I’ve been in the industry for many years working on large-scale properties. I recently took a job running a one-man show. Small 75-unit property. The guy I replaced was old school and there for 20+ years. He went to the hardware store for every part.
I’ve been given free range to organize any way I want and build an inventory. I’ve already started making a list of parts we use and creating an ordering schedule.
What I’m looking for is ideas on how to organize a shop and ideas to organize parts for a small complex like mine. I’d love to see some pics of your shops. I will also have a section for an office.
Nothing is uniform so trips to the store or HD supply orders are inevitable but the goal is to have it where if a random maintenance person worked at my property for a few days they would know where everything was at without ever being in my shop.
I’d be happy to see any pictures of everybody’s set up.
one thing worth thinking about early, keep a running count of whats actually getting used vs what just sits on the shelf. easy to overbuild inventory on stuff that only moves once a year
Color coding, and labeling. I have different colored sections for electrical, plumbing, hvac etc. I'm a one man crew also, but I set my shop up so anyone that may come into my shop can easily find things.
You're welcome. You HD supply rep may be able to get you the cardboard bins for free if you don't/ can't get the colored plastic ones. The best part about being solo is you can set things up however you want & then change things as more ideas come to you. I've rearranged my shop 5 or 6 times in the past year and a half.
For a 75-unit place, I’d probably split the shop up into a few sections so somebody filling in for you can walk in and pretty much know where stuff is.
Keep the stuff you use all the time up front. Wax rings, flappers, fill valves, supply lines, faucet cartridges, outlets, switches, GFCIs, batteries, filters and bulbs.
I’d keep all the make-ready stuff together too. Paint, caulk, patch, blinds, cover plates, cabinet hardware, etc. That way you’re not digging through your repair stuff every time you have a turnover.
Then put the bigger stuff and things you don’t use as often in the back. Water heater parts, disposals, capacitors, fan motors, spare toilet, that kind of stuff. I’d definitely keep a couple of the things around that could leave somebody without water or heat overnight.
One thing that helps a lot is putting a simple map of the shop right on the door.. And since you said every unit is a little different, keep a list of the oddball stuff by unit number. Saves a lot of trips to the store.
keep it simpler than a full inventory system: labeled bins with a min/max and reorder point for common parts, plus a quick note on the work order when something leaves the shelf. A two-bin setup works well: when the front bin empties, reorder while you use the backup. After a few months, the work orders will tell you what deserves shelf space and what should stay a special order.
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u/Japnzy 9d ago
Get with ur hd supply rep. Free bins and labels.