How to Prioritize Maintenance Work Orders

The ordering of which tasks to tackle first depends on how urgent and how critical the issue is. Generally speaking, maintenance crews will place a work order in one of the following categories:

• Emergencies – This is for both urgent and important repairs where there is a high risk to safety, health, or property. Examples include gas leaks, power outages, fires.
• Urgent – Tasks of lower importance that could become emergencies if left untended to, such as leaking roofs, broken air conditioners, clogged toilets.
• Preventative – Non-urgent tasks to keep the premises running efficiently. These can include regular inspections of equipment, cleaning of bathrooms, removing debris from gutters, etc.
• Low/Non-Critical – Cosmetic upkeep of the premises as well as standard day-to-day operations like trash removal, painting, weeding.