A free checklist organized by building system, from the daily walk to the annual contractor visit, plus how to run it the same way at every location.
One location changed its HVAC filters in March. Another hasn’t touched them since opening day. From HQ, there’s no way to tell which is which until a unit fails in July.
That’s the problem a facility maintenance checklist solves, and it gets bigger with every site you add. Below is a checklist organized by building system, with every task tagged by how often it runs. After it, you’ll find how to keep one checklist running the same way across all your locations.
Key takeaways
Organize the checklist by building system so nothing falls between departments.
Tag every task with how often it runs: daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually.
Assign tasks to roles, not names, so turnover doesn’t break the schedule.
Turn every flagged item into a tracked repair with an owner and a due date.
Why a checklist matters more once you have more than one site
At one location, the maintenance calendar often lives in a good manager’s head. At 20 locations, it lives in 20 heads, and some of those managers started last month.
A written checklist gives every site the same starting point. It also pays for itself. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Operations and Maintenance Best Practices Guide estimates that a preventive program saves 12% to 18% compared with a purely reactive one.
Here’s what that looks like in dollars. Say a location spends $20,000 a year on maintenance and repairs (an illustration, not a benchmark). Twelve to 18 percent is $2,400 to $3,600 a year at that one site. Across 25 locations, it’s $60,000 to $90,000.
The facility maintenance checklist, by building system
Each system below has its own cadence grid. Not every system needs a task at every interval, so some rows are left out. Use this list for coverage, and follow each manufacturer’s manual and your local codes for exact intervals.
HVAC and mechanical
How often | Tasks |
|---|---|
Daily | Check temperature in customer areas. Listen and smell for anything unusual near units. |
Monthly | Check filters (more often in high-dust, high-traffic spaces like gym floors). Check belts and condensate drains. |
Quarterly | Clean coils and drain pans. |
Twice a year | Contractor service before the heating season and before the cooling season. |
Annually | Full inspection and refrigerant check by a licensed technician. |
Plumbing and water
How often | Tasks |
|---|---|
Daily | Walk restrooms and locker rooms for leaks, running fixtures and slow drains. |
Weekly | Check water heater temperature and look for visible leaks. Run water into floor drains that rarely get used. |
Quarterly | Exercise main and fixture shutoff valves so they turn when you need them. |
Annually | Flush the water heater. Schedule backflow testing where your local water authority requires it. |
Car washes: add water reclaim filters, spot-free rinse systems and chemical dispensers to this section, on the schedule in each manufacturer’s manual.
Electrical and lighting
How often | Tasks |
|---|---|
Daily | Replace burned-out lights in customer areas. Check exterior and parking lot lighting at dusk. |
Monthly | Press-to-test emergency lights and exit signs. Keep electrical panels clear and the breaker directory readable. |
Annually | Full-duration emergency lighting test as your local fire code requires. Electrician walk-through of panels. |
Fire and life safety
How often | Tasks |
|---|---|
Daily | Exit routes and exit doors clear and unlocked during open hours. |
Monthly | Visually inspect portable fire extinguishers, as OSHA 1910.157 requires. Test any smoke and CO detectors the location maintains itself. |
Annually | Extinguisher maintenance check (also required under OSHA 1910.157). Sprinkler and alarm inspection by a licensed contractor on the schedule your local fire authority sets. |
Exterior and grounds
How often | Tasks |
|---|---|
Daily | Pick up trash and debris. Confirm signage is lit. |
Weekly | Check sidewalks and entries for trip hazards. Landscaping upkeep. |
Monthly | Clear gutters and downspouts. Look over the roof from the access point. |
Quarterly | Check the parking lot for potholes and faded striping. |
Annually | Roof inspection by a contractor. Snow and ice plan in place before the first storm. |
Interior, equipment and security
How often | Tasks |
|---|---|
Daily | Opening walk of equipment. Floors and entry mats. Doors and locks. |
Weekly | Clean equipment on the manufacturer’s schedule. |
Monthly | Check door hardware. Test cameras and the alarm system. |
Quarterly | Equipment preventive maintenance per each manufacturer’s manual. |
Gyms: add treadmill belts and decks, cable machines, locker rooms, and the pool or spa if you have one. Car washes: add the tunnel conveyor, brushes, dryers and vacuums.
