Reducing Commercial Project Costs

Reducing Commercial Construction Costs

Reducing Commercial Project Costs

Reducing Commercial Construction CostsCommercial construction projects are costly and time-consuming. There is little you can do about the standard time taken to come up with a commercial construction project from the ground up. However, there is a lot you can do regarding reducing commercial project costs.

The problem with overspending in a construction problem is that it puts you at the risk of running out of money before the project is complete. This could lead to more financial problems or the stalling of the project altogether. Also, spending more money on your construction project does not necessarily guarantee great results. 

Most commercial building owners and contractors try as much as possible to reduce the amount of money they send during construction. 

Our Sacramento commercial contractors sat down and made a list of the easiest ways to reduce commercial project costs. Read on to find out more!

Use Strategic Cost Estimation for your Project 

Cost estimation involves looking at all construction costs you are likely to incur from the start to the end of the project. Cost estimation allows you to determine how much money will be spent at every level of the project. This practice allows you to increase and reduce the costs accordingly. 

It also allows better decisions making from the architects, managers, and contractors. Everyone involved will know the allocated amounts for every stage of the project. This helps because they can advise on what needs to be changed in terms of finances early enough. Turek’s Plumbing, Appleton bathroom remodel company, adds that proper cost estimation helps boost communication and keeps the whole project organized. 

Perform a Technology Audit 

The type of technology you are using for your project makes an impact. Every construction project requires a wide range of technological devices to increase efficiency, accuracy, cut down on human labor, and perform heavy tasks. The kind of technology you use will determine how much money you spend during a construction project. 

Our Folsom general contractors advise that one should check to see if they are using outdated technology. Outdated tech comes with the added disadvantage of energy wastage. This can increase the amount of money you spend on managing waste and or paying energy bills. 

Find technologies that make work easier without leading to a lot of wastage. This could be user-friendly software that streamlines tasks or tools that allow you to recycle and reuse equipment and materials, and many more. 

Use Better Crew Management 

Crew management means ensuring that every member involved in the construction project is accountable. One of the best crew management practices includes incorporating reporting within the construction project. This means creating professional data-driven reports that will be used on every stage. 

Proper organization of data by everyone involved helps in better decision making, which, in turn, helps reduce construction costs. 

Additionally, you can manage your crew better by increasing their flexibility. Where possible, consider hiring people who can perform different tasks. This helps in increasing productivity with every crew member and eliminates downtime. By doing this, you will be able to reduce construction costs and save time. 

Making the Best Decision for your Commercial Construction Project 

The best way to ensure that your construction budget stays low is by finding a commercial builder who cares about providing value. Therefore, the commercial construction company should be able to help you find the best way to reduce unnecessary spending. This will keep you on track to get the project done on time. 

At Headwaters Construction, you can expect our undivided attention in making sure your dream construction project comes true. Contact us today for services. 

Tips for Construction Succession Planning

tips for construction succession

tips for construction successionOne shortcoming that many smaller construction companies have is that they rarely think about succession planning as a management function. Such companies end up handling issues of succession in an ad hoc way by just hiring or promoting anyone that they think will fit the roles available. This can be a recipe for disaster, especially given how sensitive construction work is. Rather than take a reactive approach to succession, Headwaters Construction, Inc., a commercial construction company, suggests that you systemize succession by considering the following factors.

Keep Your Eye on Job Requirements Rather Than Personalities

Succession isn’t about replacing someone who has died, retired, or quit. It is about finding someone that can perform the job available to the highest standard possible. For this reason, commercial construction companies should devote time and effort to writing down a detailed job description outlining what exactly they’re looking for.

As you write those job descriptions, be reasonable, and avoid expecting too much from a given role or employee. If you demand too much, it will be hard for you to find someone that succeeds in that role. It is, therefore, better for you to stick to just the tasks logically expected from someone holding a given position.

For example, tilt-up contractors may be going overboard if they expect project managers to be able to fill the role of every position, i.e. operating construction equipment. The best HVAC company in Sacramento, Gilmore Heating, Air, and Solar, are another great example of a company that has an outstanding team.

Match Current Staff to Your Future Needs

You can also make succession planning at your retail renovation company or any other commercial construction company, more systematic by assessing your staff and matching each of them to one or more roles that could need filling in the future.

As you perform this matching exercise, keep in mind the skills, aptitudes, and preferences of your existing employees so that you can help them to grow into the positions that will need to be filled in the future. It is helpful to interact with your staff and learn what their career goals and aspirations are so that you can help them to grow in the direction that suits both their preferences and those of the tilt-up construction company.

