Unplanned maintenance
NRM3: Order of cost estimating and cost planning for building maintenance works, defines ‘unplanned maintenance’ (or unscheduled or reactive maintenance) as: ‘…reactive and non-emergency work activities that occur in the current annual programme (i.e. maintenance carried out to no predetermined plan). Activities may range from unplanned/unscheduled maintenance of a nuisance nature requiring low levels of skill for correction, to non-emergency tasks involving a moderate to major repair or correction requiring skilled labour.’
Business-Focused Maintenance (BG 53/2016), written by Jo Harris and published by BSRIA in May 2016, states: ‘Reactive or unplanned maintenance is the ad-hoc, unscheduled repair or replacement of assets when they fail. It can be cost-effective for non-critical assets to be run to failure, but the unpredictable nature of the work makes it difficult to manage for essential assets unless the response time can be reliably implemented.’
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Building owner's manual.
- Business focused maintenance.
- Facilities management.
- How to manage construction plant.
- In-house or outsource maintenance.
- Maintenance.
- Predictive maintenance.
- Preventative maintenance.
- Proactive maintenance.
- Reliability centred maintenance.
- Resource management.
- RICS.
- Scheduled maintenance.
- Soft landings.
Featured articles and news
A case study and a warning to would-be developers
Creating four dwellings... after half a century of doing this job, why, oh why, is it so difficult?
Reform of the fire engineering profession
Fire Engineers Advisory Panel: Authoritative Statement, reactions and next steps.
Restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster
A complex project of cultural significance from full decant to EMI, opportunities and a potential a way forward.
Apprenticeships and the responsibility we share
Perspectives from the CIOB President as National Apprentice Week comes to a close.
The first line of defence against rain, wind and snow.
Building Safety recap January, 2026
What we missed at the end of last year, and at the start of this...
National Apprenticeship Week 2026, 9-15 Feb
Shining a light on the positive impacts for businesses, their apprentices and the wider economy alike.
Applications and benefits of acoustic flooring
From commercial to retail.
From solid to sprung and ribbed to raised.
Strengthening industry collaboration in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Institute of Construction and The Chartered Institute of Building sign Memorandum of Understanding.
A detailed description from the experts at Cornish Lime.
IHBC planning for growth with corporate plan development
Grow with the Institute by volunteering and CP25 consultation.
Connecting ambition and action for designers and specifiers.
Electrical skills gap deepens as apprenticeship starts fall despite surging demand says ECA.
Built environment bodies deepen joint action on EDI
B.E.Inclusive initiative agree next phase of joint equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) action plan.
Recognising culture as key to sustainable economic growth
Creative UK Provocation paper: Culture as Growth Infrastructure.