Vendors
Vendor scorecard
A one-page maintenance vendor scorecard: reply time, visit time, first-time fix, callbacks and paperwork each quarter, plus the rules for acting on it.
Last updated
Copy the whole template, then change it for your properties.
One sheet per vendor, per quarter. Fill it in from your work orders and messages, never from memory. Compare it with the backup vendor for the same trade before you change anything.
The vendor
- Vendor name: ____
- Trade: ____
- Area covered: ____
- Takes after-hours work: Yes / No, number: ____
- Place on the bench: first choice / backup
- Quarter: ____
The numbers
| Measure | How to count it | This quarter | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs offered | Work orders offered to this vendor | __ | None set |
| Jobs accepted | Accepted out of offered | __ of __ | None set |
| Median reply time | Job offer to a yes or no; take the middle value | __ | Same business day |
| Visits on the agreed day | Out of jobs accepted | __ of __ | All |
| Closed without a second visit | Out of jobs completed | __ of __ | 9 in 10 |
| Warranty callbacks | Repairs that failed and went back | __ | 0 |
| Invoices over the spend limit | Without approval first | __ | 0 |
| Tenant complaints | About this vendor’s visits | __ | 0 |
The paperwork
- W-9 on file: Yes / No
- Insurance certificate on file, expires on: ____
- Trade license number, where your state requires one: ____, expires on: ____
- Lead-safe certified firm number, for work in pre-1978 homes: ____
- Signed vendor terms: Yes / No
The decision
- Keep as is
- Talk to them about: ____
- Offer more jobs next quarter
- Move to first choice (two quarters ahead of the current first choice)
- Move to backup
- Stop offering jobs, because: ____
Rules that keep it fair
- Change the order on two quarters of evidence, not one good or bad month.
- With fewer than five jobs in a quarter, offer more work before you draw a conclusion.
- Talk to a vendor whose numbers slip before you drop them. Most slips have a reason.
- Missing paperwork pauses new jobs until it arrives, whatever the other numbers say.
- Share the card with the vendor, so they know what you measure and why.
How to use it
- Copy the sheet once per vendor, and fill it in at the end of each quarter.
- Count every number from your work orders and messages, not from memory. The maintenance KPIs guide defines each measure.
- Put the first-choice and backup cards for the same trade side by side before deciding. Count a warranty callback against the first visit, not as a new job.
- Share the card with the vendor and agree what changes next quarter. The vendor posts cover follow-up and backups.
The guide behind it
Sources
- IRS, Forms and associated taxes for independent contractors: W-9 before payment. Checked October 20, 2026.
- U.S. EPA, Renovation, Repair and Painting Program: Contractors: lead-safe firm certification for paid work that disturbs paint in pre-1978 housing. Checked October 20, 2026.