Anyone in park maintenance knows there’s so much more to it than mowing grass.
Park maintenance teams also manage safety risks, serve the public, and protect assets, all while juggling a hundred other requests.
Likewise, there’s more to keeping a park and its recreation facilities running smoothly than you’d think. This post covers what park maintenance leaders need to know (from daily routines and staffing plans to the tools and systems that keep work repeatable and teams accountable).
Key takeaways
- Effective park maintenance management requires defining clear roles for your team.
- Using a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) helps you schedule recurring tasks, track work orders, and manage assets like playgrounds and irrigation systems efficiently.
- A complete park maintenance budget accounts for labor costs, equipment, supplies, and any specialized training or certifications required for your staff.
How are parks maintained?
Park supervisors can use computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) to organize maintenance work, eliminate paper checklists, and get the data they need to make smarter budget decisions. Mobile CMMS systems also make it easier for teams to communicate and make notes and work order requests while on the go.
Park maintenance activities
While specific duties will of course vary by park, you can organize most maintenance work into four main categories. Grouping tasks this way helps you structure your team's responsibilities and plan your maintenance schedule more effectively. If you manage multiple parks, using the same approach at each location keeps quality consistent and costs predictable.
Landscaping
Landscaping focuses on maintaining the park's natural environment and aesthetic appeal. Key activities include mowing grass, pruning trees and shrubs, planting flowers, managing irrigation systems, and applying fertilizer or pesticides as needed.
Cleaning
This category covers all janitorial and sanitation tasks required to keep the park clean. Common duties include emptying trash cans, cleaning and stocking restrooms, removing graffiti, and clearing litter from grounds and pathways.
General infrastructure maintenance
This category covers park assets that require routine inspection and repair. Tasks include maintaining playground equipment, repairing benches and picnic tables, inspecting pathways and trails for hazards, parking lot maintenance, and ensuring signage is visible and in good condition. Additionally, perform building maintenance tasks for any building structures present in the facilities.
Security
Security-related maintenance keeps parks safe. This includes inspecting and repairing fencing, checking that all lighting is operational, and addressing reported safety hazards.
Types of park maintenance workers
For facilities and maintenance managers, understanding different park maintenance worker responsibilities helps with staffing decisions:
- Janitors clean park buildings, picnic shelters, restrooms, and other park facilities.
- Landscape professionals oversee the park's plants. They plant flowers and shrubs, mow lawns, remove weeds, and clear debris. They also manage irrigation systems and apply fertilizers to plants besides maintaining fencing and signages.
- Maintenance technicians repair water, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. They may also service equipment and tools used by landscape professionals.
- Maintenance supervisors are in charge of planning and scheduling park maintenance.
Tools and equipment for park maintenance
While the specific equipment your team needs to safely maintain your park will depend on its size and features, most teams rely on a standard set of tools:
- Landscaping equipment: This includes commercial-grade lawn mowers, string trimmers, edgers, leaf blowers, and chainsaws for groundskeeping.
- Hand tools: You’ll likely need a variety of manual tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning shears, and wheelbarrows.
- Cleaning supplies: Janitorial teams will need pressure washers, cleaning chemicals, and basic supplies for restocking restrooms.
- Utility vehicles: Teams often use carts or small trucks to transport tools, supplies, and personnel.
- Personal protective equipment: Providing gloves, safety glasses, hearing protection, and high-visibility vests is essential.
Modern tools can transform park maintenance operations
To do their best work, park maintenance staff and facilities management teams need smart planning, organized schedules, and solid communication. Yet many teams still struggle with paper checklists and spreadsheets that limit visibility into asset conditions and maintenance schedules.
Modern, mobile-first CMMS platforms like MaintainX offer teams a way to schedule preventive maintenance, track work orders, and manage assets from anywhere. City governments and facilities managers use digital maintenance management tools to reduce unplanned downtime and streamline operations.
This was the case for Villages Golf and Country Club, an active-living community that spans 40 acres with 2,300 homes, an 18-hole golf course, a nine-hole short course, four aquatic centers, a clubhouse, and hiking trails. Switching to MaintainX software has helped the team increase productivity by 27%.
“Since implementing MaintainX, the efficiency level is night and day. We’ve gone from completing work orders within a two-week period down to two or three days,” says the club’s assistant general manager of public works. “It’s been a great experience, and the team enjoys using it.”
Sign up for free to see how digital maintenance management can transform your park operations.
Park Maintenance FAQs
Park maintenance costs vary widely based on park size, location, and amenities. For accurate budgeting, account for labor hours, equipment maintenance, fuel, cleaning supplies, and replacement parts for assets like benches and playground equipment. These costs represent a significant portion of municipal budgets.
National data show that grounds maintenance workers’ wages span a wide range, and average annual wages can differ substantially by state (for example, state averages for landscaping and groundskeeping workers range from roughly the low $30Ks to the high $40Ks).
Supervisory roles typically earn more than frontline groundskeeping jobs: first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers have a national median pay around $50K, with upper-end earners reaching about $80K.
For management-track positions, professional certification may provide an advantage, and facilities/administrative services managers generally earn higher pay than frontline and supervisory roles.
CMMS software like MaintainX helps teams transition from reactive repairs to proactive maintenance. You can schedule recurring tasks like lawn mowing or playground inspections, track asset repair history, and manage parts inventory from mobile devices. This improves your team’s efficiency and gives you data for better decision-making.
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