We’ve got some good news and some bad news.
First, the bad news: Because of supply chain issues and labor shortages, it’s harder than ever to get something built.
But here’s the good news: We’re working harder than ever to make sure our clients get the buildings they need on budget and on time.
Here’s how we’re doing it:
We worry hard early. We all know prices of materials aren’t going down anytime soon. So we’re telling clients to get us involved in designing projects as soon as possible. By doing this, we can lock in prices. It also helps in other ways. Our company founder, Dow Smith, likes to say, “We worry hard early.” What does this mean? If we worry about the details and pre-planning, the actual construction phase will go faster and smoother. By worrying hard early, we will be able to anticipate potential issues that could affect your budget and schedule, which will save you time and money in the long run.
Increasing inventory by pre-purchasing materials. Because we know prices are still rising, we’re warehousing a lot of the materials we use frequently. Even with the additional cost of having to store these materials, we’ll still be able to pass some savings on to you, as well as ensure their availability.
Relying on longtime relationships. With three decades of experience in this industry and in this community, we have deep roots and strong relationships. Since the labor shortage began, we have been able to count on subcontractors we’ve worked with for years, and they’ve made our projects a top priority.
Communication is key. We believe in frequent communication with clients—from the very first conversation all the way through the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The estimates we provide during the pre-construction phase and construction phase will show true and actual numbers. The fee we charge will be transparent. The wage we pay everyone is seen. Our labor burden is true. We will show all the quotes we receive from all of our subcontractors and vendors. And when we have drawings sufficient to get quotes from subcontractors and vendors we will get at least three quotes in all categories. We make sure that our clients pay fair market value. Through the process, we text, we email, we make phone calls. And then we communicate what we anticipate to happen next and what we need to keep the project going.
Focusing on flexibility. Ask any fitness expert and they’ll tell you that being flexible can decrease stress, reduce the risk of problems, and prevent setbacks. It’s no different when it comes to designing and constructing a church, medical facility or commercial building. Before we ever get started working, we need to talk about how flexible you are. If you know exactly what you want and you’re not willing to budge on any detail, we can still make your project happen. Just brace yourself for potentially higher prices and longer wait times. But if you’ve got some flexibility on your vision for your project, we may be able to make some minor changes and still meet your overall goals.
Taking some risk and managing that risk. Beyond being flexible, it’s important to think outside the box and take some risks. Because the market for labor and materials is always changing, we have to adapt. And that may mean doing some things differently than we’d anticipated. But if we take a risk, it will be a calculated one. We’ll never lose sight of our purpose, which is to serve.
Managing expectations. This all may sound like a lot to consider. But that’s why it’s important to meet with us when you’re ready to take the ideas in your head and put them on paper. From the very beginning, we can give you a clear idea of what a project will cost, how long it will take and what you can expect from us along the way.
