Building a Vendor SLA

“I’ll try to swing by” is not a commitment, and at 6pm on a Saturday with a guest in the house it is not even a comfort.

The fix is not a contract with a lawyer on it. It is one page, agreed once, that says what happens when you call.

What actually goes on the page

• Response time, by severity. No AC or no water: 4 hours. No hot water, pool green, fridge out: same day. Everything else: batched monthly.
• After-hours rate, agreed in advance. You are not negotiating at 9pm; you are checking a number you both already said yes to.
• Entry rules. Can they enter with the code while a guest is out? Do they text before and after? Never while the guest is asleep.
• Who they invoice and how fast you pay. This is the clause that makes you a good customer, and it is the reason they answer you first.
• Photos on completion. Same standard as the cleaner. What they fixed, and what they noticed while they were in there.

Put the routine visits on the same page: two HVAC services a year, quarterly pest, weekly pool and lawn. A vendor who has predictable recurring revenue from you answers the emergency call. One who only hears from you when something is broken does not.

Got it? Then the last piece, and it is a permit condition.

Somebody has to be able to get there

Your vendor bench and your permit obligation overlap here. Many Central Florida jurisdictions require a local contact reachable 24/7, commonly within 30 to 60 minutes. That person needs to actually exist, actually answer, and actually be able to open your front door.

The whole level in four lines

• Pay the cleaner properly and make the turnover report the condition of payment.
• Have a second cleaner who has actually cleaned the house.
• Keep a roster, batch the small jobs, service the HVAC and pool before August.
• Agree response times and after-hours rates on a good day, in writing.

Also defined: Punch List