General building maintenance workers and building superintendents
Career Overview
General building maintenance workers perform tasks related to the general maintenance of buildings. They execute minor repair work, maintain equipment and installations and perform preventive inspection of systems relating to building mechanics
Building superintendents manage the overall operation of the buildings and may supervise other workers.
Job Titles
Duties
General building maintenance workers and building superintendents performs some or all of the following duties:
- Make minor repairs to heating, cooling, ventilating, plumbing and electrical systems, and contact tradespersons for major repairs
- Do routine maintenance, like painting and drywall repair
- Respond to requests from residents for minor repairs
- Perform daily inspections to the building systems
- Provide general assistance to skilled trades persons such as mechanics, electricians, carpenters and plumbers
- Co-ordinate the preparation of housing units to the arrival of a new resident
- Co-ordinate parking, access, elevator lock-off and electrical shut-down with tradespeople
- Ensure that security equipment is working, and deal with concierge/security staff on security and access issues
- Attend to emergency situations, such as floods
- Help ensure tenants follow health, fire, safety and security policies
- Communicate with tenants and manage expectations when projects cause disruptions
They may also:
- Move furniture, equipment and supplies
- Supervise other workers
Building superintendents of residential buildings may also:
- Advertise vacancies, prepare and show apartments and offices to potential tenants, as well as collect rent
- Process tenant applications
- Check tenants’ references and credit checks
- Manage security deposits and refunds
- Keep records, revenue reports and petty cash forms
- Manage inventory
- Provide building status reports to landlords, condo boards and property managers
- Serve tenants with legal documents
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
11,545% Employed Full Time
51%General building maintenance workers and building superintendents work for office and apartment building management companies, condominium corporations, educational institutions, health care facilities, recreational and shopping malls, religious, industrial and other establishments
Some building superintendents live in the buildings where they work, providing on-call service. Many enjoy dealing with the people who live or work in the building.
Career Pathways
With training or experience, general building maintenance and building superintendents may become supervisors. Some experienced workers go on to open their own businesses.
More experienced building superintendents can move into property management.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
- Secondary school education
- Previous maintenance experience
- Journey-level certification in one or more trades, or building operator certification may be required for building superintendents
Some positions may also require:
- Basic training in boilers, fire systems and other building systems
- Basic knowledge in dealing with mould and other hazards
- Familiarity with safety codes and equipment
- Knowledge of Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
- Building service worker certification
- A criminal record check
Workers coming to B.C.
General building maintenance workers and building superintendents who are certified by a regulator elsewhere in Canada can apply for the same certification from the regulator in B.C. Under the terms of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), most applicants who are transferring their credentials from elsewhere in Canada will not be required to complete additional training or testing. However, the B.C. regulator may ask applicants to provide further information, such as a letter of good standing, references or a criminal record check.
Workers who trained outside of Canada
General building maintenance workers and building superintendents who trained outside of Canada and have never received certification from a Canadian jurisdiction will likely need a full assessment to be certified in B.C. Most occupational regulators have a process for assessment and recognize internationally trained applicants. Contact SkilledTradesBC for details on how to apply for certification in B.C.
For information about labour mobility in Canada, visit www.workersmobility.ca.
View a list of Professional Regulatory Authorities in B.C.
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Academic/Basic Upgrading
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
11,545Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 410 | 3.5% |
| Kootenay | 470 | 4.1% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 6,345 | 54.9% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 300 | 2.6% |
| Northeast | 240 | 2.1% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 1,450 | 12.6% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 2,340 | 20.3% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
6,070Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 200 | 0.9% |
| Kootenay | 190 | 0.6% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 3,550 | 1.5% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 100 | 1.1% |
| Northeast | 100 | 1.1% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 710 | 1.3% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 1,240 | 1.3% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Business, Building and Other Support Services | 830 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 800 |
| Construction | 760 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 730 |
| Finance, Insurance and Real Estate | 650 |
Insights from Industry
Job openings are the result of worker turnover and the declining number of retired people who act as resident caretakers for their buildings. The increase in multi-family homes and larger commercial towers is also boosting demand for building superintendents.
The role of the building manager is in transition. As more building systems are computerized, the job of maintaining buildings is becoming complex.
Workers often enjoy the independence that comes with being responsible for the upkeep of their buildings and take pride in doing their job well.
Resources
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Building Owners and Managers Association of British Columbia (BOMA)www.boma.bc.ca
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Professional Association of Managing Agents (PAMA)www.pama.ca
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Real Estate Institute of Canadawww.reic.ca
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SkilledTradesBCskilledtradesbc.ca/
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Strata Property Agents of BC (SPABC)spabc.org
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