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Emergency Project Coordination

Coordinating an emergency water leak restoration

Illustration of emergency water leak coordination and restoration progress
Role
Condo Administrator (emergency project coordination)
Timeline
About 4 weeks · completed before the Christmas holidays

Overview

A building hot-water recirculation pipe burst behind the wall of a walk-in closet in a 10th-floor unit. Water travelled through about 10 floors, affecting residential units and common areas down to the ground floor. About 30 units were affected, and 15 residents had damaged flooring. About 10 units needed laminate flooring removed and replaced, 6 needed kitchen cabinet repairs or replacement, and some residents stayed in hotels during repairs. The goal was to restore every unit within about four weeks, before the Christmas holidays, while planning around holiday-season staffing shortages, limited material availability and shipping delays.

Project at a Glance

Scope
About 30 units across 10 floors plus common areas; about 10 laminate flooring replacements and 6 kitchen cabinet repairs or replacements
Schedule
About 4 weeks, with a target of completion before the Christmas holidays
Budget
An estimated $1M, handled through the building insurance claim (subject to the deductible)
Stakeholders
Affected residents, management, the Board, the insurance adjuster appointed by the corporation, a plumber, the emergency remediation contractor, a repair estimator, and flooring and cabinet contractors

Project Goals

  • Identify and address the source of the leak immediately
  • Document the incident thoroughly: incident reports, photographs, affected units and repair requirements
  • Start the building insurance claim as early as possible
  • Keep repair costs within insurance coverage, the deductible and the corporation’s requirements
  • Coordinate all contractors and service providers
  • Keep affected residents informed clearly and promptly, and keep disruption to a minimum
  • Finish within about four weeks, before the Christmas holidays, despite holiday staffing, material and shipping constraints

Key Activities

Phase 1 — Emergency response (Day 1)

  • Arranged for a plumber to attend right away to find the source and extent of the pipe failure
  • Coordinated the emergency remediation contractor to begin water extraction and drying
  • Documented the incident and affected areas for management and the insurer, and started the insurance claim

Phase 2 — Remediation (Days 2–3)

  • Coordinated the remediation crew’s access to affected units and monitored the drying work
  • Sent electronic suite-entry notices with scheduled visits and arrival times
  • Told residents where the drying equipment would be placed and that it would stay about 2–3 business days

Phase 3 — Follow-up (Day 4)

  • Arranged the remediation contractor’s return inspection and sent further suite-entry notices
  • Updated residents on the damage and remediation, and confirmed that drying was on track

Phase 4 — Assessment & approval

  • Coordinated removal of the drying equipment once the affected areas were dry
  • Brought in a repair estimator for a detailed quotation (3–4 business days)
  • Had stakeholders review and approve the scope and costs before work started

Phase 5 — Restoration & close-out

  • Scheduled the repair contractors and sent suite-entry notices before the repairs began
  • Coordinated flooring replacement, kitchen cabinet repairs and other restoration work
  • Monitored contractor progress and repair costs against insurance coverage, keeping residents updated throughout
  • Confirmed with contractors that the work was completed properly and that units were ready for residents to return

Outcomes

  • Restoration of about 30 affected units completed within the four-week target, before the Christmas holidays
  • An estimated $1M in repairs coordinated in line with insurance coverage and approved costs
  • About 10 units of flooring and 6 kitchens repaired or replaced across multiple contractors
  • The management team received positive feedback from residents and owners for the timely response, organization and communication

Skills Applied

  • Emergency Response
  • Schedule Management
  • Contractor Coordination
  • Insurance Claims
  • Cost Monitoring
  • Stakeholder Communication
  • Documentation
  • Project Close-out