If this is an EMERGENCY REQUEST (example: gas or water leak, electrical sparks, smoke, overflowing toilets, person trapped in elevator), call Facilities Management 24/7 at (310) 825-9236.
Start with the right request
One question decides the path: is the work in state-funded space and covered by FM, or is it rechargeable to your department? Answer that first and your request goes to the right shop without a round of follow-up.
Contact FM before submitting |
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The routing question
Is the space state-funded, and is the work routine maintenance or repair of building systems? If yes, submit a Service Request. If the space is non-state funded, or the work is an alteration, addition, upgrade, removal, or anything on department-purchased equipment, submit a Facilities Service Request. If you are not sure which applies, contact FM before you submit.
Service Request
Routine maintenance and repair of state-funded buildings, building systems, grounds, and public areas. No charge to your department.
- Temperature or HVAC issue
- Leaking faucet, clogged drain, roof leak
- Relamping and routine building repair
- Preventive maintenance on building-integrated, state-purchased equipment
FSR
Rechargeable work: alterations, additions, upgrades, removals, non-state-funded space, and department-owned equipment. Billed to your FAU.
- Office or lab refresh, paint, flooring, signage
- Equipment or workstation additions and relocations
- Keys, re-keying, and lock changes
- Special event setup and event custodial support
Every FSR is one of two types
Blanket and Estimate are not separate front doors. You choose between them inside the Facilities Service Request.
FSR Type 1
Blanket Work Order
For low-dollar-volume, routine work that does not need an estimate. Your blanket number is your standing FM account, linked to your FAU, and stays open until you cancel it.
- Keys and signage
- Furniture moving and bulletin boards
- Small recurring recharge work
Estimate Required: No
Lead Time: Minimum 5 working days
Billing: Monthly, as charged
FSR Type 2
Estimate / Non-Blanket Work Order
For work that needs scope development, scheduling, coordination, or cost approval. FM estimates the work in writing and you approve or reject it before anything starts.
- Complex or multi-craft scope
- Alterations with infrastructure impact
- Anything you need a written cost for
Estimate Required: Yes, in writing
Typical Completion: 30 to 60 calendar days
Billing: 75% on approval, 25% at completion
What happens after you submit
The same four steps apply to both paths. Where they differ is the estimate and the bill.
Step 1 - Intake
FM Customer Service receives the request, assigns a work order number, and screens the approval.
Step 2 - Contact
For an FSR, the FM Project Manager contacts you within five working days to confirm scope.
Step 3 - Estimate and approval
Non-blanket work is estimated in writing. Work starts only after you approve it.
Step 4 - Execution and closeout
The assigned shop performs the work. FM marks the job complete and Accounting bills monthly.
How fast, and by when
Every request is classified into one of six priority levels. The level sets the response commitment, not the submission date.
| Priority | What it covers | Response | Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency | Imminent threat to life, property, security, or environment | Immediate | Mitigate within 24 hours |
| Urgent | Potential threat: broken glass, all lights out, roof leak, elevator repair | Within 24 hours | Mitigate within 72 hours |
| Routine | No immediate risk: painting, cracked glass, broken furniture, key request | Contact within 3 working days | Complete within 15 working days |
| Calendared | Date-specific work: events, setups, moves, scheduled inspections | Scheduled | By the agreed due date |
| Project | Multi-craft or complex work: renovations, capital replacements | Per project schedule | Per project schedule |
| Preventative Maintenance | Scheduled servicing of building integrated equipment | Per PM schedule | Per manufacturer specification |
What it costs and when you are billed
Applies to Facilities Service Requests only. Service Requests in state-funded space carry no charge to the department.
Written estimates only
FM does not issue verbal estimates. A written estimate is what makes the billing accurate and is what you approve against.
75 / 25 billing
On an estimated job, 75 percent is charged when you approve the estimate and the remaining 25 percent when FM marks the job complete.
Track it yourself
Billing on the Web shows work orders, descriptions, liens on pending estimates, time and materials detail, and archived bills by department and FAU.
Have this ready before you submit
Complete information is the difference between a request that routes on the first pass and one that comes back to you for detail.
Every request
- Building name, floor, room number, and exact location
- Description of the issue, the request, or the outcome you need
- Whether the work is a repair, addition, upgrade, removal, relocation, or change in use of space
- Preferred timing, access limitations, shutdown needs, and operational constraints
- Whether utilities, HVAC, power, plumbing, data or network, safety, or building systems may be affected
- Whether the space is a lab, clinical, research, server or network, or otherwise specialized
Required for an FSR
- Your four-digit department code
- The Full Accounting Unit (FAU) to be charged
- The approver's name and email, plus any copy recipients
- Your blanket number, if the work is going against an existing blanket
- Whether the request relates to another open request or project
- For key orders: delivery or pickup, delivery address, and the person authorized to receive
When your request goes beyond FM
Some work triggers review by Design & Project Management or a campus partner before it can be scheduled. Knowing this in advance prevents a restart.
Dollar thresholds
| Minor renovations and alterations | Up to $100,000 |
| Referred to Design & Project Management | Over $100,000 |
| Managed by DPM | Up to $3M |
| Above $3M | Chancellor delegation |
Change in use of space
Converting an office to a lab, changing a room's function, adding specialized equipment, or altering infrastructure changes the space record and the fund type that governs it. Contact FM before the request is submitted so the space review happens first, not after the work is scoped.
EH&S
Safety, environmental, occupational health, and regulatory review. Renovation, alteration, repair, and construction maintenance may carry Cal/OSHA requirements depending on scope.
Design & Project Management
Larger or more complex work needing design, project coordination, or specialized project support.
Capital Programs
Projects over $100,000, or requests that change the use of space.
Procurement, IT, partners
Vendor construction on a purchase order, server, network, or data room changes, and specialized equipment.