Infrastructure Maintenance

• What is maintenance and why is it important?
• How much does the state spend on facility maintenance?
• What is deferred maintenance?
• How much maintenance has the state deferred?
• How much has the state funded for deferred maintenance in recent years?

What is maintenance and why is it important?

Maintenance includes the recurring, usual upkeep needed to preserve and extend the useful life of facilities. For example, it includes regular roof work such as inspections and patchwork, as well as replacements. Maintenance is important for protecting the state’s investments in its facilities. When adequate routine maintenance is not performed, it can sometimes trigger repairs that are more expensive in the future. For instance, when regular roof work does not occur, it can result in water damage to facilities that can be difficult and costly to repair.

How much does the state spend on facility maintenance?

The state does not have an overall estimate of how much it spends to maintain its facilities. This is because departments do not have separate budgets for maintenance in many cases. Instead, maintenance funding is often included along with other activities in departments’ operating budgets.

What is deferred maintenance?

When maintenance is delayed or does not occur, we refer to this as deferred maintenance. Defining and estimating the amount of deferred maintenance is often complicated because departments vary in what types of activities they consider maintenance. For example, some departments include as maintenance projects that are not traditionally considered as such—for example, energy and water efficiency upgrades, studies, and code compliance work. In contrast, other departments do not include such activities when identifying maintenance projects.

How much maintenance has the state deferred?

The state does not have a comprehensive inventory of the condition of its existing infrastructure. However, according to the administration’s 2018-19 estimate, the state has $67 billion in deferred maintenance, most of which is in the transportation area.

For more information, see The 2018-19 Budget: The May Revision: Deferred Maintenance.

How much has the state funded for deferred maintenance in recent years?

From 2015-16 to 2021-22, the state provided over $4 billion for deferred maintenance, mostly from the General Fund.