The short answer
List every exterior service the building needs, set a cadence for each, slot the work into the season it fits, lock peak-season dates early, and budget by quarter so spend follows the calendar.
Step 1: List the services
- Window cleaning, exterior and interior
- Pressure and soft washing of facades, walkways and parking structures
- Glass and metal restoration assessment
- Gutter cleaning
- Roof anchor inspection and certification
- Parking lot sweeping, and snow and ice management where it applies
- High dusting of atriums and hard-to-reach interiors
Step 2: Set a cadence
Starting cadences by property type, from S&K's planning center:
| Service | Education | Government | Hotel / hospitality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Window cleaning | Semi-annual, around breaks | Quarterly | Monthly |
| Pressure washing | 2x a year | 2x a year | Quarterly |
| Soft washing | Not in starting plan | Not in starting plan | 2x a year |
| Glass restoration | Not in starting plan | Annual assessment | Annual assessment |
| Gutter cleaning | Annual | Not in starting plan | Not in starting plan |
| High dusting | Annual | Not in starting plan | Not in starting plan |
| Anchor inspection | Not in starting plan | Annual | Not in starting plan |
Office, retail, healthcare and industrial starting points are in the Exterior Maintenance Planning and Budgeting guide, and every type is in the annual maintenance planning center.
Step 3: Slot the work by season
| Season | What fits |
|---|---|
| Winter | Interior glass and atriums, high dusting, snow and ice management, and budgeting next year |
| Spring | Post-winter facade and window cleaning, gutter clear-out, restoration assessment |
| Summer | Peak high-rise and rope-access work, pressure washing walkways and parking structures, recurring window programs |
| Fall | Pre-winter window cleaning, gutter cleaning before leaf drop, annual roof anchor inspection and certification |
Step 4: Lock the dates that fill first
- Book high-rise and tower work before summer
- Keep anchor inspection and certification current before the first rope descent job
- Schedule education and tenant-sensitive work around breaks and operations
Step 5: Budget by quarter, review every year
Tie each quarter's budget to that quarter's work, then compare the year's plan with what the buildings actually needed. The exterior maintenance budget worksheet lays it out by building and service.
Plan the whole program with the Exterior Maintenance Planning and Budgeting guide, or share your buildings and we will turn them into a tailored annual plan and a quote.
