Topic: Does your company provide tools or does maintenance need to bring their own?

Is it an industry standard that maintenance team members have to provide their own tools? Does your company provide tools or does maintenance need to bring their own? What is the reason for this policy exactly?

Buy your own tools

Maintenance techs should always buy their own tools so they are familiar with what they use.

The companies I’ve worked for have always provided tools. Anything maintenance needs, we’ve ordered for them. They just obviously can’t take it home

Bring your tools! If you buy them, they walk away!

Basic tools is on the maintenance tech power tools beyond a drill or expensive item on property

Always their own tools.

That just to me seems a bit unfair as obviously tools are not cheap, we don’t make leasing agents buy their own computer or really any other type of equipment they would need to do their job so why make maintenance? I am genuinely asking, what is the reason for this policy?

Marcel Thomas because they don't take the computers home

Marcel Thomas I don’t disagree, I believe it’s one of those industry things that just had always been. It would be like asking the office staff to bring their own computer, phones, paper and pens! ???? There are amazing companies that provide tools, I think the thought process is if the maintenance person all owns and brings their own they will take care of them and not leave them in residents units, abuse them and or have them walk off. Tools are super expensive and I have some amazing ones, I appreciate my guys because I know the $ it costs for them to have tools to have a job.

Marcel Thomas there's a very strange statement...my techs like having their own tools...it not cost effect for the company to furnish the tools...we furnish saws and high end tools...but even mechanics have their own tools..

Jane Nicholson-Gates I think it makes sense to give them the option to use their tools or have tools provided but to simple make them purchase their own tools which are very expensive seems a bit unfair

Renae Maisano regionals, property managers all normally have laptops....which they take home, and we do not make them purchase those.

Marcel Thomas that’s not a fair comparison. I’d understand if you’re required to pay for your own supplies, but that’s not the case. If you’re required to use a phone or computer at work, that would be provided to you just as it would to them I’d think.

Tools are part of the technician. Its an experiential item. It is what makes them a technician besides knowledge. I carry my drill, two sets of pliers, needle nose, 11n1, wire strippers, and putty knife to 95% of my work orders. If you are efficient and work to master your craft, you really dont need a lot of tools eliminating the argument of why the maintenance technician should buy their own tools. I know we need more than tools than those mentioned, but you shouldn't be buying 100s of dollars of tools if you really know what you are doing.

Computers and office items stay in the office and don't go home with the staff in the evening. Laptops are easily inventoried. Upon termination they're easily disabled and pay can be deducted if not returned.

Dee Ann McClendon I have heard of countless times of office staff being fired and laptops, iPads, and other office supplies end up missing, not to mention if you are a manager or regional you have a laptop that you take home and yet do they make you purchase that? No. I guess I just look at it differently ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

We make them ship them back to us or deduct the cost from their final check.

Most Maintenance members have their own basic tools and prefer their own. Big items community should provide and this should be a budget item to replenish or add during the year....people forget this in budgets consistently.

Never hand held tools unless it is specific to a project and not a normally owned tool.

Companies prop do this so if maintenance leaves the company they don't have to worry about collecting and missing tools... buying tools each time someone quits or gets let go could be pricey for the company given the high turnover in this Industry.

Deborah Kay Volker having a simple inventory of what tools are on hand would make this a non issue, and if any tools are missing then they obviously should be responsible for paying for them.

Marcel Thomas, inventory of tools would be close to impossible unless you had an extra staff member check them in and out each day.

I don't know to many maintenance techs that don't have there own tools...its a given

Jane Nicholson-Gates I know most do and usually will prefer to use their own but that should be their choice to make. I think making that choice for them is what I don’t agree with

Marcel Thomas, when you are hired as a mechanic, or an electrican...hvac techs all have their own tools...it would a big budget hit for comp!exes to furnish tools...people walk off with everything...and actually if it's your own, you are more likely to take better care of it....

We ask them to have their own hand tools we buy specialty tools and replace theirs if they are worn out

CA requires you to pay a higher wage if you require their own tools. Double minimum wage if I recall.

It depends on the tools. Basic tools should be employees, but specialty tools should belong to the property. And an inventory to make sure nothing walks away

We provide tools but they are company tools.

We require maintenance to have their own tools but after 6 months they become eligible for a tool reimbursement which the amount varies on years of employment

Industry standard. How are you a maintenance person who doesn’t own tools?

Lee Tifani that’s like me asking how can someone be a leasing agent and they don’t even have a computer. How can you be a pilot and you don’t have an airplane? Almost every job no matter the industry provides you the tools you need to do the job they ask of you. I just think this is just one of those old industry standards that never changed

Marcel Thomas You’re making very wild comparisons.

