Clients are always looking for general contractors to ensure that their projects are “on quality, on budget, and on schedule.” That’s the mantra we hammer home at my company. Sometimes clients place priority on the budget and schedule rather than on quality - and vice versa. As a general contractor, you must balance these priorities and set realistic expectations. Your ability to maintain transparency and honesty in everything you do will ultimately lead to higher dividends.
2. Communicate Effectively. At the end of the day, a general contractor’s job is 90% about working with people and 10% technical. General contractors must balance the demands of owners, architects, and subcontractors. Think of yourself as a quarterback or symphony director. You must communicate effectively with all parties involved to “sell your vision” and maintain a mutually beneficial working relationship. Good communication is essential to meeting the project’s deadline and budget. Equally important - if not more - is listening and genuinely understanding everyone’s point of view.
Along the same lines, find the best way to communicate with your client - whether it is by phone, email, fax, or in person. Also, determine how often your client expects communication and project updates.
3. Sweat the Small Stuff. Being detail oriented is a major component of ensuring that a job stays within the agreed budget and time. General contractors need to provide clients with detailed schedules - and stick to them. Reputable general contractors honor deadlines. Realistically, between today’s tight construction labor market, weather interruptions, and permitting and design delays, schedule changes are sometimes uncontrollable and inevitable. When unexpected delays arise, you must offer a written explanation for the delay and provide your client with a revised completion date.
Details permeate your job as a general contractor. From providing your client with a cost breakdown proposal that spells out the conditions and the project’s scope to ensuring that the last five percent of the work is complete…your strength is in the details.
4. Treat People Well. Whether it is employees, vendors, subcontractors, or clients, your ability to maintain good relationships will be integral to obtaining repeat business. It is particularly important to treat vendors fairly and with respect. Pay them fairly and on time. Positive word of mouth travels fast, but negative word of mouth travels faster.
A large sign above my desk reads, “Bring me solutions - not problems.” Remember this saying if you want to rise in the ranks. Managers want to see critical-thinking skills; it’s what separates excellent workers from good workers.
And finally, find a person in the industry whom you respect and ask if he or she will be your mentor. Most likely, he or she will say yes because he or she knows that relationship building is just as important as the buildings you help make.
About the Author
Todd Andrew is president of Andrew General Contractors, Inc., a full-service general contractor specializing in commercial, industrial, and retail construction. For more information, visit www.andrewgc.com.