Train and Avail Opportunities for Hands-On Experience

Once you have matched your current staff to your future needs, the next step is to train those employees and create opportunities for them to get hands-on experience in performing the roles for which you are preparing them.

A good starting point is by outlining the knowledge and skills that each employee needs to possess to excel at the role you wish to prepare them for.

Secondly, Headwaters Construction, Inc., the best commercial builder in Northern California, suggests that you give that person the credentials that they need to access software and information related to the role.

When you give the employee access to the tools required to perform a given role, and you train them, the transition from the employee who is retiring or is no longer available for any other reason will be seamless.

Design a Staffing and Retention Plan

A staffing plan outlines the different positions that you have as a commercial builder, together with a detailed description of each job. This plan lets you know your staffing needs so you can hire accordingly. 

The staffing plan needs to paint a picture of when each employee is expected to grow into another position. For example, moving from an entry-level role to a management role. 

Once you know what external hires you need to make, get to work filling those positions as and when resources become available.

If there is an urgent need to fill a role, but resources aren’t available to hire someone, make do with the staff you currently have. You simply pick an employee in a similar role and ask them to take on the role available while you wait to hire someone substantive for the position. For example, your project superintendent could act as a project manager until you can fill the role. 

As you can see, the measures above will make succession planning a logical and systematic process at your commercial construction company. At Headwaters Construction, Inc., our management systems have nailed succession planning, and we deliver the same high-quality work regardless of which specific employees are handling a given project. If you are planning a commercial construction,  retail renovation, or general contracting project in Northern California, get in touch with us today so that we can discuss your needs and plan the most cost-effective way to execute the project.

How Project Managers Add Value

how project managers add value - commercial construction company

how project managers add value - commercial construction companyHow Project Managers Add Value to Commercial Construction

If you are planning a commercial construction or renovation project, you may be wondering what abilities to look for in the project manager you will be working with. Here are the key attributes and ways that we at Headwaters Construction Inc. have discovered that the best project managers add value to the projects they oversee.

Laser-Focus on Customer Needs

The ultimate test of any new commercial construction or renovation project is whether it meets the needs of the client. We have learned that the best project managers add value by finding out what a client actually needs as opposed to what they want. These project managers go to great lengths to know their client’s business. They also spend a lot of time talking to the client in order to grasp what they really need. When those needs are clear, the project manager or retail general contractor unwaveringly set out to deliver on them.

They Put Together a Great Team

A project is only as good as the team that has been assembled to execute it. The most successful project managers are well aware of this fact. They go to great lengths to assemble and nurture the best team. These project managers understand each team member’s motivators and strengths, and they coach them to achieve their full potential. Great project managers view themselves as facilitators or enablers, and they do what they can to eliminate obstacles standing in the way of their teams.

They Delegate

The best project managers don’t attempt to micromanage or do everything on their own. Instead, they start off with the best team and trust that team to deliver their best in their different specialties. The project manager, therefore, frees themselves to attend to big-picture aspects while also overseeing the project team. In this way, everything works seamlessly to deliver great outcomes, at a great price, and within the projected timelines.

Questioning the Status Quo

No great project manager is content to do things in the same old way that things have always been done. Their desire to deliver added value to clients constantly drives them to challenge their teams to find new ways to get around project challenges. For example, during a tilt-up construction project, the project manager can push the team to deliver unparalleled energy efficiency that is far beyond what other similar projects have delivered to their clients. By constantly pushing the envelope, great project managers are constantly adding value to every project that they oversee.

They Have an Eye on the Big Picture

Here is where the best project managers stand head and shoulders above all others. Great project managers aren’t simply satisfied with meeting the budgetary, time, and utility aspects of the project. They go farther by making sure that the project will offer value to clients in the immediate and long-term sustainable. The project manager makes it a point to deliver a project that meets the strategic objectives of the client, and they do this consistently. At Headwaters Construction Inc., we are focused on just that because we know that the capital outlay required to pull off a retail renovation or a new tilt-up construction project can only be justified by delivering a project that will be relevant now and in the future for the client.

They Manage Risks, Problems and Scope Changes

Risks, problems, and scope changes can bring a project to a standstill if the project manager isn’t equipped to manage these situations proactively. The best project managers anticipate risks and prepare their teams to mitigate those risks. They also monitor issues that arise and marshal the team to deal with them effectively. Successful project managers also interrogate all scope changes and find the best way to implement those changes, so that project budgets, timelines, and quality aren’t affected adversely.

