What We Audit
Services
We focus on the vendor categories that represent the largest share of your budget — and the greatest opportunity for savings.
Insurance Premiums
Typically 8–15%% of HOA annual budget
Why HOAs Overpay
HOA insurance policies are frequently auto-renewed without competitive bidding. Carriers count on inertia. Premiums often increase 5–12% annually with no corresponding improvement in coverage.
What We Do
We conduct a full coverage review, solicit competing bids from 3–5 qualified carriers, and negotiate with your incumbent. We compare apples-to-apples on coverage limits, deductibles, and exclusions.
10–20% on annual premium
54-unit HOA: $42,000 → $34,500 — saving $7,500 in year one.
- • Auto-renewal with no re-bid in 2+ years
- • Premium increases without loss history
- • Coverage limits never reviewed
Landscaping
Typically 10–15%% of HOA annual budget
Why HOAs Overpay
Landscaping contracts are relationship-driven and often never rebid. Vendors add service charges and frequency adjustments over time. Long-term contracts frequently include unnoticed price escalation clauses.
What We Do
We review your current scope, benchmark against local market rates, and solicit bids from licensed vendors in your area. We also review any escalation clauses in existing contracts.
15–25% on annual contract value
40-unit condo: $38,000 → $29,000 with improved scope.
- • Contract auto-renewed 3+ consecutive years
- • Unexplained seasonal add-on charges
- • No written scope of services
Trash / Scavenger
Typically 5–8%% of HOA annual budget
Why HOAs Overpay
Waste hauling contracts are notorious for hidden fees — fuel surcharges, environmental fees, and container rental charges that inflate the actual cost 20–40% above the base rate.
What We Do
We audit every line item on your invoices, calculate your true all-in cost, and benchmark against alternative haulers. We negotiate cancellation of punitive auto-renewal terms.
15–30% on all-in annual cost
$1,800/month all-in → $1,280/month — saving $6,240/year.
- • Fuel and environmental surcharges on every invoice
- • Missed cancellation windows
- • Rate increases with no board notification
Cable / Internet (Bulk)
Typically 10–20%% of HOA annual budget
Why HOAs Overpay
Multi-year bulk agreements — often 5–10 years — frequently expire and auto-renew at rates 30–50% above current market. Providers rarely proactively offer better terms.
What We Do
We identify your contract expiration, review current pricing against market alternatives, and negotiate with your incumbent or solicit competing bids from alternative carriers.
20–30% on annual bulk contract value
40-unit condo: $55,000/year cable → $41,000 — saving $14,000/year.
- • Contract signed more than 3 years ago
- • No renegotiation at prior renewal
- • Multiple providers now serving your area
Snow Removal
Typically 5–8%% of HOA annual budget
Why HOAs Overpay
Snow removal contracts range from seasonal flat-rate to per-push structures. HOAs often carry the wrong contract type for their weather exposure — paying flat rates in mild winters or unlimited liability in heavy ones.
What We Do
We review your contract structure, benchmark pricing against regional alternatives, and recommend the right contract type based on your community's actual snow exposure.
10–20% on seasonal contract
Townhome HOA switched from flat-rate to per-push — saved $8,000 in a mild season.
- • Flat-rate contract in a low-snowfall area
- • No salt/material costs itemized
- • Same vendor 5+ seasons, no re-bid
Security Services
Typically 5–8%% of HOA annual budget
Why HOAs Overpay
Security contracts often expand in scope without corresponding rebids. Monitoring, patrol, and access control are frequently bundled in ways that inflate overall cost.
What We Do
We separate and evaluate each component of your security spend, benchmark hourly patrol rates, and review monitoring contract terms and technology costs.
10–20% on annual security spend
Condo association separated monitoring from patrol — saved $11,000/year.
- • Bundled contracts not broken out by service type
- • Monitoring rates not reviewed in 2+ years
- • Access control on rental vs. owned
Property Management
Typically 8–12%% of HOA annual budget
Why HOAs Overpay
Management fees and scope of services vary significantly across providers. Many contracts include add-on fees that inflate actual cost well above the headline rate.
What We Do
We review your management agreement, identify add-on fees, and benchmark fees against comparable providers. We don't automatically recommend switching — we identify if the fee structure is competitive.
10–15% where competitive gaps exist
100-unit HOA eliminated $14,000 in add-on charges after contract review.
- • Add-on charges for routine services
- • No written service level agreement
- • Fee increased at renewal without negotiation
Building Maintenance & Mechanical
Typically 5–10%% of HOA annual budget
Why HOAs Overpay
Maintenance contracts for common-area systems — HVAC, elevators, roofing, and other mechanical — frequently include unnecessary service tiers, bundled parts markups, and time-and-material overages that erode contract value. These contracts are rarely rebid.
What We Do
We audit contracts across your building systems including HVAC, elevator service agreements, roof maintenance, plumbing, and other mechanical services. We review parts and labor pricing, benchmark against alternative vendors, and identify where fixed-price contracts may reduce cost and exposure.
10–20% on annual maintenance contracts
High-rise condo renegotiated elevator and HVAC contracts together — saved $14,000/year.
- • T&M billing with no cost caps
- • Parts markups above 30%
- • Elevator or roof contracts not rebid in 3+ years
- • No written preventive maintenance schedule
Janitorial / Cleaning
Typically 5–8%% of HOA annual budget
Why HOAs Overpay
Janitorial services are a commodity — many qualified vendors compete for this work. Yet many HOAs never rebid these contracts, and pricing drifts upward while scope shrinks.
What We Do
We document current scope and solicit competing bids from licensed commercial cleaning vendors. We ensure scope is identical across bids to allow true comparison.
15–25% on annual cleaning contract
40-unit building rebid janitorial and saved $6,800/year with no change in quality.
- • Contract not rebid in 3+ years
- • No written scope defining frequency
- • Supplies billed separately without approval
What we don't do
Setting clear expectations is part of how we work.
- Switch vendors without explicit board approval
- Cut service quality to reduce cost
- Charge a fee for categories where no savings are found
- Sign contracts on behalf of the HOA
- Maintain financial relationships with any vendor
Not sure where your biggest opportunity is?
We'll tell you — for free. A spend audit takes less than two weeks and costs you nothing.
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