Get Genuinely Competitive Quotes
There’s real value in long-term relationships with good contractors who know the building — they respond faster, understand the plant, and cut fewer corners. The art is holding those relationships and competitive tension at the same time: valuing reliability without letting a comfortable contractor stop being sharp on price. Periodically testing the market, even for trusted contractors, keeps everyone honest and confirms you’re still getting value from loyalty rather than just paying for it.
Check the Basics — Every Time
Good contractor management also means confirming the fundamentals before work starts: proper licensing for the trade, current insurance, and references or a track record for work of similar type and scale. On anything involving safety — electrical, heights, fire, plant — this isn’t bureaucracy; it’s the difference between a controlled job and a liability. Unlicensed, uninsured or out-of-their-depth contractors are a false economy that shows up later as failed work or a claim.
Audit the Invoices
The quiet leak in most buildings is invoices paid without scrutiny — progress claims approved without confirming the work behind them, variations waved through without justification, recurring charges that creep up unremarked. Someone checking that invoices match the work done, and questioning what doesn’t, recovers more money over a year than almost any other single practice. Contractors price sharper for buildings they know are paying attention.
Where a Building Manager Fits In
This is the heart of what a good building manager does for a building’s finances. We obtain and compare competitive quotes, engage licensed and insured contractors, supervise their work and hold it to standard, audit invoices against what was actually done, and — critically — pass the full benefit of that buying power back to the building rather than retaining commissions. Because Building Management Australia is independent of any strata management firm, our only interest is your building getting fair prices and good work. The owners corporation approves the spending and the strata manager processes it; the building manager helps ensure the money buys what it should. Over a year, in a building of any size, that discipline is worth far more than it costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do we know if we’re paying fair prices for contractors?
By testing the market — obtaining competitive quotes against the same scope for significant work, and periodically re-testing even trusted contractors. A building that always uses the same trade without comparison has no way of knowing whether its prices are fair. Transparent, competitive quoting is how you find out.
What are contractor commissions and why do they matter?
Some building managers retain commissions or rebates from the contractors they engage, which creates an incentive to choose contractors who pay them rather than those who best serve the building. Ask your building manager directly whether they retain any contractor commissions, and insist that rebates flow back to the owners corporation. It’s one of the quietest ways buildings overpay.
Is it bad to use the same contractors for years?
Not necessarily — long-term relationships with good contractors who know the building have real value in responsiveness and quality. The key is keeping them honest by periodically testing the market, so loyalty is earning you good service rather than simply costing you competitive pricing. Reliability and value aren’t mutually exclusive if the relationship is managed.
What’s the most overlooked way buildings overpay?
Invoices paid without scrutiny — progress claims approved without confirming the work, variations waved through, recurring charges creeping up. Someone actually checking invoices against work done, and questioning what doesn’t add up, recovers more over a year than most committees expect. Contractors price sharper for buildings that pay attention.
Want Contractor Spend That’s Actually Controlled?
Building Management Australia is an independent Sydney building management firm — not a strata agent. Obtaining competitive quotes, engaging licensed and insured contractors, supervising the work, auditing invoices, and passing the full benefit of our buying power back to your building — with no retained commissions — is core to how we work.
If you suspect your building’s contractor spend isn’t being properly controlled, request a proposal at bmaus.com.au or email Andrew directly at andrew@bmaus.com.au.
About the Author
Andrew Veron is the founder of Building Management Australia (BMA), an independent Sydney building management firm established in 1995. BMA is a building management company — not a strata agent — providing on-site and visiting building management, facilities management, concierge, cleaning and valet services to residential, commercial and mixed-use properties. Over the past 30 years, Andrew and the BMA team have managed buildings across the Eastern Suburbs, North Sydney, Inner Sydney, Parramatta and the Sydney CBD, with assets currently valued in excess of $3 billion under management. Because BMA is independent of any strata management firm, committees receive unbiased advice and transparent contractor relationships. Reach Andrew at andrew@bmaus.com.au or bmaus.com.au.
