Construction Question

By Menno Dueck

You know what you want done (or at least have a good idea) and you have a list of trades (from the phone book). But do you really have what it takes to be your own GC (General Contractor)? Take this short, very incomplete, 10-point test to see:

1. Do you understand permits and applications? Procedures, costs, timelines;

2. Have you built your trades team? Are they licensed, reliable, honest, professional, have current WCB Clearance Letter, carry CGL?

3. Knowing quotes can be written up differently and some are more concise than others, can you be confident you know the quotes are for the exact same scope of work?

4. Can you order materials and parts with enough lead time to have them when you need them? Do you know when in the project time line you need these materials and parts?

5. Where will you find alternative materials when you can’t find what you need in Cranbrook? How will you be sure these alternatives are compatible with the project?

6. What will you do when the materials and parts you ordered end up in Vancouver and won’t be delivered to Cranbrook for weeks or more? How will this affect the organization and time line of the job?

7. Can you be at the job site before 8 a.m. so you can organize your trades and man power for the day?

8. Can you visit the site at least three or four times a day to make sure everyone is doing what you need them to do and that they are doing it right?

9. How will you know what doing it right means?

10. Can you return to the job site at the end of the day so you can plan for tomorrow?

More to ponder… do you know what to do when things don’t go according to plan, and can you make snap decisions that directly impact cost, quality and time?

Missed an article or two? Find them at https://www.DueckEnterprises.com/blog.html

– Menno Dueck, Ask Menno Consulting; Dueck Enterprises Inc.; DueckEnterprises.com

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