Facility management companies vs CMMS software: which is right for multiple locations?

A store calls in a leaking roof on a Friday night. Someone has to decide how urgent it is, find a roofer who covers that town, chase the visit and check the invoice. The setup you choose decides who that someone is, and what it costs you. This guide compares the four common options, with published pricing and examples from each.

What is the difference between a facility management company and CMMS software?

A CMMS (computerized maintenance management system) is software. It keeps your work orders, assets, preventative maintenance schedules, quotes and invoices in one place, but your team still does the work of running the program.

A facility management company is a service. It takes on some or all of that work for you, from answering requests to finding a technician and checking the invoice.

In practice, multi-location businesses choose between four setups. Two are mostly software, two are mostly service, and the line between them is getting blurry.

What are the four ways to get facility maintenance support?

Each setup splits the work in a different place. Here is how each one works, with examples of companies that offer it, described in their own words.

1. CMMS software you run yourself

Your team takes the requests, sets the priority, sends the work to your own service providers and approves the invoices. The software keeps the record and the history.

Examples: MaintainX calls itself "powerful maintenance software." UpKeep describes itself as "an Asset Operations Management solution." Limble and FMX also sell CMMS software, and FMX calls itself "the easiest-to-use facilities and maintenance management solution on the market."

Best fit: you have a facilities team with time to dispatch and follow up, and service providers you trust in most of your markets.

2. A national integrated facility management firm

A large firm runs facilities for you, often with its own managers and workforce. These contracts usually cover a wide scope of building services, not only repairs.

Examples: CBRE lists integrated facilities management and says it has "The World's Largest FM Workforce." JLL offers "dynamic and efficient facilities management solutions." KBS calls itself "the largest privately-held provider of facility services in North America."

Best fit: large offices, campuses and portfolios with people in the building every day.

3. A managed maintenance service

One company takes your requests, sends a technician from its network, follows up and sends you one bill. Your team stops chasing visits, but you rely on the provider to share the detail.

Examples: Vixxo "designs multi-site facility maintenance solutions" and says it works with more than 150,000 technicians across 40+ trade specialties. Divisions Maintenance Group describes "Integrated Facilities Maintenance" with "Boots on the ground."

Best fit: lean teams with many smaller sites who want one number to call.

4. Software plus a managed service

You keep the software and the full record. You decide, by trade or by location, which work your team runs and which work the managed service runs.

Examples: ServiceChannel describes itself as "facilities management software and contractor sourcing" and also sells a managed suite it calls "a suite of facilities management services." Lessen calls itself "The Operating Platform for Facilities Management and Property Services." Bedrock pairs Pebble CMMS with managed facility services.

Best fit: teams that want control and a full record, with help in the markets or trades where they are thin.

How do the four setups compare side by side?

The table sums up the differences. Contracts vary, so treat each line as a starting point for your own questions.

Swipe to see the whole table

How much does CMMS software cost?

Most CMMS software is priced per user, per month. Some companies publish their prices and some only quote. Here is what each company listed on its own website on 28 October 2026.

Swipe to see the whole table

Two things change the real cost more than the list price. The first is how many people need a paid login, since people who only submit requests are often free. The second is setup, because some companies charge a one-time implementation fee.

How are facility management companies and managed services priced?

Service pricing is less public than software pricing. Most companies quote each contract. These are the common models you will see.

• Management fee. A set fee for running the program, on top of the cost of the repairs themselves.
• Markup on contractor invoices. The provider adds a percentage to what the technician charges. Ask whether markups apply to labor, parts or both.
• Fixed fee. One agreed price for a defined scope. ServiceChannel, for example, offers a fixed-fee option for its managed services.
• Cost-plus or guaranteed maximum price. Common in larger outsourcing contracts, where you pay actual costs plus a margin, sometimes with a cap.

Whatever the model, ask for invoices that show the technician's charge and the provider's fee as separate lines. Set a DNE (do not exceed) limit, so any quote above it waits for your approval before work goes ahead.

Why is reliable coverage getting harder to find?

The technicians every setup depends on are in high demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics to grow 11 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 40,600 openings each year. Median pay for the role was $61,010 a year in May 2025.

For general maintenance and repair workers, the bureau projects about 148,700 openings each year over the same decade. Median pay was $49,590 a year in May 2025.

More openings mean more competition for the same technicians. Whichever setup you choose, ask how the provider covers a market where it has no one yet. Our guide on what to do in a market with no service provider covers that problem in depth.

Which setup fits your locations?

Start with how much time your team has, then look at your coverage.

• Count the hours. If one person handles facilities next to another job, follow-up is usually what slips. That points toward a managed service or a mix.
• Map your coverage. List the markets where you have a provider you trust for each trade. The empty cells are where you need help first.
• Decide who owns the record. If you change providers later, your work order and asset history should stay with you. That points toward owning the software.
• Look at the invoices. If you want one bill instead of many, that points toward a managed service.
• Look at the buildings. Large offices and campuses with staff on site suit a national FM firm. Many smaller sites spread across states suit software, a managed service, or both.

What should you ask before you sign?

Ask the same questions of every option so the answers line up.

• Who answers a request after hours, and how fast does a person look at it?
• Can I see every open work order, quote and invoice in one place?
• How do you cover a market where you have no technician yet?
• Does work stop and wait for my approval when a quote goes over my DNE limit?
• Can I keep the service providers I already use?
• How is your fee shown on each invoice?
• If we part ways, do I keep my work order and asset history?
• What will my team still do every week?

Write the answers down side by side. The gaps show up fast.

Can you mix setups across your locations?

Yes, and many programs end up mixed. You might keep your own HVAC company in the markets where it is strong, and use a managed service in a new market with no coverage.

At Bedrock, Pebble CMMS is built for that mix, with three ways to run it. Client-Managed means your team runs the program with your own service providers. Shared Coverage means Bedrock fills the gaps in your network. Managed Services means Bedrock manages dispatch and service for you. Every work order, quote and invoice stays in Pebble either way. See our managed facility services for the trades we cover.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a CMMS and a facility management company?

A CMMS is software that keeps work orders, assets, schedules and invoices in one place, while your team does the work. A facility management company is a service that does some or all of that work for you.

How much does CMMS software cost per user?

Published prices on 28 October 2026 ranged from free plans to $75 per user per month. MaintainX lists $20 to $65 per user per month billed annually, and UpKeep lists $24 and $55 per user per month. Limble and FMX quote each customer.

Is ServiceChannel software or a managed service?

Both. ServiceChannel describes itself as facilities management software and contractor sourcing, and it also sells a managed suite of facilities management services, billed separately from the software.

What is a DNE or NTE limit?

A DNE (do not exceed) limit, also called NTE (not to exceed), is the most a technician can spend on a job without asking for approval. Quotes above the limit wait for your sign-off before work goes ahead.

Can I use my own service providers with a managed service?

It depends on the provider. Some managed services only dispatch their own network. A setup that pairs software with a managed service usually lets you keep your own providers where they are strong and get help where you have gaps.