Electrical maintenance agreements for commercial buildings

Start with the list of equipment

An agreement is only as good as its inventory. Before anyone prices it, walk the building and list every panel, subpanel, disconnect, transfer switch, generator, emergency light, exit sign and outdoor fixture circuit. Add the age and the location of each. A short list leaves gaps that surface as extra charges later. A long list with no schedule is just a wish.

The panel reading guide helps a manager find what is in a panel. For a mixed building, the property manager page covers who owns which equipment.

What NFPA 70B changed

NFPA 70B is the national standard for keeping electrical equipment in working condition. EC&M reports that the 2023 edition turned it from a recommended practice into a standard, effective January 16, 2023, and switched the wording from “should” to “shall.” Check NFPA for the current edition, since newer ones follow.

Two ideas matter to a buyer. First, the standard expects a written electrical maintenance program with named people, an equipment survey, documented procedures and records. Second, it sets how often to test by a condition assessment of each piece of equipment: its physical condition, how critical it is and the environment it sits in. The worst of the three decides. Equipment in poor shape gets looked at more often. The article also describes a decal applied after maintenance that shows the equipment’s condition to workers.

NFPA 70B is not a California statute. Whether an insurer, lender or lease clause requires it is a question for those parties.

Tests with their own schedules

Some checks have a published schedule. Put them in the agreement by name.

• Emergency lighting and exit signs. Riverside County Fire’s guidance asks for a functional test every 3 to 5 weeks lasting at least 30 seconds, and an annual test with power cut so the unit runs 90 minutes. The owner keeps written records for the authority. The California Building Code asks for 90 minutes of emergency power for egress lighting in most buildings.
• GFCI devices. Leviton’s instructions tell the user to press TEST, then RESET, every month. A device that fails the test should be replaced. A maintenance visit can include the test on protected circuits.
• Standby generators. Under NFPA 110, as EC&M describes the 2013 edition, a diesel generator runs 30 minutes a month at operating temperature and at 30 percent or more of its nameplate rating. A yearly load bank test can be needed when the building cannot supply that load. Ask which edition the site follows.

Scans, torque and labels

An infrared scan finds connections that run hot under load. A torque check tightens terminals to the maker’s value. Both are about loose connections, which is a common cause of failures. Label and one-line updates keep panels readable after tenant changes. Equipment likely to be worked on while energized needs an arc-flash warning label under NEC 110.16, which a maintenance visit can confirm is still in place.

Ask for a written report after each visit: what was tested, what was found, photos of anything abnormal and a priced list of repairs. Repairs are normally outside the visit fee.

Questions to ask before you sign

These are questions, not promises any electrician has made.

• Which equipment is listed, and what happens to equipment not listed?
• How often is each check done, and in which month?
• What is in the report, and who receives it?
• What counts as an emergency call, and how is it received?
• What response terms will the agreement state in writing, and what happens if they are missed?
• Are after-hours and travel time billed differently?
• Who keeps the emergency lighting test records?
• How do you end or change the agreement, and when does it renew?

How pricing is built

Agreements are priced in one of a few ways. A flat annual fee covers a set list of visits. A per-visit fee bills each trip. A time-and-materials arrangement bills hours and parts as they occur, sometimes with a discounted rate. A per-equipment fee prices each panel or device. This page gives no price for an agreement because SoCal pricing varies by building and scope. Compare quotes by asking each bidder to price the same inventory and the same visit list. The quote guide lists the lines to match.

Commercial electrical work is available through the partner electrician. To ask about an agreement, send the building type, address, whether you are the tenant, owner or property manager, the equipment list and any past failures through the quote form. Repairs that come out of a visit are covered on the service and repair page.