What is emergency maintenance?

Facilities and property managers deal with a wide range of maintenance tasks, but few are as urgent or high-stakes as emergency maintenance. This type of repair work is triggered by critical failures or safety hazards that demand immediate attention. Unlike routine servicing or planned upgrades, emergency maintenance focuses on restoring essential systems as quickly as possible to minimise risk to people, protect assets and keep operations running.

While preventive and corrective strategies aim to reduce the likelihood of emergencies, unplanned failures still occur. Understanding what qualifies as emergency maintenance and how it differs from other maintenance types, is essential for effective facilities management.

What is an emergency repair?

An emergency repair is an immediate, unplanned response to a fault that poses a threat to safety, operations or asset integrity. Common examples include a burst water pipe flooding a building, a complete HVAC system failure during extreme weather or a power outage disrupting critical equipment. These situations require rapid action to prevent damage, avoid disruption and protect building occupants.

Because emergencies often escalate quickly, facilities teams must be prepared to respond at short notice, coordinating contractors or in-house technicians to resolve the issue before it worsens. A well-planned emergency workflow can help contain both the direct impact and any knock-on effects.

Emergency maintenance vs. preventive maintenance

Preventive maintenance and emergency maintenance sit at opposite ends of the facilities management spectrum. Preventive maintenance consists of scheduled tasks – such as routine servicing, inspections and condition-based maintenance – that aim to avoid failures altogether. Emergency maintenance, on the other hand, is reactive and unplanned addressing urgent issues when they arise.

The main distinction lies in timing and intent. Preventive maintenance is proactive and resource-efficient, while emergency maintenance is reactive, often unbudgeted, and can put strain on both finances and staff. Together, however, they form part of a balanced maintenance strategy.

Emergency maintenance vs. reactive maintenance

Emergency maintenance is a specific subset of reactive maintenance. Reactive maintenance refers broadly to addressing issues after they occur, such as fixing a flickering light or repairing a leaking tap. Not every reactive task is urgent.

Emergency maintenance differs because it deals with faults that carry an immediate risk or have the potential to halt business operations. For example, replacing a worn carpet tile would be considered reactive maintenance, whereas repairing an electrical fault that poses a fire hazard qualifies as emergency maintenance.

Emergency maintenance vs. corrective maintenance

Corrective maintenance focuses on fixing known issues that may affect performance but do not present an immediate threat. For example, scheduling a repair for a lift that intermittently sticks between floors would be corrective.

Emergency maintenance, however, is about immediacy. If that same lift stopped functioning entirely while carrying passengers, the repair becomes an emergency due to the risks involved. The distinction lies in urgency: corrective maintenance can be scheduled, but emergency maintenance requires instant action.

Pros and cons of emergency maintenance

Emergency maintenance provides undeniable benefits but also comes with drawbacks that make it less desirable as a primary strategy.

On the positive side, it mitigates immediate risks, protects building occupants and assets and ensures critical systems are restored quickly. In some cases, emergencies are unavoidable despite rigorous planning, making this type of maintenance an essential safeguard.

However, emergency maintenance is also expensive. Overtime labour, premium parts and the cost of urgent call-outs can all add up. It is also disruptive, potentially halting normal operations and creating stress for maintenance teams. Furthermore, many emergencies could be prevented with better planning, highlighting the importance of robust property maintenance services.

Emergency maintenance workflow

A structured workflow ensures that emergency maintenance tasks are dealt with swiftly and effectively.

The process begins with incident detection or reporting, which may involve building occupants, staff or automated fault detection diagnostics. Once identified, the issue is triaged and prioritised to determine the level of risk and required response.

From there, a technician or contractor is dispatched to address the problem, carrying out on-site repair work to restore safety and functionality. The incident is then documented and a root cause analysis is conducted to prevent recurrence. Increasingly, organisations are integrating emergency workflows into CMMS platforms to improve coordination, reporting and long-term planning.

Emergency maintenance examples

Examples of emergency maintenance vary across facilities, but some of the most common include:

• A sudden HVAC failure in a hospital or data centre, where maintaining a controlled climate is critical for safety and operations.
• A lift breakdown in a high-rise building, creating both safety concerns and accessibility issues.
• A gas leak or electrical fault that poses a fire or explosion hazard.
• A burst water main in a commercial property, threatening structural integrity and disrupting business operations.

Preparing for emergencies

While not every emergency can be prevented, preparation can significantly reduce the impact. Using facilities management software gives property managers the ability to centralise maintenance data, schedule preventive tasks and maintain visibility across building systems. Integrating this with smart monitoring and analytics helps teams detect potential issues earlier and plan effective responses.

When combined with preventive and corrective strategies, emergency maintenance becomes a last line of defence rather than a constant operational burden.

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