By Tim Carter
Go back in time just 60 years and the practice of medicine was radically different than it is now. The general practitioner, skilled in a variety of disciplines, would care for most of your medical needs; today in the field of medicine there are countless specialist physicians.
New home construction has followed this same path. A builder today may employ 20 or more specialty contractors to build specific parts of your home. In the industry we refer to these as subcontractors (subs), primarily because they are subagents to the contract you have signed with the builder.
The tasks requiring these separate contractors become clear when you stop and think about the different components that make up your new home. Among the areas often handled by subcontractors are surveying, excavating, laying footings and
foundations, plumbing, rough carpentry, roofing,
siding, electrical work, heating and air-conditioning, insulation, drywall, masonry, painting, finish
carpentry, and flooring.
Hiring subs. Using subs is a good thing so long as they are dependable, skilled, and nimble. Hiring subs is also an excellent cost savings strategy, as subs are almost always more productive, since they do their tasks on a daily basis. They also are able to amortize the specialty tools and equipment they need that much faster, which also helps to lower pricing. These savings are then passed through to the homeowner in lower pricing of the house.
To make sure a project doesn’t get bogged down or experience significant delays, the subcontractors must be plugged into a schedule produced and maintained by the builder. The builder is
responsible for maintaining an open line of communication with the subs and must know how much lead time each sub needs to ensure he shows up at the jobsite when he is scheduled.
Most subcontractors work for any number of builders. Large builders who build hundreds or thousands of homes per year may have a group of captive subs, but this is the exception—not the rule. Since subs work for different builders who have widely ranging project demands and schedules, it is vital that each sub maintain an open line of communication with the builder in case a problem or delay develops on a job that would prohibit a sub from being at his next job when needed.
Working together. To further complicate the issue, each sub depends upon the other subs to make sure that the jobsite is ready for them when they arrive. Builders must make clear to subs what is expected of them, and the best way to do this is in writing. Some subcontractors in various regions are also responsible for passing critical inspections. This is almost always the case with electrical work, plumbing, and heating and cooling work. The sub and the builder need to know that the work has passed inspection and communicate this to the other subs so the job can progress.
There are innumerable examples of how different subcontractors depend upon the skill and workmanship of other subs to ensure that the overall job goes smoothly. For example, many subs count on the rough carpenter to make sure all framing is installed and in the right place when they arrive. Both the plumber and the heating and cooling contractor expect the carpenter to place wall studs so that they rest directly above and below floor joists. This structural stacking allows pipes and ducts to travel to different levels of the home without compromising the structural integrity of the home. The plumber expects wall studs to be placed so that shower faucets can be installed without any notching. The drywall sub expects the rough carpenter to have all blocking in place so that there is solid framing at all edges of each piece of drywall. Each sub counts on the foundation contractor to build a foundation that will never shift or move so that the house has a firm base.
The order in which each sub shows up on a job is also critical. It is extremely difficult to begin to install interior finishes if the roof and exterior walls are not 100 percent weatherproof. Heating and cooling contractors as well as plumbers need to run their ducts and pipes before the electrician shows up. Alarm contractors who might install small low-voltage cables should be the last sub on the job before the wall insulation is placed. If you get these contractors out of order, one sub may have a very hard time installing his work and may cause severe damage to work already in place.
Communicating design specs. If the architect and designer work with the homeowner to ensure that every item needed to build the house is specified on the plans, the subs should be able to do their work without involving the homeowner.
This can be accomplished by having numerous interior and exterior elevations of the different wall surfaces in the house. For example, imagine having small-scale drawings of the four walls in a bathroom, showing the exact locations of the cabinets, fixtures, toilet paper holders, and towel bars, along with exact mirror sizes, light fixture locations, tile wainscoting, and so forth. Exterior elevations should show the exact location of hose faucets, air conditioning units, doorbell switches, and even the type of weathervane, if so specified. It takes work to communicate all these specifications, but subs are forever grateful when they can look at the plans and know exactly what to do.
Room finish schedules, plumbing fixture schedules, and the like are tables of information and a great communication tool. These tables delineate each item that has been selected, its model number, finish, and specific instructions as to where it goes. Subs dream to work from plans that have this kind of detail.
If you want to experience the thrill of victory when you build, assemble a team of great subs and provide them with the best set of plans and specifications possible. Do this and your wildest home- building dreams will come true.
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