Planning Matters

We recently got a call from a manufacturing company that had just secured a large contract with a new client. This naturally means that they will need to add on to their building. The good news is that they have land adjacent to their existing plant, the bad news is the land is covered in trees and has about a 25 foot elevational difference. They had done some “pre-planning” of their own and decided they had plenty of land for the building addition, however they failed to fully identify the constraints of their site. If you don’t identify constraints early, they will normally come back to bite you in the end.

As we have said many times, all projects have three parts – Planning, Detail Design, and Construction. It is our belief that planning is the key to any successful project. A well planned project considers all the constraints that will be present before, during, and after the project.

By identifying possible constraints early on, working with them, and managing them during the planning phase you will not have the problem this building owner has. So the question is “Do you want to be Proactive or Reactive?” The correct answer is Proactive, as this allows for a much smoother project and better end result.

Engage the constraints before it is too late. Call or email us, we would love to help you be proactive on your next project.

Road Trip

As spring break quickly approaches (many of you may already be home from spring break), I couldn’t help but think about spring break road trips. Our family is set to take off early Saturday morning for a 5 day road trip through Kentucky and the mountains of Tennessee. Thankfully my kids are old enough these days that we don’t have the dread of long road trips with little ones. In the old days, we were always told “good luck” traveling that amount of time with two little kids. Back then my wife and I did very well because we planned ahead. We made sure they had movies downloaded from “insert your favorite streaming service here”, arts and crafts along with lot of snacks of course! The hours typically went quickly with no major incidents or melt-downs.

Why did the road trips, that had every chance of going badly, go so well? The answer is “we prepared before we started”. Just like all building projects, if you don’t prepare before you get started, the chance of the project going well greatly decreases.

Three questions to answer before you start your next building project:

• What Do I Value? Wants vs. needs must be balanced on every project. The answer to another question “Does it bring value to the project?” will determine which want or need stays or goes.

• Where am I Compromising? Compromise is not a bad word, it is only bad when you compromise and didn’t know it. As you prioritize the “value added items” on your list, compromise may need to take place. That is ok because you are doing it purposefully.

• When Do I Need the Project Completed? Having an overall schedule with milestone dates will keep the project on time and your stress level under control.

We always had fun & built memories along the way because we prepared for the trip. I knew what I valued, which was time with my wife and kids, and understood there would be compromise. The kids normally had all the snacks eaten before we crossed the first state line, but the trips still went smoothly!

Let us help you prepare for your next project. Give me a call; we would like to take the trip with you.

X-Ray Vision

In the world of comic book characters, seeing through walls and above ceilings can be common place. But in Realville, engineers and architects can only dream about having the super power of “X-Ray Vision”.

We do a lot of renovation projects and I have learned over the years there is one thing that is a constant, you never know what you may find behind that piece of drywall. Many times we are called out to a jobsite to inspect the existing conditions of a wall or a header beam after the drywall has been removed. It is always the hope of the client that there are no major surprises once destructive testing is complete. Sometimes we get lucky and sometimes we do don’t.

Here are a few tips to manage those existing details that cannot be seen…

• Produce As-Built documents – At the end of your next project, be sure to have As-Built documents produced. It will give a great starting point for future renovation projects.

• Have a contingency account – The project budget for every renovation project should always have a contingency account to cover the cost of unseen conditions. Be clear about who manages the account and who has the authority to spend it.

• Execute Fair & Solid Contracts – Understand all contracts between an Owner and a Contractor are about Risk and Reward. Be strategic about who holds the risk (the owner or the contractor) because where the risk is, the contingency money will be.

We may not have X-Ray vision, but we can help you through your renovation project. Give us a call; we would love to talk about how to make your next project a success.