They Deliver What They Promise

The acid test for any project manager is whether they actually make good on their promises. Credibility is important because a lot is at stake for all project stakeholders. This is especially true for the client and the suppliers or contractors who work with the project manager. It is, therefore, important for the project manager to be reputable and credible. At times, this calls for turning away some projects or assignments if the project manager isn’t sure that they can deliver what is required. At Headwaters Construction Inc., we have set our focus on commercial construction and renovation work. So, we firmly but politely turn down any residential project sent our way. By doing this, we have excelled at delivering excellent service to our commercial clients.

If you are looking for a commercial construction or renovation project manager/contractor, look no farther than Headwaters Construction Inc. Our long list of satisfied clients in Washington State, California, and Oregon is a testament to our commitment to delivering the utmost value on every project that we undertake. So, give us a call today!

Why You Need a Project Manager for Your Construction Project

why you need a project manager for your construction project - head waters construction

why you need a project manager for your construction project - head waters constructionA construction project involves numerous tasks, including multiple stakeholders, and this reality creates the necessity for a project manager. Here are some of the key tasks that a project manager will perform at your construction site:

Planning

The project manager is the glue that holds the entire construction team together. This individual has to be a very good planner so that the work progresses seamlessly. Experts at Headwaters Construction Inc. point out that the key planning tasks that a project manager performs include:

  • Preparing the work that each team member will perform.
  • Estimating the cost of each aspect of the work to be done.
  • Developing a schedule and timelines for the different deliverables of the construction project.
  • Reviewing the project to ensure that everything was executed in accordance with the specifications provided.

Make Hiring Decisions and Supervise Workers

At the construction site, the project manager is the boss. According to an Oregon construction company, the task of hiring different people needed to construct the building falls on the project manager. Along with this, he or she will also fire those who fail to deliver as expected. This implies that the project manager is actively involved in supervising the site workers. Those who aren’t doing the work in an expected way are either reminded about what is expected or ultimately fired.

Keeping the Project on Schedule

The value of a great project manager is portrayed through timely, completed projects. Many times, a lot is riding on the project timelines. For example, you may have given notice that you are terminating your lease at the premises you have been renting. If the construction delays, your business will be left with no premises.

Equally damaging is the risk pointed out by a Sacramento construction company that project delays often inflate the cost of the construction work. This is because the prices of different materials may experience inflationary pressures. So, the longer the project takes, the higher the exposure to these price hikes. Therefore, a project manager is crucial in ensuring that everything is done on schedule to avoid all the problems that come with project delays.

Staying Within Budget

Your project manager will generate project estimates using various software tools and their own experience in this type of work. Once those cost estimates are approved, and you sign the project papers, it is the responsibility of the project manager to ensure that the project stays within the agreed budget.

The best project managers from Headwaters consulting and planning division can deliver cost savings by finding ways to spend less than what was budgeted without compromising quality. If unexpected problems occur, the project manager has to be creative and find ways to resolve those problems without increasing the cost of the project.

Keeping You Updated

Chances are you don’t have the time or the ability to keep an eye on every aspect of the construction project yourself. California construction company experts reveal that a project manager comes in handy because they will keep you informed about the way the project is progressing, the challenges encountered, and the plans made to address those challenges so that the project remains on course and within budget. You may receive daily or weekly reports from the project manager so that you remain informed about the project.

If you ever discover that a project manager is withholding information from you, especially about the problems being encountered in the project, you should fire that person immediately. 

Conflict Resolution

As already mentioned, a construction project has many stakeholders. This may include the project owner, the general contractor, the subcontractors, and other people involved with the project. Where there are many parties, conflicts are likely to arise.

A project manager from Headwaters Construction Inc., a general contracting construction company in Sacramento, will plan ahead and place safeguards to prevent sources of conflict at the site. If conflicts occur, the project manager should involve himself or herself to resolve the dispute as soon as it arises so that the project isn’t affected.

Drafting Contracts

A construction project is a complex undertaking that can quickly run into serious problems if proper documentation of what is expected of each party isn’t done. The project manager performs the task of drafting the different contracts required for the project to proceed. These include contracts with the client, all subcontractors, materials suppliers, and any other third-parties involved.

As mentioned earlier, the roles of a project manager will change depending on the specifics of the project. Therefore, the list above should not be regarded as exhaustive. However, it serves as a pointer to the importance of a project manager to the successful completion of the project. If you need help selecting the best project manager or you aren’t sure which company you should hire for your construction project, contact Headwaters Construction. We have a presence in California, Oregon, Washington, and other locations across the country. We will execute your project efficiently and cost-effectively.