Maintenance contracting ....
This is something of a 'mine field,' especially if you get away from lighting work.
In my experience, such work varies greatly with the ebb and flow of corporate politics. A manager gets replaced, or they hire a new guy, and your work load changes greatly.
I've seen it at both extremes ... where the contractor only did major work, and where the contractor did it all - including changing light bulbs.
Issue #1 involved personnel and equipment. Can you use the customers' scissor lift? Will the customer provide manpower for digging and pulling? Heck, one place would not even let the shipping dock be used for parts deliveries!
The second barrier is the scope of the work, and the expected monthly bill. Workload tends to grow ... then accounting gets upset over your 'outrageous' bill!
Issue #3 is, again, corporate politics. Sometimes folks see the contractor as the "fall guy," and blame it all on him. Other folks promise full co-operation ... then have endless ways of interfering with the work.
Issue #4 involves tools, training ... and inventory! If you're going to do a lot of work for one customer, you will end up using tools and performing tasks that will be of little use to your other customers. You will also end up with an inventory of customer-specific parts. Be sure to allow for this in your pricing.
The "simplest" maintenance contracts are lighting contracts, and can be a good way to pay the bills until you have a better customer base. Keep in mind, though, that you will end up making regular visits at sunset to check the lighting .... as well as correcting an amazing amount of handyman "fixes."
They will only contract this work out after they have failed to do it themselves - several times!