One rule for the whole list: for any specific machine, the manufacturer’s manual wins. Use this checklist to make sure nothing is missing, and the manual to set the interval.
What can’t slip, and what can wait a week
When a location is short-staffed, not every task carries the same risk. Split the list into two tiers.
Every cycle, no matter who’s on shift: life safety items like exits, extinguishers and emergency lighting, plus anything that stops revenue when it fails. That’s the tunnel at a car wash, the cardio floor at a gym, and HVAC in July anywhere.
Can move a week when you need it to: cosmetic and slow-wear items like finishes, landscaping and striping.
Where exactly that line sits is your call. The point is to decide it ahead of time, so a busy week doesn’t decide it for you.
How to run one checklist across every location
Keep one master version. Use the same core list at every site, and add rows where a location is different (a pool, a second restroom, a reclaim system) instead of starting a new document for each one.
Assign by role. “The location manager runs the daily walk, the facility manager owns monthly checks, the HVAC vendor owns the twice-a-year service.” When someone leaves, the role stays and the schedule keeps running.
Split the work by level. Location staff handle daily and weekly items. A facility or district manager handles monthly and quarterly items. Licensed vendors handle the annual work.
Close the loop on every flag. Each flagged item needs four things: what and where, a photo, an owner and a due date. A flag that never becomes a tracked repair is just a note, and notes pile up. (If yours already have, start with clearing the maintenance backlog.)
Review every site once a month. Look at which locations finished their checklists and which didn’t. You’re looking for the location that’s quietly falling behind before it shows up as a breakdown.
How Woven runs this checklist at every location
A PDF checklist can’t tell you whether anyone used it. Woven turns the same checklist into something you can see from HQ.
The walkthrough. With Woven’s Location Audit, every location works from one published audit template. Questions can be scored, a photo can be required when an answer isn’t the one you want, and a section can repeat for each area of a site, so a location with two restrooms gets two restroom checks. A failed item can become a work order on the spot.
The recurring service. With Preventative Maintenance, you set each task’s schedule once, by calendar, by elapsed time or by metered usage. Woven creates the work order when it’s due, assigns it to a position and attaches the checklist. Each location’s PM Health card shows its compliance and what’s coming up next.
Both feed directly into work orders, and you can require proof of completion before any job is closed. Woven’s Facilities module also comes with hands-on onboarding from our Customer Success team, so your locations are up and running without the usual implementation headaches.
Comparing tools? See our guide to the best work order software for multi-location operations.
Frequently asked questions
What should a facility maintenance checklist include?
Every building system you’re responsible for: HVAC, plumbing, electrical and lighting, fire and life safety, exterior and grounds, and interior equipment. Each task should say how often it runs and who owns it.
How often should facility maintenance be done?
It depends on the task. Walkthroughs of customer areas happen daily, filter and safety checks monthly, coil cleaning and equipment PM quarterly, and contractor inspections once or twice a year. The manufacturer’s manual and local codes set the exact intervals.
How do you keep a maintenance checklist consistent across multiple locations?
Use one master checklist with site-specific additions, assign tasks to roles, and review completion across all locations every month.
What’s the difference between a facility maintenance checklist and a preventive maintenance schedule?
The checklist is the list of what to inspect and maintain. The preventive maintenance schedule is when each of those tasks happens and who does it. Most teams keep both in the same place.
What do teams most often miss?
Floor drains that rarely get used, emergency lighting tests, roofs and gutters, and any task that has no clear owner.
Do I still need a checklist if I use maintenance software?
Yes. The software runs the checklist and tracks it. You still decide what goes on it.
Want to see this checklist running at every location? Book a demo.
