Picking a commercial property maintenance company is one of those decisions that's easy to get wrong and expensive to fix. The cheapest quote often costs the most once you factor in missed jobs, no-shows and a contractor who can't actually cover everything you need.
We are one, so we know exactly what to look for and what the red flags are. Here are the questions that genuinely matter.
Key takeaway
Quick answer: what to look for
Check five things before committing to a commercial property maintenance company: accreditation (CHAS or equivalent), proper insurance (public liability, ideally £10M), realistic response times with out-of-hours cover, whether the work is done in house or subcontracted in layers, and whether they can genuinely cover the full range you need under one point of contact. The cheapest quote is rarely the best value.
1. Accreditation and Compliance
For commercial work, accreditation isn't a nice-to-have. CHAS accreditation (or an equivalent SSIP scheme) shows a contractor meets recognised health and safety standards, which matters for your own due diligence and insurance. Ask to see it, and ask whether they issue RAMS (risk assessments and method statements) on jobs.
2. Insurance
Anyone working on your premises should carry public liability insurance. For commercial sites, £10M cover is a sensible benchmark. If a contractor can't produce a current certificate quickly, that tells you something. You don't want to discover a gap after something's gone wrong on your property.
3. Response Times and Cover
Reactive issues don't wait for office hours. Ask what their response time is for a callout, whether they offer out-of-hours cover, and how they prioritise genuine emergencies. A contractor who already knows your building will always respond faster than one you have to brief from scratch.
4. In-House vs Subcontracted
Some maintenance companies are really just brokers, subcontracting every job out and adding a margin. That's not always bad, but it can mean slower response, inconsistent standards and finger-pointing when something goes wrong. A contractor with an in-house team for core trades, and a trusted network only for specialist certificate work, gives you accountability and consistency.
5. Range and Single Point of Contact
The whole point of a commercial property maintenance company is to stop you juggling suppliers. Check they can genuinely cover the range you need, repairs, cleaning, grounds, decorating, compliance, and that you get one point of contact and one invoice. If you still end up managing three firms, you haven't really outsourced anything.
Worked example: comparing two quotes
A Lincoln business got two quotes for ongoing maintenance. One was 15 percent cheaper but had no CHAS accreditation, subcontracted everything, and couldn't cover cleaning or grounds. The other was LWR Group: CHAS accredited, £10M insured, in-house team across trades plus cleaning and grounds, one invoice. They chose the second. The slightly higher rate bought accountability, faster response, and one less thing to manage.
Key takeaway
One accredited contractor for the lot
LWR Group is a CHAS accredited, £10M insured commercial property maintenance company in Lincoln. We run an in-house team across repairs, cleaning, grounds, decorating and more, with a trusted network for specialist certificates, all under one point of contact and one invoice across Lincoln and Lincolnshire.
See commercial property maintenanceLWR Group
Property Services · Lincoln & Lincolnshire
