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 UK training and membership provider for mould remediation professionals.
Building Safety recap April, 2026
A short and longer run-through of the month, with links to further information and sources.
CIAT May 2026 briefing.
Independent NSI and BAFE study exploring how organisations are changing the way they buy fire safety services.
From medieval scribes to modern word art.
ECA welcomes crackdown on late payment and push for clean energy, whilst CIOB seek fixed cladding removal timeframes.
Cyber Security in the Built Environment
Protecting projects, data, and digital assets: A CIOB Academy TIS.
Managing competence in the built environment
ITFG publishes new industry guide on how to meet the ICC principles.
The UK's campaign to reduce noise pollution: Mythbusting, articles and topic guides.
Setting Expectations on Competence Management
Industry Competence Committee.
New Scottish and Welsh governments
CIOB stresses importance of construction after new parliament elections.
The sad story of Derby Hippodrome
An historic building left to decay.
ECA, JIB and JTL back Fabian Society call to invest in skills for a stronger built environment workforce.
Women's Contributions to the Built Environment.
Calls for the delayed Circular Economy Strategy
Over 50 leading businesses, trade associations and professional bodies, including CIAT, and UKGBC sign open letter.
The future workforce: culture change and skill
Under the spotlight at UK Construction Week London.
A landmark moment for postmodern heritage.






















