Defining Quality
Many contractors believe building quality helps sell jobs. But in construction there’s no clear definition of quality.
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Structuring Your Construction Company
Many contractors start out building jobs on their own, but it doesn’t take long before you need to hire others to help with production.
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Make Jobs More Profitable
Materials, change work orders, borrowing tools, punch lists, resolving issues.
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Improve Jobsite Productivity
An efficient, productive construction project makes for more profitable jobs. It’s easier when you pay attention to these details.
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After the Sale; Pre-Job Layout
The pre-job conference or pre-job layout is when all the details get ironed out that can easily be forgotten. It’s when the job is handed from sales to production. After this meeting the production manager is in charge.
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The Cost of Callbacks
Having to return to a previous job and fix something that’s wrong costs money. Knowing the cost of a callback helps you or your crew to be more diligent to avoid them in the future.
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Clients and Your Job Schedule
One of the concerns a homeowner has when they’ve hired a contractor is whether they’ll do what they said they’ll do. It is a legitimate concern. They don’t know what’s going on in your head, only what’s happening with their job.
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Cell Phones on the Jobsite
I am not opposed to the use of cell phones on the jobsite as long as the phone is used solely to communicate information about the job, and the calls are direct and to the point.
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Setting and Keeping a Schedule
The job is sold, schedule is set, project gets started, and suddenly it’s behind schedule. When it happens, it eats into your profit and upsets your clients.
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Job Superintendent / Leadman
Finding good employees is difficult, and you want to keep the ones you find. Sadly, I’ve spoken with a few contractors who’ve had their lead person, the one running their jobs, quit in frustration.
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A Reputation for Cleanliness
Every day we drive by a new home under construction. I don’t know how many people pass this new home every day but I would guess it’s in the thousands; the road is always busy.
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Cleaning the Jobsite
If you're an employer, these are things you should watch for and be prepared to deal with. If you're an employee, check to see how you're doing.
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Do Construction Jobs Have a Life Expectancy?
Does a job have a “life expectancy”? I believe it does and you should be aware of the warning signs.
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Construction Employees – It’s Break Time!
At the start of break, the crew jumped in a truck, drove 15 minutes to a doughnut shop, had coffee and a doughnut or two, drove 15 minutes back to the job site.