Overview:
Rebeca Johnson manages 56 Boulder rental units, defying stereotypes as a handywoman in the male-dominated maintenance industry.
Rebecca Johnson starts every day at 5 a.m. She’s up and working out with her girls for “power hour” before taking on a day that involves work most steer clear of at all costs.
“I fix shit,” Johnson declared bluntly. “It’s what I do.”
When a toilet is broken or a faucet is leaky, it’s stereotypical to picture a maintenance man as the one to fix it. Maintenance work has long been considered a man’s job, as evidenced by everything from hiring practices to children’s television shows such as “Bob the Builder.”
Today women make up only 4.2% of all maintenance workers. Johnson has never been intimidated by that statistic. “I’ve always been in nontraditional roles,” Johnson said. “I’m an ex-softball officiant and I was number two in the state for the whole state, so I’ve always done nontraditional female roles.”
Johnson started working in this field 20 years ago and takes pride in her success in this male-dominated industry. “I am always smiling,” Johnson said. She oversees and maintains 56 units across three apartment complexes, along with two houses, and will occasionally lend a hand to friends in need of repairs.
A typical workday for Johnson starts at 9 a.m., when she begins moving back and forth between properties to complete renovation projects and respond to student work orders. On a recent Wednesday, she started her day renovating a 1920s apartment unit that still maintains its original plumbing and wiring before heading to another unit that needed a light cover reinstalled. By noon, Johnson has usually logged more than 10,000 steps.
“I get here and I look to see if I have any emails for work orders,” Johnson said. “They also come across my wrist on my phone or my watch, because a lot of times I could be underneath the sink or sometimes I’m cutting a branch, and I don’t need to have my phone pinging all the time.”
The residents of the apartments and homes Johnson manages are nearly all students at the University of Colorado Boulder, many of whom are living on their own for the first time. Johnson goes above and beyond for her students, even writing a welcome letter at the start of each leasing cycle to assist them with common maintenance issues.
“What I really respected about her was how she would build relationships with the tenants,” said Ana Gordon, a former resident in one of the apartments Johnson maintains. “Every time she came over, she would check in on us, ask how we were doing and remember things about us. I knew I could always rely on her.”
When asked why female maintenance workers are important, Johnson points to the comfort of her residents.
“Guys living on their own, they don’t worry about another guy coming into their apartment,” she says. “But as young women, yes, we look at life differently.”
Throughout the day, Johnson fields work orders ranging from clogged garbage disposals to broken toilet lids. As soon as a request appears on her screen, she evaluates its urgency and determines how quickly she can respond.
“I’ll get texts late at night and I always redirect them to the after-hours number,” she said. Even on her days off, Johnson will work to help residents find a solution.
Maintenance wasn’t Johnson’s first career. For 25 years, she worked one-on-one with children with disabilities and their families, helping them navigate daily routines and school life. After experiencing burnout, she took time off before eventually landscaping for a Boulder property manager.
“I paid attention, I watched and I learned hands-on,” she said.
Now, Johnson has become the teacher herself. She mentors a group of teenage boys, teaching them the basics of home repair.
“I’m going to let you struggle a little bit,” Johnson said. “I’ll give you a little bit of instruction, but I will let you struggle a bit first. That’s how I learn best.”
If you ever see a red Nissan truck decorated with Wonder Woman merchandise, Johnson is likely nearby. Wonder Woman debuted when she was a little girl and remains a symbol of strength.
“Until her, there weren’t any heroes that were female,” Johnson said. “She was an Amazon; she was strong, and she didn’t need help from anyone, especially men.”
Rebecca Johnson driving her truck. Photo by Ella Berry
Johnson tries to work with other women whenever she can. Although many of her handy counterparts are men, she regularly works with her friend Bunny. When it comes to laying a new floor, Johnson and Bunny are the dream team. And if anyone questions her judgment on the job?
“I do this for a living,” Johnson tells them. “I fix shit.’ That’s what my day is.”
