PlumbingBossPro Blog — Property Managers & Commercial

Make-Ready and Turnover Plumbing Calls Between Tenants

When a tenant moves out, the clock starts. Every day a rental sits empty is a day of lost rent, and the manager wants it ready for the next tenant as fast as possible. Painters, cleaners, carpet layers and a plumber all need to get through. The plumbing company that shows up when promised, checks everything once and sends a clear report becomes the one managers call for every turnover.

What a Make-Ready Call Is

Make-ready and turnover are what property managers call the work between tenants. It is not a feature in any software — it is an operator practice, and a good one to get right. Billing for these visits usually lands on the monthly statement described in Collecting From Commercial Plumbing Accounts: Past-Due Follow-Up Without the Awkward Calls and the guides before it.

The plumbing side of a make-ready is a walk-through of every fixture in the unit, fixing the small things on the spot and quoting the bigger ones. Tenants often live with a running toilet or a dripping faucet for months without reporting it. Turnover is the time to catch all of it.

A Practical Walk-Through List

Every shop will have its own version, but a typical make-ready plumbing check covers:

• Toilets. Running, rocking, weeping at the base, flapper and fill valve condition.
• Faucets and supply lines. Drips, loose handles, worn or bulging supply lines under every sink.
• Drains. Run every sink, tub and shower. Slow drains are easier to fix now than after move-in.
• Garbage disposal. Runs, does not leak, nothing stuck in it.
• Water heater. Temperature setting, T&P valve, signs of leaks, age.
• Main shut-off. Find it and make sure it turns, so the next emergency is shorter.
• Hose bibs and visible leaks. Outside spigots, under sinks, around the water heater.

The PlumbingBossPro tech app has an inspection checklist that covers these items: main shut-off tested, water pressure, water heater temperature, T&P valve, visible leaks, toilets, faucets and supply lines, drains, disposal and hose bibs, with readings, a condition and recommendations.

Fix Small, Quote Big

Most managers give their plumber a standing rule for turnovers: fix anything under a set amount without asking, and quote anything over it. Find out what that number is for each manager and save it in a custom field on the client, so every tech and the office know it.

Under the limit, the tech fixes it and notes it on the job: “Replaced flapper hall bath, new supply line kitchen sink.” Over the limit, the office builds an estimate from your service list and sends it to the manager, who approves it online. The approved estimate becomes a scheduled job. Quotes are covered in Commercial Plumbing Quotes With Online Approval: Getting the Manager's Yes in Writing.

Photos and the Report

The manager is rarely at the unit during a turnover. Before-and-after photos from the tech's phone are saved with the job. When the checklist is complete, the office can print a Plumbing Inspection Report showing the readings, the condition and what was recommended.

That report has a second life. If the next tenant later claims a leak was there on move-in, the manager has a dated record of what the plumbing looked like when the unit turned over.

Speed Matters

Turnovers come in bunches, especially around the start and end of the month. Managers want them handled within a day or two. A few things help:

• Ask the manager to text the office as soon as a unit is vacant. Two-way texting keeps those requests in one place.
• Put turnovers on the dispatch board as soon as they come in, on whichever van is closest that day. Crew GPS on the office map shows where everyone is.
• Coordinate with the manager on order: plumbing usually goes before paint and flooring, so a leak does not ruin new carpet.
• Save the lockbox code or key location on the address so the tech is not waiting at the door.

When several units turn over at once, ask the manager which ones have move-in dates first and work those in order. A quick text the morning of keeps everyone on the same page.

Building the Record While the Unit Is Empty

An empty unit is the easiest time to fill in the equipment record. No tenant, no furniture, no boxes stacked in front of the water heater. Have the tech save the water heater's brand, model, serial, size and year, plus the shut-off and cleanout locations. Next time there is a call from that unit, it is all on the card.

For more on serving property managers and landlords, visit the PlumbingBossPro commercial plumbing software page.