Planning Capital Improvements
Beyond Routine Maintenance
While regular maintenance keeps systems running, capital improvements are planned upgrades and replacements that extend your building's life and value. A capital improvement plan looks 5, 10, or even 20 years into the future to anticipate what your building will need and what it will cost.
Building Your Capital Plan
Navigate to Maintenance in the sidebar, then select the Capital Projects tab to create your improvement plan. For each planned improvement:
- Identify the system or area — what component of your building is this project for?
- Estimate the cost — get vendor quotes where possible, or use industry benchmarks for preliminary planning.
- Set a target year — based on the system's current condition and expected remaining life.
- Assign a priority — safety-related items and failing systems come first; aesthetic improvements can wait.
Budget Integration
Your capital improvement plan feeds directly into your budget planning. When you create your annual budget, Nestingbird shows your upcoming capital projects alongside your reserve balance. This helps you answer the critical question: "Are we saving enough to cover what's coming?"
If your reserves are underfunded relative to your upcoming projects, you'll know in advance and can adjust assessment amounts or project timelines accordingly — far better than discovering a shortfall when the boiler fails.
Impact on Your Building Score
A documented, funded capital improvement plan is one of the strongest signals of good management. It directly improves both your Maintenance Planning and Reserve Health scores, and it's exactly the kind of proactive planning that lenders and insurers look for when evaluating an association.
Plan Requirement
Capital project tracking and document processing are available on all plans, including Basics. Including capital projects in budgeting and financial planning requires Good Standing.