Anyone who’s been in the construction industry for long knows that the market is fiercely competitive.Customers have the choice of many different contractors and most folks are looking for their project to be completed at the lowest possible cost, in the shortest amount of time, and with the highest level of quality. Running an efficient job site can help you accomplish all three of these goals and, most importantly, make more money.
Make a Plan
Proper planning prevents poor performance. This is especially true in the construction world. Before a crew shows up to start a project, you should have a monthly, weekly, or daily plan on what will be accomplished and how. By sticking to this plan, you’ll ensure that material deliveries arrive on time (not too early, not too late), inspections are scheduled in advance, workers stay busy and on task, and customers remain happy until the work is complete.
Have a Daily Meeting
A morning meeting need not take a long time. It’s wise to invest a few minutes each day to let the crew know what they will be working on, how much you expect to be completed by day’s end, and to issue a pep talk if needed.
Establish a Pecking Order
While everyone on the site contributes to the overall outcome of the project, it’s important to know who’s calling the shots. Depending on the scope of work, this could mean assigning anywhere from one to ten foremen to oversee different aspects of the project. That way, if something isn’t going the way you want it to, you’ll have one person to talk with instead of ten.
Hire Professional Sub-Contractors
As mentioned, most customers want their projects completed for the lowest possible price. However, hiring experts in their fields rather than cut-rate jack-of-all-trades can save you time and money. First, these pros will get the job done quicker. Second, they will do a better job than someone who spends their time working on many different disciplines, meaning you won’t have to fix their work months down the road costing you more money.
Stay Organized
Have a place for every tool and every tool in its place. This will keep your workers working instead of hunting for the things they need to get the job done. Lay out materials in such a way that they only need to be moved once to avoid excess work. Clean up the job site at the end of every day. Aside from adding efficiency, a well-organized job site looks nicer to a customer coming to check on the progress of the work.
Pay Your Bills
Nothing will make a supplier or sub-contractor more reluctant to work with you than doubt about whether they will be paid for their work. When an order comes in or a job is completed, pay your bill in a timely manner. The next time you need a favor (like a load of 2x4s dropped off before the end of the day), they’ll be much more likely to come through and keep your job running smooth.
Use these tips to keep your job site running like a well-oiled machine, complete more jobs, and see more profit at year’s end.
