First, check your approval limit
Most management agreements set an amount you can spend on a repair without asking, and an exception for emergencies. Look up both for this owner before you do anything else. If the repair is under the limit, you do not need approval, but a heads-up email still saves a call when the statement arrives. If it is over, you need a decision, and the rest of this guide is about getting one quickly.
If the repair is an emergency, act under your agreement's emergency terms first and tell the owner straight after. Do not leave a resident without heat while you wait for an owner on holiday to read email.
Have this ready before you contact the owner
| Item | Why the owner needs it |
|---|---|
| What broke, in one line | They are not on site and do not know the unit |
| What happens if nothing is done | The real cost of saying no, including to the resident |
| Photos | The fastest way past "is this really needed?" |
| Quotes | More than one if the job and time allow, per your firm policy |
| Options | Repair, replace, or a temporary fix, each with a price |
| Your recommendation | They are paying you to have one |
| A decision date | Without one, the email sits |
The email
Subject: Decision needed by [date]: [repair] at [address]
Hi [owner name],
[What broke, one sentence.] Our vendor inspected it on [date]; photos attached. If it is not fixed, [consequence: further damage, the resident without a service, a code issue].
Your options:
1. [Option]: [price]. [What it fixes and how long it should last.]
2. [Option]: [price]. [What it fixes and what it leaves.]
3. [Temporary fix, if there is one]: [price]. [How long it buys.]
We recommend option [number] because [one reason, in plain words].
This is above the [limit] approval limit in our agreement, so we need your go-ahead. Please reply with the option number by [date]. [Vendor] can start [date] once approved. If you would rather talk it through, call [name] at [number].
[Your name]
The subject line does the most work. An owner who sees "Decision needed by Thursday" opens it. One who sees "Unit 4 update" files it.
How to set out the options
From work order to written approval
Never start an over-limit job on a verbal yes. Ask the owner to reply to the email, even with one word.
Give a real choice. Three options where two are obviously wrong reads as a push, and owners notice. If there is honestly only one option, say so and say why.
Put the price first in each line, and keep the vendor's wording for the work itself. If a later invoice differs from the quote, you want the owner to be able to see the two side by side.
When the owner says no, or does not answer
If they choose the cheaper fix against your advice, confirm their choice in writing, including what you told them could happen. That line protects you when it does.
Thanks, [owner name]. We will go ahead with option [number] at [price]. As mentioned, this [what it does not fix], and we may need to come back to it. We will let you know when the work is done.
If there is no reply by the date, send one short follow-up, then call. If the repair affects whether the home is safe or habitable, check what your agreement and local law require of you and do not let silence decide it.
Then close the loop
When the work is done, send one line with the final cost and a photo of the finished job. When the charge shows on the statement, the owner should already know what it is. If you send a monthly update, the owner update templates include a line for a large repair.
Draft it with AI
The facts for this email all sit in the work order and the quotes. Put the email template and your firm rules in a ChatGPT or Claude Project, attach the work order, photos and quotes, and send:
Using the template in this Project, draft the expensive repair email to the owner. Use only the facts, prices and dates in the attached work order and quotes. The owner's approval limit is [amount]. List each quote as an option with its price. Leave the recommendation as [OUR RECOMMENDATION] for me to write. If anything the template needs is missing, write NEEDS A HUMAN instead of guessing.Write the recommendation yourself. That is the part the owner is paying you for.
Before it goes to the owner
- You checked the approval limit and emergency terms in the agreement.
- Every price matches a quote you have on file.
- The cost of doing nothing is stated.
- There is one recommendation and one reason.
- The subject line has the decision date.
Questions
How do I tell an owner about an expensive repair?
By email, early, with photos, the cost of doing nothing, priced options, one recommendation and a decision date in the subject line.
Do I need owner approval for every repair?
No. Most management agreements set an approval limit and emergency terms. Check this owner's agreement before you ask.
What if the owner will not approve a needed repair?
Confirm their choice in writing, including what you told them could happen. If the repair affects safety or habitability, check your agreement and local law and talk to your counsel.
How many quotes should I get for a big repair?
Follow your firm policy and the management agreement. Where time allows, more than one quote makes the owner's decision faster.