How to Stop Wearing Too Many Hats in Your Construction Business
Design-build firm owner Peter Feinmann offers help for general contractors and builders who have too much to do
Peter Feinmann, founder and president of Feinmann Inc., has for over 30 years run an award-winning residential design-build firm that specializes in whole-house renovations, room additions and kitchen and bath remodels. When not creating smart, beautiful spaces, he spends time teaching and mentoring industry professionals, as well as practicing and teaching the power of mindfulness meditation. Here he addresses a common challenge contractors face: taking on too many roles at work.
Give Your Lead Carpenter a Complete Job Book
Many companies will use a lead carpenter to complete the carpentry tasks on a job and to watch over the clients and subcontractors on the project. If you have a lead carpenter on your staff, do you give them a job book before the start of the project?
For my company, the job book is a really important communication tool. It includes complete plans for the new build or renovation; a job schedule that outlines the main deliverables for a project tied to specific dates; project specifications that outline a detailed scope of work; subcontractor agreements that describe what the subcontractor is expected to do at an agreed-upon price; the details of all product selections; and copies of all labor budgets so the lead carpenter understands how much time you have allocated for tasks for the different phases of the project.
The job book should be updated if and when specifications and selections are changed during the project. This job book need not be a paper document, though having a paper version can definitely be helpful onsite. An online version of a job book works well too, especially if you have project-management software you like to use.
If your lead carpenter has a clear roadmap for the project, this person can begin to take ownership for the project and relieve you of having to be on the job throughout the day to cover important details.
Many companies will use a lead carpenter to complete the carpentry tasks on a job and to watch over the clients and subcontractors on the project. If you have a lead carpenter on your staff, do you give them a job book before the start of the project?
For my company, the job book is a really important communication tool. It includes complete plans for the new build or renovation; a job schedule that outlines the main deliverables for a project tied to specific dates; project specifications that outline a detailed scope of work; subcontractor agreements that describe what the subcontractor is expected to do at an agreed-upon price; the details of all product selections; and copies of all labor budgets so the lead carpenter understands how much time you have allocated for tasks for the different phases of the project.
The job book should be updated if and when specifications and selections are changed during the project. This job book need not be a paper document, though having a paper version can definitely be helpful onsite. An online version of a job book works well too, especially if you have project-management software you like to use.
If your lead carpenter has a clear roadmap for the project, this person can begin to take ownership for the project and relieve you of having to be on the job throughout the day to cover important details.
Hold a Pre-Construction Conference
The second step in relieving yourself of wearing too many hats is holding a pre-construction conference with your clients, your lead carpenter and yourself. The agenda should include a review of the project itself and the schedule, but it’s also the time to reinforce the rules of the job.
For instance, where will the dumpster be located during demolition? How will your crew protect the house from dust? Who are the key players in the household? (If you have any experience remodeling, you know that the dog is always going to be an important consideration.)
This meeting is also where you define the role of the lead carpenter and ensure that the homeowner knows to first contact this person with any questions or concerns. If you have someone you can rely on to run the job and be the homeowner’s main point of contact, then suddenly you will start having more time.
The second step in relieving yourself of wearing too many hats is holding a pre-construction conference with your clients, your lead carpenter and yourself. The agenda should include a review of the project itself and the schedule, but it’s also the time to reinforce the rules of the job.
For instance, where will the dumpster be located during demolition? How will your crew protect the house from dust? Who are the key players in the household? (If you have any experience remodeling, you know that the dog is always going to be an important consideration.)
This meeting is also where you define the role of the lead carpenter and ensure that the homeowner knows to first contact this person with any questions or concerns. If you have someone you can rely on to run the job and be the homeowner’s main point of contact, then suddenly you will start having more time.
Meet With Your Subcontractors Before the Job Starts
Have you ever had the plumber show up to a job and then have no idea what they’re supposed to do? Often, this happens because they have never been to the site before. And when they do arrive, they quickly begin to identify issues that might potentially block their work.
To avoid this problem, I am a strong advocate for meeting on site with all the subcontractors who will be on a job — plumbing, HVAC, electrical, foundation, roofing, painting, insulation and drywall — before the job actually starts. That way, they can walk through the project, become familiar with the site and accurately price the project.
Taking this step also gives everyone an opportunity to anticipate what the scope will be. It minimizes surprises that come up later and rob you of your time.
Have you ever had the plumber show up to a job and then have no idea what they’re supposed to do? Often, this happens because they have never been to the site before. And when they do arrive, they quickly begin to identify issues that might potentially block their work.
