Apartment Make-Ready Checklist for California Property Managers (2026)
Walk the unit the day the tenant leaves, not the week after. Photograph everything, scope the whole turn in one pass, and book one crew for the bundle rather than four trades in sequence. The three things that most often stall a turn are flooring lead time, a repaint that was scoped as a touch-up, and discovering an appliance problem on day four.
Walk it the day they leave
Every day between the tenant handing back keys and someone actually assessing the unit is a day of vacancy you cannot get back. Walk it immediately, photograph every room including inside cabinets and behind doors, and write the scope from the photos rather than memory. On an average California rental this single habit is worth a few hundred dollars per turn.
The room-by-room list
Entry and living areas. Wall patching and touch-up, door and lock function, light fixtures and switch plates, blinds, floor condition, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Kitchen. Appliance function and seals, cabinet doors and drawer slides, faucet and drain flow, garbage disposal, backsplash and caulking, outlet function near water.
Bathrooms. Toilet seal and fill, faucet and drain, exhaust fan actually moving air, grout and caulk, vanity and mirror, towel and paper fittings.
Bedrooms. Closet doors and tracks, blinds, wall repair, outlets, window operation and locks.
Outside the unit. Exterior door and deadbolt, unit numbering, mailbox lock, patio or balcony condition, any shared-area damage the tenant caused.
What each line costs in 2026
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Wall patch and paint touch-up, per room | $220 to $520 |
| Full room repaint | $520 |
| Blind replacement, per window | $65 to $130 |
| Interior door or lock repair | $99 to $195 |
| Outlet or switch replacement | $99 to $195 |
| Faucet replacement | $149 to $260 |
| Garbage disposal replacement | $195 to $325 |
| Drain clearing | $195 |
| Dryer vent cleaning | $165 |
| Vanity replacement | $455 |
| Flooring, one room | $650 |
Scope a whole turn in one visit
Send photos of the vacated unit and get the full make-ready scoped and priced, across all of California.
Start a service request → Call (818) 350-9083The three things that stall a turn
Flooring lead time. If the unit needs flooring, order it the day you walk it. Everything else can be compressed; material delivery cannot.
A repaint scoped as a touch-up. Touch-up only works when the existing paint still matches, which after three or more years of sun it usually does not. Decide this at the walk-through, not when a painter is standing in the room.
Appliances found late. Run every appliance on the first walk. A failed fridge discovered on day four adds a week for no reason.
Bundle the work, do not sequence it
The slowest turns are the ones scheduled as four separate trades one after another, each with its own lead time. A general handyman crew that can patch, paint, swap fixtures, handle the doors and set the appliances in one or two visits will usually beat specialists on total elapsed days, which is the number that actually shows up in your vacancy report.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in an apartment make-ready?
Typically wall repair and paint, fixture and hardware replacement, blind replacement, door and lock checks, appliance function, and a full clean. Flooring and full repaints are scoped separately because they drive both cost and timeline.
How much does a make-ready cost in California?
A light turn is generally $650 to $1,100. A heavy turn including flooring and a full repaint runs $1,800 to $2,400.
How soon should a make-ready start after move-out?
The same day if possible. Vacancy costs roughly $80 a day on an average California rental, which is more than most individual line items on the scope.
Can one crew handle a whole make-ready?
For most turns, yes. Patching, paint, fixtures, doors, blinds and appliance setting are all general handyman work. Flooring and licensed electrical or plumbing beyond a swap are the usual exceptions.
Keep reading
- Handyman Crews for Property Managers
- Handyman for Property Managers: Work Orders and Costs
- Handyman Hourly Rate in California
Ready to get it handled?
Flat-rate pricing across all of California. Insured, background-checked crews, and a clear scope before anyone starts.
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