Profession Playbook

Facility Manager

Professional designation, not a licence

Facility managers keep buildings running — maintenance, operations, vendors, energy, space, and safety. It is an unregulated field where credentials (IFMA's FMP and CFM) signal competence, and facilities-management services are a real standalone business hiring the trades we already serve.

Where are you right now?

Qualify. Practise. Own it. Pick the door that matches where you are.

Getting inBecome a facility managerThe real path: degree, supervised experience, and the licensing or designation exam.Open Comparing optionsWhat facility managers earnSalary stages, different practice lanes, and the economics of moving from an employee role to a fee.Open Going out on your ownStart a facilities management businessFrom qualified professional to your own authorized, insured practice.Open Just lookingCommon questionsCredentials, timelines, and how-to questions, answered straight.Open

Facility Manager at a glance

Credential
Not licensed — IFMA (FMP / CFM) or BOMI (RPA) are the recognized credentials
Path in
Experience-led → FMP (entry) → CFM (3–5 yrs experience)
Regulated by
Not regulated; IFMA and BOMI set the standards
Insurance baseline
E&O and general liability for a facilities-services business
Professional body
IFMA / BOMI

The credential, explained

Facility management is not a licensed profession. The recognized credentials are IFMA's FMP (Facility Management Professional, an entry-level certification with no prerequisites) and CFM (Certified Facility Manager, the senior credential), plus BOMI's RPA (Real Property Administrator). None is legally required, but clients and employers look for them — and an FM services business runs on the same operational backbone we build for contractors.

Designations in this profession

  • FMPFacility Management Professional (IFMA): Entry-level, no prerequisites
  • CFMCertified Facility Manager (IFMA): 3 yrs experience + FM degree, or 5 yrs without
  • RPAReal Property Administrator (BOMI)

Insurance to expect

A facilities-management business carries professional liability (E&O) for the operational decisions it makes on a client's building, plus commercial general liability for its on-site presence. Coverage scales with how much maintenance and vendor management you take on.

Go to the source

The official bodies that govern this profession. Bookmark these, they are the final word on requirements, exams, and fees.

Keep reading

Operational SetupInsuranceIncorporationCRA Registration

Ready to start a facilities management business?

AEC Stack handles the business side (incorporation, registrations, insurance, and operations) so you can focus on the professional work.