Brookline Capital Needs, Brookline, MA

The Town of Brookline is one the few institutions that have conducted a town wide survey of capital needs for the building envelope of all their 80 buildings for the purposes of raising the funds and implementing the recommended repairs over a 20-year period. Being proactive about deferred maintenance is the best way to keep buildings in their best condition and lower those costs.

We surveyed all 80 buildings and documented the condition of the exterior walls which included brick, stone, precast, stucco, metal, wood clapboards and paint. We also surveyed the windows and all the sealants (caulking). We then prioritized the needed repairs so they would know when the repairs were needed. Sometimes this meant making judgement calls about priority because all the repairs cannot be done at the same time because of funding. In the end, we produced a 20 Year Capital Needs Plan that the Town has been raising money for and implementing every year. At the end of 20 years, they start over!