Whether you have one property or dozens across different regions, keeping your facilities running smoothly is key. Facility management impacts safety, productivity, energy use and the overall experience for everyone who walks through your doors. One of the most important decisions you’ll face is how to structure those services. Should you handle everything in-house, or consider outsourcing facilities management to a third-party provider?
In this guide, we’ll break down what facility management involves, explore the pros and cons of each approach, and help you decide which model best fits your organization’s needs.
What Is Facilities Management?
Facility management is the combination of people, processes, and systems that keep your physical environment running day to day. It’s not just about fixing things when they break, it’s about proactively maintaining the space so your teams, tenants, or customers can operate without disruption.
Typical responsibilities include:
- Preventive and corrective maintenance
- HVAC, plumbing, and electrical system servicing
- Janitorial and sanitation services
- Fire safety and code compliance
- Security systems and access control
- Landscaping, snow removal, and exterior upkeep
- Utility usage tracking and energy efficiency programs
- Vendor coordination and work order management
- Support for renovations and large capital projects
The goal is to keep your buildings safe, clean, compliant, and fully functional, all while controlling costs.
When Facilities Management Outsourcing Makes Sense
Outsourcing means hiring a dedicated provider to handle some or all of your facilities. This could be a full-service contract or just specific needs like HVAC, janitorial or security.
Benefits of Outsourcing
- Access to licensed trades and technical specialists
- Coverage across multiple cities or states
- Scalable staffing for seasonal peaks or rapid growth
- Predictable costs through service level agreements (SLAs)
- Centralized reporting, analytics, and performance tracking
- Less administrative burden on your HR and operations team
Outsourcing is often the right choice for businesses with multiple locations, complex compliance needs, or limited internal maintenance resources.
Tip: Success with outsourcing depends on choosing the right partner. Make sure expectations are clearly written into contracts and regularly review performance.
Why Some Companies Manage Facilities In-House
Running an in-house facility team gives you direct control over who’s doing the work, how it’s being done, and how it integrates with your other departments.
Pros of In-House Facility Management
- Full control over staff, schedules and priorities
- Deep knowledge of your buildings and equipment
- Tighter coordination with departments like IT, HR or Operations
- More flexibility for small tasks or emergencies
Cons of the In-House Facility Management
- Higher labor costs (salaries, benefits, overtime)
- Ongoing training and certification requirements
- Limited in-house expertise for specialized trades (e.g. fire systems or elevators)
- Harder to scale for growth or across remote locations
- Coverage gaps during vacations, turnover or weekends
An internal team works best for single-location operations or small campus-style setups with consistent needs and low turnover.
In-House vs. Outsourced Facilities Management: Which Is Right for You?
Here’s a quick summary:
In-House Might Be Better If:
- You have one or two facilities
- Your team has existing experience with your building systems
- Your infrastructure is highly custom or old
- You want control over the day-to-day
Outsourced Might Be Better If:
- You have facilities across a wide area
- You need 24/7 service or specialist trades
- You want to reduce overhead around hiring, training and compliance
- You want standardisation and reporting transparency
Many companies use a hybrid approach, keeping a small internal team for the lighter day to day tasks and outsourcing the bigger or more technical work.
What Does Facility Management Actually Cost?
To get a true picture of your costs, look at your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), not just wages or contractor invoices. Here’s what to include in your calculation:
- Salaries, overtime, and benefits
- Equipment, vehicles, and tools
- Training, certifications, and safety programs
- Preventive maintenance and inspection schedules
- Emergency repair costs and off-hours coverage
- Utility usage and energy efficiency efforts
- Work order tracking software or CMMS platforms
- Compliance and vendor management time
Something as simple as changing HVAC filters regularly can reduce energy consumption by 10–15%, extend equipment life, and lower utility bills across your entire portfolio.
Facility Management Tips to Improve Efficiency
No matter what model you choose, these strategies can help:
- Put everything in writing, SLA terms, response times, and task frequencies
- Measure your KPIs like response time, first fix rate, and open work orders
- Prevent rather than repair
- Use a centralized tool like a CMMS to manage requests and track history
- Audit performance, both internal and vendor-led
Which Saves More?
There’s no one-size-fits-all. It depends on your footprint, goals, staff, and internal resources.
- Outsourcing is better for multiple sites, variable workload, or limited in-house expertise.
- In-house teams work well when operations are contained in one location and long-term staff already know the building and systems.
To make the right decision, do a side-by-side cost comparison that includes labor, equipment, energy, downtime, admin effort, and risk.
Simplify Your Facility Management
At ABS/CBS, we support facilities in New York, Connecticut, and the surrounding areas. Whether you’re looking to outsource for the first time or restructure your current maintenance strategy, we can help you build a better plan.Contact us to book a consultation, request a quote, or just ask questions about how we work. Let’s find a facility management model that works for you.