A free checklist organized by building system, from the daily walk to the annual contractor visit, plus how to run it the same way at every location.
One location changed its HVAC filters in March. Another hasn’t touched them since opening day. From HQ, there’s no way to tell which is which until a unit fails in July.
That’s the problem a facility maintenance checklist solves, and it gets bigger with every site you add. Below is a checklist organized by building system, with every task tagged by how often it runs. After it, you’ll find how to keep one checklist running the same way across all your locations.
Key takeaways
Organize the checklist by building system so nothing falls between departments.
Tag every task with how often it runs: daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually.
Assign tasks to roles, not names, so turnover doesn’t break the schedule.
Turn every flagged item into a tracked repair with an owner and a due date.
Why a checklist matters more once you have more than one site
At one location, the maintenance calendar often lives in a good manager’s head. At 20 locations, it lives in 20 heads, and some of those managers started last month.
A written checklist gives every site the same starting point. It also pays for itself. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Operations and Maintenance Best Practices Guide estimates that a preventive program saves 12% to 18% compared with a purely reactive one.
Here’s what that looks like in dollars. Say a location spends $20,000 a year on maintenance and repairs (an illustration, not a benchmark). Twelve to 18 percent is $2,400 to $3,600 a year at that one site. Across 25 locations, it’s $60,000 to $90,000.
The facility maintenance checklist, by building system
Each system below has its own cadence grid. Not every system needs a task at every interval, so some rows are left out. Use this list for coverage, and follow each manufacturer’s manual and your local codes for exact intervals.
HVAC and mechanical
How often | Tasks |
|---|---|
Daily | Check temperature in customer areas. Listen and smell for anything unusual near units. |
Monthly | Check filters (more often in high-dust, high-traffic spaces like gym floors). Check belts and condensate drains. |
Quarterly | Clean coils and drain pans. |
Twice a year | Contractor service before the heating season and before the cooling season. |
Annually | Full inspection and refrigerant check by a licensed technician. |
Plumbing and water
How often | Tasks |
|---|---|
Daily | Walk restrooms and locker rooms for leaks, running fixtures and slow drains. |
Weekly | Check water heater temperature and look for visible leaks. Run water into floor drains that rarely get used. |
Quarterly | Exercise main and fixture shutoff valves so they turn when you need them. |
Annually | Flush the water heater. Schedule backflow testing where your local water authority requires it. |
Car washes: add water reclaim filters, spot-free rinse systems and chemical dispensers to this section, on the schedule in each manufacturer’s manual.
Electrical and lighting
How often | Tasks |
|---|---|
Daily | Replace burned-out lights in customer areas. Check exterior and parking lot lighting at dusk. |
Monthly | Press-to-test emergency lights and exit signs. Keep electrical panels clear and the breaker directory readable. |
Annually | Full-duration emergency lighting test as your local fire code requires. Electrician walk-through of panels. |
Fire and life safety
How often | Tasks |
|---|---|
Daily | Exit routes and exit doors clear and unlocked during open hours. |
Monthly | Visually inspect portable fire extinguishers, as OSHA 1910.157 requires. Test any smoke and CO detectors the location maintains itself. |
Annually | Extinguisher maintenance check (also required under OSHA 1910.157). Sprinkler and alarm inspection by a licensed contractor on the schedule your local fire authority sets. |
Exterior and grounds
How often | Tasks |
|---|---|
Daily | Pick up trash and debris. Confirm signage is lit. |
Weekly | Check sidewalks and entries for trip hazards. Landscaping upkeep. |
Monthly | Clear gutters and downspouts. Look over the roof from the access point. |
Quarterly | Check the parking lot for potholes and faded striping. |
Annually | Roof inspection by a contractor. Snow and ice plan in place before the first storm. |
Interior, equipment and security
How often | Tasks |
|---|---|
Daily | Opening walk of equipment. Floors and entry mats. Doors and locks. |
Weekly | Clean equipment on the manufacturer’s schedule. |
Monthly | Check door hardware. Test cameras and the alarm system. |
Quarterly | Equipment preventive maintenance per each manufacturer’s manual. |
Gyms: add treadmill belts and decks, cable machines, locker rooms, and the pool or spa if you have one. Car washes: add the tunnel conveyor, brushes, dryers and vacuums.
