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What are you waiting for?
Ask Menno – Construction Questions
By Menno Dueck
Want a project done this year? Then crawl out of hibernation, call your favorite contractor and get on his ‘to do list’ now!
Successful contractors understand organization and timing is crucial in an industry fraught with circumstances beyond their control. The earlier the planning process begins, the better able your contractor can manage those circumstances and bring your project to a timely completion.
The longer it takes to firm up his ‘to do list,’ the harder it is for the contractor to obtain qualified labour; workers go where the work is or even change industries if he cannot offer solid employment. Construction workers are being siphoned off into the mining and oil and gas sectors at an alarming rate leaving labor shortages, which tend to drive up the cost and time frame of projects.
Drawings and permit applications play a major role in a start date. Drawings, particularly engineered drawings, can take a month or more. Permit applications, using the City of Cranbrook as an example, can be problematic. Their building permits have an automatic two week process, often much longer, regardless of the complexity of the project. Development permits can be quite detailed and lengthy, and variance applications can be stalled for months, as the city’s Board of Variance only meets four times/year, and both applications may require city council approval.
Low supplier inventory creates its own set of hold ups. A small bathroom reno can get put on hold for six weeks or more while the contractor waits for an ordered tub to arrive from the manufacturer, stalling tile and flooring installation, paint and trim. Stair railing on back order can stop an occupancy permit.
Having trades available when needed is key to keeping a project flowing. Trades are constantly shifting their schedules to accommodate the unknown and while committed to a project, may not be able to show up as required; a great source of frustration for both owner and contractor.
Irregular delivery schedules are a definite trade off for living in the East Kootenay. Kitchen cupboards ordered through a local firm, and built in Toronto, were shipped to a Calgary trucking depot to be transferred to a delivery run to Cranbrook. Instead, they ended up in Vancouver where they sat for almost two weeks before finally arriving here.
Everyone wants his/her project to run as smoothly as possible. So do your part. Stop procrastinating, start planning, and call your contractor today. What are you waiting for?
– Menno Dueck, Ask Menno Construction Consulting, Dueck Enterprises Inc. 250-426-5460 or Dueckenteprises.com
