Trust me, I’m a General Contractor
Trust me, I’m a General Contractor…
Said no one ever. And even if they had, no one would ever believe them.
General contractors have a reputation for being flakey, unresponsive and dishonest. In other words, shady AF. And for good reason: you’ve heard the horror stories from your friends and family, right? You’ve heard about the contractor that took your brother’s money and never came back; the guy that promised your friend a remodel in 4 months and here it is a year later and it’s not done; the guy who said he’d meet you for an initial meeting and never showed up. Yeah, that’s common in this industry, unfortunately. A little too common. But I’m here to change that. There is no reason that contractors cannot be held to higher standards. It’s called ACCOUNTABILITY. We, in the industry, and YOU, as consumers, need to start demanding accountability from your contractors. Here’s a little story that happened to me last week that proves this point:
I just called a hardwood flooring contractor to ask him to come bid a job for me (a hefty one at that) and he turned me down. Said thanks but no thanks. His rationale? He runs a tight ship and has been let down too many times by general contractors that can’t keep a schedule.
THIS IS WHY I am in this business. THIS IS WHY I stress my background and education. THIS IS WHY I am successful.
Its true. General Contractors have THE WORST reputation in the world for meeting deadlines. Why? It’s a lot of fucking work, that’s why. Ever heard the phrase, “herding cats?” Yeah, it’s like that. Except they’re not cute, cuddly animals. They’re men (typically). Men who run businesses. Men who work hard. And men who have so much work they can’t keep track of it all. Things get missed, people get forgotten, details get muddled. Alas, it is no excuse. But let’s face it…not everyone is organized. Not everyone is good with details. But those of us who are can come into this industry and make extraordinary changes.
Sadly for me, this guy wasn’t interested in hearing my story. He wasn’t interested to know that I have a business degree, an MBA and ten years of corporate project management experience. He just heard general contractor and shut down. And I have to say, I can’t blame him. His livelihood depends on scheduling and completing jobs. He can’t afford to be thrown off schedule when he’s got job after job booked out. Each delay is money and time lost.
But guess what? That’s true for me too! The longer a project goes on, the longer I’m delayed on picking up a new one. And this is why I live and breathe by my schedule. And this is also why my clients appreciate me.
A recent kitchen remodel I had, my client asked me how many people I had to coordinate with on her job. I started rattling off all of the trades as she started to scribble it all down on her pad. By the 8th or so sub, she said, “Geez, I had no idea!” And I said, yep, that’s why I charge what I charge. It’s not easy herding cats.
A lot of people ask me how I choose the subs I hire. The truth is, I’m a little ruthless when it comes to selecting subcontractors. I will give anyone a chance but if you blow it, a second chance is not an option. So here’s what I look for:
1. Are they responsive? Do they return my phone calls, text messages, voicemails? Do they get back to me promptly?
2. When I ask them to meet me at a job, do they show up on time? Do they show up period? If they’re late, do they let me know or keep me hanging?
3. Do they send me their bids when they say they will? Is it a quick turnaround, or am I waiting two weeks for an estimate?
4. Do they show up on their planned day to do work? Are they shuffling me around or not keeping their word on their schedule?
5. How do they work? Clean, efficient, organized? Is quality on point?
6. How do they leave the jobsite? Do they clean up after themselves or leave a huge mess for me?
7. And most importantly, are they available when I need them?
I work really hard to cultivate relationships that are beneficial for both my business and theirs. If you do great work for me and are all the things above, I will keep you and use you forever. I’m pleased that within the past year+ I’ve managed to pull together a team of the best subcontractors that meet my requirements. The people I use for my projects have proven to me that they do everything they can to meet my schedule and make it happen. And that’s what it’s all about in this game.
One other key ingredient to protecting yourself as a consumer: ask for references. Yelp and Google and all the other sites where you can read reviews are great, don’t get me wrong. But speaking with a recent client of your contractor is worth its weight in gold. Be prepared to ask tough questions, like how did they leave the job site? Did they show up every (or most days)? Did they give you a timeline and did they stick to it? Did they do the work themselves or have their employees do it? If they had employees, was there job oversight?
Things happen, yes…schedules get delayed, materials don’t show up on time, people get sick. Shit happens. But starting with defining the EXPECTATIONS will help to drive accountability and in turn result in a successful remodel. Ask your contractor for a schedule. Don’t shell out a ton of money up front. Certainly don’t give them more money until you’ve seen progress. Make sure they show up and hold them accountable. Or hire a general contractor who will do those things for you. :)
XO M