One rule for the whole list: for any specific machine, the manufacturer’s manual wins. Use this checklist to make sure nothing is missing, and the manual to set the interval.
What can’t slip, and what can wait a week
When a location is short-staffed, not every task carries the same risk. Split the list into two tiers.
Every cycle, no matter who’s on shift: life safety items like exits, extinguishers and emergency lighting, plus anything that stops revenue when it fails. That’s the tunnel at a car wash, the cardio floor at a gym, and HVAC in July anywhere.
Can move a week when you need it to: cosmetic and slow-wear items like finishes, landscaping and striping.
Where exactly that line sits is your call. The point is to decide it ahead of time, so a busy week doesn’t decide it for you.
How to run one checklist across every location
Keep one master version. Use the same core list at every site, and add rows where a location is different (a pool, a second restroom, a reclaim system) instead of starting a new document for each one.
Assign by role. “The location manager runs the daily walk, the facility manager owns monthly checks, the HVAC vendor owns the twice-a-year service.” When someone leaves, the role stays and the schedule keeps running.
Split the work by level. Location staff handle daily and weekly items. A facility or district manager handles monthly and quarterly items. Licensed vendors handle the annual work.
Close the loop on every flag. Each flagged item needs four things: what and where, a photo, an owner and a due date. A flag that never becomes a tracked repair is just a note, and notes pile up. (If yours already have, start with clearing the maintenance backlog.)
Review every site once a month. Look at which locations finished their checklists and which didn’t. You’re looking for the location that’s quietly falling behind before it shows up as a breakdown.
How Woven runs this checklist at every location
A PDF checklist can’t tell you whether anyone used it. Woven turns the same checklist into something you can see from HQ.
The walkthrough. With Woven’s Location Audit, every location works from one published audit template. Questions can be scored, a photo can be required when an answer isn’t the one you want, and a section can repeat for each area of a site, so a location with two restrooms gets two restroom checks. A failed item can become a work order on the spot.
The recurring service. With Preventative Maintenance, you set each task’s schedule once, by calendar, by elapsed time or by metered usage. Woven creates the work order when it’s due, assigns it to a position and attaches the checklist. Each location’s PM Health card shows its compliance and what’s coming up next.
Both feed directly into work orders, and you can require proof of completion before any job is closed. Woven’s Facilities module also comes with hands-on onboarding from our Customer Success team, so your locations are up and running without the usual implementation headaches.
Comparing tools? See our guide to the best work order software for multi-location operations.
Frequently asked questions
What should a facility maintenance checklist include?
Every building system you’re responsible for: HVAC, plumbing, electrical and lighting, fire and life safety, exterior and grounds, and interior equipment. Each task should say how often it runs and who owns it.
How often should facility maintenance be done?
It depends on the task. Walkthroughs of customer areas happen daily, filter and safety checks monthly, coil cleaning and equipment PM quarterly, and contractor inspections once or twice a year. The manufacturer’s manual and local codes set the exact intervals.
How do you keep a maintenance checklist consistent across multiple locations?
Use one master checklist with site-specific additions, assign tasks to roles, and review completion across all locations every month.
What’s the difference between a facility maintenance checklist and a preventive maintenance schedule?
The checklist is the list of what to inspect and maintain. The preventive maintenance schedule is when each of those tasks happens and who does it. Most teams keep both in the same place.
What do teams most often miss?
Floor drains that rarely get used, emergency lighting tests, roofs and gutters, and any task that has no clear owner.
Do I still need a checklist if I use maintenance software?
Yes. The software runs the checklist and tracks it. You still decide what goes on it.
Want to see this checklist running at every location? Book a demo.
