Mix: 
  All recommended preventive maintenance is scheduled and completed on time. Reactive maintenance is limited to unavoidable or economically justified situations. Emergencies, such as power outages, are infrequent and handled efficiently.
  
  Regulatory Compliance: 
  Highly trained staff and specialized contractors provide full compliance with all required and recommended OSHA, EPA and life-safety requirements, following industry best practices.

  An independent program with dedicated funding supports compliance efforts and has the authority to implement necessary changes. Required training programs are fully in place, records are comprehensive and well organized, and documentation consistently meets the expectations of third-party audits.

  A management system is established or actively being developed to track goals, measure performance, communicate progress and support continuous improvement across the organization.

• Level 2: Comprehensive Stewardship

• Customer Service & Response Time:  
  Most service requests are addressed within a week or less, including some non-maintenance support activities.
  
  Customer Satisfaction:
  Customers are generally satisfied with facilities services and often express appreciation for the work of facilities staff.
  
  Preventative Maintenance: 
  Between 75% and 100% of recommended preventive maintenance activities are completed on schedule.
  
  Maintenance Mix: 
  A well-developed preventive maintenance program is in place, though some maintenance activities may occur less frequently than recommended.

  While preventive maintenance remains a priority, equipment failures and aging systems generate a significant amount of reactive work. Building occupants may notice issues such as burned-out lights, equipment breakdowns or occasional service interruptions. Emergencies, including pump failures or cooling system outages, occur periodically but are managed effectively.
  
  Regulatory Compliance: 
  The organization maintains a strong awareness of OSHA, EPA and life-safety requirements and actively promotes compliance across the campus community.

  Trained staff and specialized contractors provide full compliance with required and recommended OSHA, EPA and life-safety standards. Dedicated funding supports compliance programs, training and ongoing program development.

  Required training programs are fully implemented, and records are well organized and sufficient to successfully meet routine third-party audits.

• Level 3: Managed Care

• Customer Service & Response Time:  
  Most service requests can be addressed within one month, though meeting these response times often requires reducing preventive maintenance and other planned work.
  
  Customer Satisfaction:
  Building occupants have become accustomed to a basic level of facilities care and are generally able to carry out their teaching, research and operational activities. However, there is limited pride in the physical environment, and facility conditions may be viewed as adequate rather than exceptional.
  
  Preventative Maintenance: 
  Between 50% and 75% of recommended preventive maintenance activities are completed on schedule.
  
  Maintenance Mix: 
  Reactive maintenance becomes the dominant form of work as systems age and failures increase. Preventive maintenance is performed when time and staffing allow rather than according to an ideal schedule.

  Building occupants may experience more frequent equipment failures, service interruptions and deferred repairs. Seasonal demands, such as extreme heat or cold, often strain resources and contribute to additional system failures. Emergencies—including pump failures, heating outages and cooling system breakdowns—occur regularly enough to require management attention and reporting to senior leadership.
  
  Regulatory Compliance: 
  The organization maintains a general awareness of OSHA, EPA and life-safety requirements, along with its institutional compliance responsibilities.

  Routine compliance requirements are met through available staff time and contracted services. Funding for compliance programs exists but is typically incorporated within departmental budgets rather than supported through dedicated resources.

  Training programs, records and documentation are sufficient to meet audit and inspection requirements, though compliance efforts are primarily focused on maintaining minimum standards rather than advancing best practices.

• CURRENT UC DAVIS LEVEL
  Level 4: Reactive Maintenance

• Customer Service & Response Time:  
  Most service requests can be addressed within one year, though response times are often extended because available resources are focused on higher-priority needs and emergency repairs.
  
  Customer Satisfaction:
  Building occupants are often frustrated by response times, deferred maintenance and facility conditions. Concerns about service levels, costs and the ability to address non-critical issues are common.
  
  Preventative Maintenance: 
  Between 25% and 50% of recommended preventive maintenance activities are completed on schedule.
  
  Maintenance Mix: 
  Staff time is primarily devoted to responding to equipment failures, service disruptions and systems that are no longer performing as intended. Emergency repairs and urgent operational needs consume a significant portion of available resources.

  Preventive maintenance is limited to basic activities and is performed inconsistently as staffing and workload permit. As a result, equipment failures, deferred maintenance and repair backlogs become increasingly common. Staff also spend considerable time procuring parts, coordinating repairs and addressing unexpected failures.
  
  Regulatory Compliance: 
  The organization maintains limited awareness of OSHA, EPA and life-safety requirements and primarily addresses compliance issues as they arise.

  Compliance efforts rely on part-time staff responsibilities and contracted services rather than dedicated programs or personnel. Funding for compliance activities is generally embedded within departmental budgets rather than specifically allocated.

  Some OSHA, EPA and life-safety programs are in place, but training and documentation may be limited, with efforts focused on addressing immediate compliance needs rather than maintaining comprehensive programs.

• Level 5: Unkempt Neglect—Crisis

• Customer Service & Response Time:  
  Facilities services are generally unavailable except for emergencies or issues specifically directed by senior leadership. Most routine maintenance and service requests go unaddressed.
  
  Customer Satisfaction:
  Facilities services are generally unavailable except for emergencies or issues specifically directed by senior leadership. Most routine maintenance and service requests go unaddressed.
  
  Preventative Maintenance: 
  No recommended preventive maintenance activities are completed on schedule.
  
  Maintenance Mix: 
  Preventive maintenance has effectively ceased because available resources are consumed by emergencies and critical system failures.

  Facilities operations are almost entirely reactive, with staff responding to frequent breakdowns and service disruptions. Common issues include failing HVAC systems, malfunctioning doors, equipment outages and other problems that directly affect building operations.

  While emergency response capabilities may remain strong due to frequent experience managing failures, the organization lacks the capacity to address underlying causes. Deferred maintenance continues to grow, and recurring problems become the norm. Reporting and planning efforts provide little value because resources are insufficient to address identified needs.
  
  Regulatory Compliance: 
  The organization has limited or no formal capacity to proactively manage OSHA, EPA or life-safety requirements.

  Responsibility for compliance is often assigned as a secondary duty without adequate training, staffing or dedicated resources. Compliance efforts focus primarily on addressing immediate violations or avoiding penalties rather than maintaining comprehensive programs. Training, documentation and oversight are minimal, increasing organizational risk.