Purpose -The purpose of this study is to focus on identifying building elements with design defects and established the relationship between design defects and difficulties in carrying out maintenance works. Design/methodology/approach -A total of four cases have been selected covering primary-and secondary-level for both National and National-type schools (commonly known as vernacular schools). Interviews with school management were carried out throughout the study to assess the common design defects in the buildings. Findings -A list of the design defects that have caused high maintenance cost was tabulated. It could be concluded that the most common design defects are building fac¸ade and missing slot underneath the floor slab which led to more defects. Research limitations/implications -Only four schools in Penang, Malaysia were involved in this study. Data were gathered from the school management and maintenance personnel. No data have been obtained from the designers because difficulties in tracing the designers record since the school age are more than 20 years. Practical implications -The study recommended that expert maintenance personnel shall be employed in the design stage to minimize design defects in school projects which in turn minimize the cost of building maintenance. Social Implications -Safety and health of the students could be affected if there is no accurate measures being adopted to overcome the issue. Originality/value -A very limited study has been carried out with regards to design maintenance for school buildings in Malaysia.