Building the Right Team: How to Work With the Architect, Subs & Designers
As a contractor, you know that building a custom home or doing a major remodel is not a one-person job. You need to work with an architect, an interior designer, one or more sub-contractors and any number of laborers—and, of course, the homeowner. Getting everyone on the same page can be the difference between an amazing house and a patchwork disaster.
Who’s the Boss?
The buck stops with the owner. The one who is paying for the work is the top dog, even if it doesn't always feel that way. Hurricane-torn Florida has some of the strictest construction laws in the nation, so let’s use it as our model. A full construction team may consist of an architect or engineer, a building contractor and an interior designer. The contractor may hire subcontractors. All of these people are, in some ways, like employees of the owner.
At the top of the chain is the architect. Since he or she is the one who has taken the owner’s ideas and turned them into schematics, all significant changes need to go through him (or her). These changes are done via a written document called a change order. The use of a change order is important and often costs money, so get agreement from the owner and interior designer before you issue one.
The Social Aspect
In a study about collaboration, students from the architecture, interior design and construction schools of Mississippi State University were blended into different collaborative groups, ranging from highly engaged to mainly separated. The findings showed that the groups with the most social interaction had the most creative outcomes, though not the fastest completion rates.
Bring your construction team and your interior designer together for coffee and make them talk. With construction, speed is not necessarily your friend. Some jobs take time to do them right. If your people cannot find the time to sit and understand the project, then they will not have the time to do the job correctly. For example, a designer working with a contractor on windows and lighting might meet at a Shade Store showroom to point out ideas as they discuss them. They do not need to become fast friends, but they do need to work together on a creative level.
The Subs
Most contractors do not have a licensed person on their team who can handle all the components of a construction job. For roofing, foundations, plumbing and electrical, they will usually subcontract to a licensed professional and or expert. In many cases, the interior designer may be a subcontractor of the lead contractor, making him the designer’s de facto boss. Whichever way you structure the construction process, you have some legal issues to handle. Make sure to meet with and manage your subs since, at the end of the day, you are responsible for paying them.
Guest Blogger: Paul Reyes-Fournier has served as the chief financial officer for social service organizations, churches and schools. He created his own marketing firm, RF Media. Paul holds a BS in physics and an MBA.
Bathroom renovations make homes more modern, but the return on this investment is lower compared to other home remodeling projects. The average amount recouped from a mid-range bathroom project (those costing around $16,000) upon selling is 70 percent of total costs, 
Most homeowners already have a budget in mind for their bathroom renovation. This is where a contractor's expertise can win the trust of prospective clients.
A common theme for master bathrooms these days is removing the tub altogether in favor of a spa. Of course, there are caveats when it comes to installing an indoor hot tub—for starters, they are large and difficult to get indoors, and many must be installed on a ground floor due to their weight. In addition, there could be problems with humidity levels when the spa cover is removed and floor damage if the unit leaks, 
Guest Blogger: Brian Wilkins is an Arizona State University journalism grad who has worked as a radio broadcaster and banking industry professional. He is an independent journalist, blogger and small business owner who loves life. He lives off-the-grid and has not owned a TV in more than six years.
Lots of small businesses, including many contractors, outsource accounting services like payroll and tax preparation. This is a smart move; tools like QuickBooks and 
For large ticket, complex projects face to face presentations are generally preferred simply due to the scope of the project. But if I have done my job correctly up to the point of presentation, I should already have the job. I should have already established whether they can afford the project and if they have selected my company. The bid is just a formality. Price is WAY at the bottom of issues, as is the method of delivery. For most projects, we would have already met multiple times up to the point of presentation and that’s where I do my selling. Whether I email the quote or hand deliver it is immaterial in my experience of selling projects for over 15 years. I personally prefer a face to face meeting, but have found it unnecessary in most instances and base that decision on the customer and their personality. I have never been the cheapest bidder and tell people up front that I never intend to be. Yet my closing rate/ratio remains extremely high.
I find that our current speed of living in general is much faster than in the past and people get irritated with too many required face to face meetings. They most often prefer the email method so they can make a decision at 10pm after work is done, the kids are asleep and they can focus. Am I serving them or are they serving me? I always ask what their preferred form of communication is and then I respect that. If I have established myself as the contractor of choice, reflected in our discussions (phone or otherwise) that I have accurately heard them and understand their needs/wants, established a comfortable budget, and minded the details, why waste their time and mine with an unneeded additional meeting? Let’s do this!
If like Milt you disagree with something I post at my blog please feel free to let me know. Milt did a great job explaining his viewpoint in a respectful and thoughtful way. I must admit I agree with his approach as well. When Milt emails his proposal he is doing so to confirm in writing the agreement he has already made with his prospect who has agreed to become a customer. Milt is certainly not an order taker, but rather a great example for other contractors seeking to improve their sales abilities and results. 
Before you begin to build your referral system, you must first take stock of the relationships and connections that you can leverage for success. Take some time to list all of your current and past clients, individuals with whom you have a personal relationship (friends, family, etc.) and those with whom you have business relationships. Be thorough. The quality of this list will affect the overall quality of your referral system. 
Making the ask, that all important action item that takes you from plan to procedure, can be the most difficult part of a referral system for many people. This is when you begin contacting your network and directly asking for referrals. There are many ways that you can accomplish this, but, for the sake of consistency, I recommend that you rank all of your prospects and contact 5-10 per day with a personalized version of a templated message. Whoever handles your administrative functions will be able to assist you with this. 
Find out where (and who) your new customers are coming from. Ask for feedback on service and quality and make sure that you integrate the feedback into your business practices if they prove to be relevant. Committing to constant improvement shows your current and past clients that you care.
Insulated water pipes will boost a home's energy efficiency. This sustainable feature will add to the life expectancy of the pipe system as well moderate the water temperature throughout the residence. Foam tubes made of rubber or polyethylene encase the metal piping to offer better quality and use—just make sure an expert does the insulating.
However, I understand the allure of a fixed-price contract for both the owner and the contractor. Fixed cost is most appropriate with a very thorough, well-defined set of construction documents (plans and specifications) and even more so if those complete documents are produced for new construction. In a less well-defined job with plans in progress, or in an older home, cost-plus/time and materials may be more appropriate simply because there is too much that is unknown to be able to estimate with full certainty what it will take to perform the work.
Again, if you have fully developed plans and specifications, and especially in new construction, where most factors are known and manageable, fixed price makes sense. With phased design, where plans are being developed on a fast track as construction proceeds, and especially in renovation work, it’s my opinion that CP/T+M is the better choice.
Timeframe. It's difficult to nail this down but if you're considering a project similar to ones you've tackled in the past, provide a sample schedule. Note items that can slow things down or build in time to address them. There's nothing wrong with over-delivering by completing a project ahead of schedule because you foresaw potential problems that did not materialize.