Lee Tifani my point is property managers, leasing agents, regionals, corporate staff, they are all given the tools they need to do their job, computers, office supplies, everything. But for some reason we require maintenance to provide the tools they need to do their job. It just seems rather backwards to me.

Marcel Thomas I thought it was general knowledge that you were expected to have the basic tools of your trade, whatever it may be. That’s common for maintenance technicians, period. Not just the apartment industry specifically.

Marcel Thomas that’s not entirely true. Maintenance is typically provided with uniforms and most office employees have to buy their own professional clothes. The office is provided with computers and office supplies just like maintenance is provided with the parts to make repairs. Most companies do require maintenance to provide small hand tools and provide larger tools.

Depends on what tools we are talking about.

Own your own for regular kind of maintenance. Company provides bigger ticket items.

Yes, we have a list they have to have

previous maintenance tech stole a $750.00 Dewalt tool kit while he worked there. No one knew because it was stored in a locked work shed.

Very common these days.

Provide own tools

They provide the basic tools they need and we provide all others.

All of my properties are required to provide their own tools, with the exception of larger tools.

Hand tools and a drill. I tell each tech to write their initials on EVERYTHING as items get shared and left in units.

They provide own tools.

maintenance supplies own hand tools we have them fill out an inventory sheet. Company supplies big tools like shop vacs, table saws, bolt cutter, rotters, ac guages

It blows my mind when maintenance doesnt own a drill, sawzall, and even Channel locks!!

Eric Rivera I think the point I am trying to make is yes I am sure they own those things but to require them to use tools they bought with their own money is what I don’t agree with. If they WANT to use their own tools then sure. But that should be a choice they are allowed to make, not us make it for them. I always bring my own keyboard and mouse at properties I work at because I have a specific type I like. I know they will provide me one and I am making my own choice to bring my own. I’m sure I’ll never work at a property where they say I need to bring my own desk supplies.

Marcel Thomas i hear you. Im the same way with my mouse and keyboard. Lol. And i hear you about desk supplies. But we will buy them screws and not the drill. Its an investment in themselves. Its just my opinion, but basic tools should be purchased by maint. for one, cause they tend to take better care of them.

Eric Rivera so using that same logic should we make the office staff buy their own computers, because they will take better care of them?

We provide

T hey provide their own hand tools. Larger items, we provide.

I’d be interested to hear from more people who work in maintenance to see what their opinion is on this topic as well.

We have a required tool checklist by position. And, we give an annual gift card 100-200 to home depot to complete or replenish their tool box.

We buy the tools.
Especially any specialty ones. I am know to go on buying binges to get the latest gadget tools...(???? not always used)

Having said that, I very often see their own tools in their pouches, they say the prefer their own as they are “broken in”. Yet they know we will buy them any tool they need

That's like asking a leasing agent to provide their own computer, laptop, pens, paper etc. ???? is your maintenance a contractor or an employee? If they were contracted, then yes they need to bring their own tools, if they are an employee, then the owner need to provide them the proper tools to succeed and perform their job.

Ours use their own, but also have purchased some they needed, and those should be included in the property inventory

We must provide the proper tools for all employees to do a job well

No matter where I’ve worked over the years- no matter how good of a team you have - they are always leaving their tools behind. I collect the tools as I find them & wait to see who ask to see if anyone found their hammer,etc. I bet I have a better set of tools than anyone at this point. I’ve rec’d calls from residents asking for the maint to return to pickup tools they’ve left behind. Your leasing/office team are not leaving their computers out and about on the property,etc. there is no comparison.

Yes, Monarch Investment and Management Group has an awesome tool reimbursement program.

That can be state specific. In some states if the employee provides their own tools they are required to be paid a higher wage

Mostly the tools belong to maint. man and the equipment resources are the properties. Tx.

They provide their own basic tools, drill etc.

Our team members who come with skills have their own "general" tools, but we provide the bigger items. That said, we have 2 initiatives for maintenance. For "starter" team members we have a "starter kit" that we provide as needed for new "apprentice" level people just starting in the industry. For other team members we have a purchase program for larger tools where we buy them for our team members to own, and they reimburse up to 50% through payroll deductions and then they own the tool. It makes for tools not going missing, being better maintained.

Quality tools are very expensive and you wonder why it's so hard to keep good maintenance professionals when they are usually at the bottom of the pay scale. It is an industry issue that needs to be addressed and Marcel is a leader in my eyes for putting the question out there, to challenge the status quo.
Yes, the fear of losing or stolen tools is the common reason to not provide them, however...there is a better way! Mobile-Shop is the best of both worlds; providing techs with high quality tools AND providing accountability. They are a tool management system that reduces trips to the shop or store & even leads to better resident satisfaction because the work in done right and quickly. I used to work for them several years ago and highly recommend this program. If you contact them, tell them Pat Patterson is still touting their praises!