The work that keeps a building performing after the build.
Ongoing maintenance, repairs, capital repairs and tenant turnover work for commercial property in Bellingham and Whatcom County.
Construction ends; the building keeps going. Commercial property needs repairs, turnover work and planned capital repairs on an ongoing basis, and most of it is too small for a construction contract and too technical for a handyman. PCM handles that middle ground for commercial property, with the same accountability as its construction work.
Where maintenance and construction meet
Turnover has a deadline
A departing tenant leaves a space that has to be ready for the next one. Make-ready work sits somewhere between repair and small construction project.
Deferred repairs become capital projects
Minor items left alone become major items. Addressing them while they are still repairs is cheaper than addressing them as replacements.
One accountable contact
Owners and managers coordinating several trades separately spend their time chasing scheduling. One accountable contractor coordinating the work is usually faster.
The building is occupied
Maintenance happens around tenants and customers. The same access, noise and containment planning applies.
What PCM maintenance work covers
- Tenant turnover and make-ready work between leases
- Interior repairs - drywall, paint, flooring, doors and hardware
- Suspended ceiling and acoustic tile repairs
- Casework, fixture and finish repairs
- Commercial capital repairs and planned replacements
- Building envelope repair coordination
- Coordination of licensed electrical, plumbing and mechanical specialists
- Small commercial improvement projects below construction-contract scale
- Condition assessment and documentation for owners and managers
- Access and scheduling coordination with tenants
How PCM handles maintenance work
Request and assessment
We look at the item, confirm what is actually wrong, and tell you whether it is a repair or something larger.
Scope and pricing
We document the work and price it. Where it is approaching construction scale, we say so rather than extending a repair indefinitely.
Scheduling
We coordinate access with the tenant or the manager around the building's operations.
Execution
We complete the work, coordinating licensed trade specialists where the work requires them.
Documentation
We record what was done so the building has a maintenance history rather than a series of disconnected invoices.
Commercial property in this market
PCM's affiliated company, Pacific Continental Realty, manages commercial property in Bellingham and Whatcom County. That gives PCM a direct working understanding of what property managers and owners actually need from a maintenance contractor - realistic scheduling, clear scope, tenant coordination and documentation that supports the property's records.
The two companies remain separate legal and operating entities. PCM performs commercial construction and maintenance; Pacific Continental Realty provides brokerage, leasing and property management under its own agreements.
Maintenance, improvements and construction from one contractor
Because PCM also builds commercial tenant improvements and renovations, maintenance work that turns out to be a construction project does not need a new contractor. The scope changes; the accountability does not.
See PCM's full commercial capabilitiesFrequently asked questions
Do you perform all the trades yourselves?
No, and we would be careful of anyone who says they do. PCM is a commercial general contractor. We self-perform general construction work and coordinate licensed specialists for electrical, plumbing, mechanical and other regulated trades. What you get is one accountable point of contact, not one crew pretending to be every trade.
Is there a minimum size for maintenance work?
We focus on commercial property, and the work needs to be large enough to justify mobilising. A single small item at a single suite may be better handled by an on-site maintenance resource. Ongoing work across a property or portfolio is where we fit best. A conversation will establish it quickly.
Do you work for property managers as well as owners?
Yes. Much of this work is commissioned by property managers and asset managers rather than owners directly, and we are used to working within that structure - including coordinating tenant access and reporting back to the manager.
What is the difference between maintenance and a capital repair?
Broadly, maintenance keeps an existing component working and a capital repair replaces or substantially restores it. The distinction matters for budgeting and often for lease and accounting treatment. We will tell you which category we think the work falls into, but how it is treated financially is a decision for you and your accountant.
Can you handle turnover work between tenants?
Yes - make-ready work is a significant part of what we do. It often sits between maintenance and a small tenant improvement, which is exactly the range we are set up for.
Need a commercial maintenance contractor?
Tell us about the property and what it needs. We will tell you honestly whether it is work we are the right fit for.