To avoid this problem, I am a strong advocate for meeting on site with all the subcontractors who will be on a job — plumbing, HVAC, electrical, foundation, roofing, painting, insulation and drywall — before the job actually starts. That way, they can walk through the project, become familiar with the site and accurately price the project.
Taking this step also gives everyone an opportunity to anticipate what the scope will be. It minimizes surprises that come up later and rob you of your time.
Hold a Weekly Meeting
Another key element in eliminating the need to be in too many places at once is to hold a weekly meeting with your lead carpenter and your clients. If your homeowners are a couple, I strongly recommend that both clients are present so there is no confusion regarding important decisions.
Also, make sure you have a written agenda for the meeting and, if at all possible, send it out to your clients ahead of time. The goals for the meeting should include reviewing the construction goals for that week and outstanding decisions the clients must make, and hearing their feedback about ongoing details. This is also a good time to make sure payments are issued and collected, as well as to review any pending change orders. The sooner change orders are reviewed, the less issues there will be on a project.
Stay on Top of Your Schedule
Finally, make sure you complete a schedule for the project that is realistic and allows for the unexpected, as well as any unanticipated delays and the resulting extra time we always need to get the project done correctly. Be sure to share this schedule with your project lead and be sure to adjust the schedule as it changes, again either in the job book or online, or preferably both. Remember, a good, realistic schedule further helps set clear guidelines for your subcontractors so they know when they expect to be on a project.
I think it is important for you as the business owner to continually review key dates in the schedule to ensure you have a chance to meet those dates. And if you have solid specifications with your subcontractors that define their scope of work and pricing, you actually have a chance to stay on schedule. How often are you not ready for the next-up subcontractor to arrive, and suddenly you are making multiple calls to reschedule people? This takes a lot of your time.
Another key element in eliminating the need to be in too many places at once is to hold a weekly meeting with your lead carpenter and your clients. If your homeowners are a couple, I strongly recommend that both clients are present so there is no confusion regarding important decisions.
Also, make sure you have a written agenda for the meeting and, if at all possible, send it out to your clients ahead of time. The goals for the meeting should include reviewing the construction goals for that week and outstanding decisions the clients must make, and hearing their feedback about ongoing details. This is also a good time to make sure payments are issued and collected, as well as to review any pending change orders. The sooner change orders are reviewed, the less issues there will be on a project.
Stay on Top of Your Schedule
Finally, make sure you complete a schedule for the project that is realistic and allows for the unexpected, as well as any unanticipated delays and the resulting extra time we always need to get the project done correctly. Be sure to share this schedule with your project lead and be sure to adjust the schedule as it changes, again either in the job book or online, or preferably both. Remember, a good, realistic schedule further helps set clear guidelines for your subcontractors so they know when they expect to be on a project.
I think it is important for you as the business owner to continually review key dates in the schedule to ensure you have a chance to meet those dates. And if you have solid specifications with your subcontractors that define their scope of work and pricing, you actually have a chance to stay on schedule. How often are you not ready for the next-up subcontractor to arrive, and suddenly you are making multiple calls to reschedule people? This takes a lot of your time.
If you’re reading this and thinking to yourself that you just don’t have enough time, then start doing three of the things I’ve recommended: job book, pre-construction conference and weekly meeting with an agenda. These ideas may sound overwhelming initially, but they help you get organized and they empower your team, which in the end will save you time. The beauty of these actions is that they will easily expose what has not been thoroughly thought out for the project.
To recap:
To recap:
- Give your lead carpenter a complete job book.
- Hold a pre-construction conference.
- Meet with your subcontractors before the job starts.
- Have a weekly meeting with an agenda.
- Do a job schedule with clear guidelines for your subcontractors and revise as needed.
- Spend your evenings with your family, if you have one. The kids grow up way too quickly.
A. When people complain about this problem, one possibility is that they are not trusting the people they work with to help shoulder the responsibility.
I am assuming that if you feel you are handling too many roles, you have at least one employee. If you cannot trust your employee(s), in my experience there are usually two reasons. One is that the employees are not the right match for your company. The other possibility is that you are not empowering them in their roles.
If you’re not sure which of the two problems is on your hands, it’s a good idea to assume it’s the latter and try to fix it through some strategic steps. When I face the feeling of wearing too many hats, I almost always start with trying to better prepare my staff for the projects they’re handling. It takes time to access a person’s strengths and leverage them for success.