Property maintenance and remediation specialists can safeguard buildings and residents as a shortage of skilled tradespeople creates challenges for strata managers.
A perfect storm of low interest rates and government housing incentives during COVID 19 has fuelled a construction boom in Sydney that has also had another side-effect – a critical shortage of tradespeople.
The scenario is a headache for strata managers responsible for property repairs, with the Housing Industry Association (HIA) predicting that the nationwide shortfall of skilled tradies such as plumbers, bricklayers, electricians and builders could last for at least two more years.
The HIA Trades Availability Index deteriorated in the September 2021 quarter, indicating that the building industry is experiencing the most significant skills shortage since the inception of the report almost 20 years ago. The index declined from -0.53 to -0.69 for the quarter, with any number below zero indicating a skills dearth.
Sydney has been one of the hardest-hit cities, with COVID-19 and the highly infectious Omicron variant adding to the crisis. This has left many strata managers struggling to get urgent work done on buildings, leading to complaints from residents and potential legal liabilities if properties are unsafe.
Issues such as concrete cancer, cracked driveways, unsound balconies and the general deterioration of buildings should be addressed quickly and professionally.
Engage a trusted remedial builder
The tradie woes have underlined the value of calling on the services of an experienced remedial building maintenance contractor that can work on commercial and multi-residential properties.
These service providers pride themselves on quickly mobilising their teams of tradespeople and getting problems assessed and repaired. Drawing on their network of tradies, they can ensure that any work is completed as efficiently as possible. This minimises the financial and legal risks associated with building project delays.
While remedial building contractors are an ideal solution for strata managers, it is important to choose an appropriate and experienced provider. Ideally, any contractor should be ISO-certified and hold accreditation with relevant industry bodies such as ACRA, an association which is committed to assisting the advance of concrete repair, remedial waterproofing, remedial building and other associated activities.
Although individual tradies may be able to take on some building repairs, it is important to get remediation specialists to check issues that may be the result of long-term structural problems with a building or its surrounds.
Benefit from a one-stop-shop service
One of the biggest issues for strata managers is dealing with multiple trades when significant building repair work is needed. For example, if plumber and electrician schedules are not aligned, it can delay projects.
However, remediation specialists can coordinate the work, which in turn can make a real difference to the timing and cost of a job. Such management oversight also limits disruptions for tenants and residents. In this sense, a trusted remediation expert can act as a one-stop shop and take full accountability for projects.
As the tradie shortage drags on, the temptation for some strata managers will be to call in any tradie who can, hopefully, get the job done. This is risky. Awarding projects, no matter how large or small, to workers without the appropriate qualifications or accreditations heightens the risk of safety and quality failures, which can ultimately have a negative impact on any work and budgets.
So don’t take chances – act quickly and always insist on remediation service providers with a proven track record.
Getting tradies for urgent building repairs during Sydney’s construction boom can be a nightmare for strata managers. So schedule a call to have your building repair needs identified and fixed by an experienced team.
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