Introduction
Maintenance costs can account for up to 30% of a building's operating expenses. Yet, they are often endured rather than controlled. With a proactive, digital, and structured strategy, it's possible to significantly reduce these expenses while increasing performance and the lifespan of installations.
In this article, discover the levers for optimizing maintenance costs in real estate, essential tools, and key indicators to track.
Why optimize maintenance costs?
- Reduce operational costs
Reactive (corrective) maintenance costs 3 to 5 times more than preventive or predictive maintenance.
➡️ Source: INRS – Hidden costs of corrective maintenance - Extend equipment lifespan
A regular maintenance plan postpones costly renewal of technical systems (HVAC, elevators, lighting, etc.). - Improve installation availability
Fewer breakdowns = more service continuity, fewer interruptions for occupants or tenants. - Strengthen regulatory compliance
Well-maintained equipment makes it easier to comply with safety and hygiene standards.
Levers to optimize your maintenance costs
1. Conduct a technical and budget audit
A maintenance audit helps identify:
- Underperforming equipment
- Highest expense items
- Redundant or poorly planned interventions
➡️ Example of a building audit approach by ADEME
2. Implement a preventive maintenance plan
Adopt a multi-year maintenance plan based on:
- Equipment life cycles
- Manufacturer recommendations
- Legal obligations
🎯 Goal: avoid unexpected breakdowns while smoothing expenses over time.
➡️ Example of a multi-year plan at economie.gouv.ca
3. Use a CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System)
CMMS centralizes all maintenance data:
- Intervention history
- Provider contracts
- Automatic alerts
- Performance reports (MTTR, MTBF)
It facilitates overall management and supports predictive analysis based on field data.
4. Integrate IoT sensors and BMS
Connected objects and Building Management Systems (BMS) enable smart management:
- Real-time consumption monitoring
- Automatic fault detection
- Dynamic scheduling of interventions
5. Pool and renegotiate provider contracts
- Review performance clauses in contracts (SLA)
- Group several sites to obtain volume discounts
- Include result objectives in contracts (shared gain)
Key indicators to track
| KPI | Description |
|---|---|
| MTBF | Mean Time Between Failures – failure frequency |
| MTTR | Mean Time To Repair – intervention speed |
| Preventive maintenance rate | Share of planned interventions |
| Total maintenance cost / m² | Benchmark ratio between buildings |
| Budget vs. actual | Expense variance tracking |
➡️ Maintenance indicator guide at Techniques de l’ingénieur
Additional best practices
- Create a digital health record for each piece of equipment
- Involve internal teams in reporting anomalies
- Schedule interventions during off-peak periods
- Regularly evaluate provider performance
Conclusion
Optimizing maintenance costs is a profitable, sustainable, and strategic approach. By combining digital tools, anticipation, smart contracting, and performance tracking, real estate managers can gain efficiency, reduce costs, and improve occupant satisfaction.