Tenants
Apartment buildings have something other buildings don't: tenants. A building engineer takes care of individual tenant's service requests as well as provide oversight of the plumbing, heating, air conditioning and electrical systems of the entire building to ensure they are running properly and efficiently. Some tools are electronic in nature, such as a computer used to keep maintenance records or volt-ohm meters used to investigate problems in the building's wiring.
Maintenance
In addition to repairs, a building engineer performs preventative maintenance work, such as changing the filters in heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems or replacing seals in plumbing systems. Some building engineers repaint apartments or office spaces in preparation for new clients, or re-carpet both private and common areas of the building as part of their duties. Building engineers also do building and space inspections to determine needed repairs or actions required to prevent problems such as those that result from the presence of vermin.
Contractors and Inspections
Depending on a building's location, municipality, county or state laws and ordinances, licensed contractors may require to complete certain repairs, such as elevator repair. Major electrical work or some kinds of plumbing work require city, county or state inspection. The building engineer arranges for licensed contractors to complete this work and coordinates the required inspections when work is complete. When a manufacturer's warranty covers new systems, the building engineer may contact the manufacturer for repairs, rather than risk voiding the warranty.
General Cleanup
Some buildings may rely on the building engineer to keep common areas, such as hallways, conference rooms or lobbies clean. This can range from vacuuming to washing walls. If the building has a dedicated housekeeping staff, it may be part of the building engineer’s department and under his/her management.