Last week, we provided a quotation on structural repairs for a tribal housing authority. Yesterday, I spoke with the procurement manager. I wanted an update on the project status and offered my assistance on that project or other projects they might have.

I was taken up on my offer. He asked if we perform building removal or could recommend a company that does. I was tempted to respond, “We can do that for you.” But demolition is not our expertise. I declined, and recommended Coronado Wrecking.

“Figures don’t lie, but liars figure.”

I’ve always appreciated that quote from Mark Twain. It applies to our day just as much as his. In the construction industry, clients are tightening their demands on project costs and schedules. In response, some contractors are making promises they can’t keep, simply to win jobs.

A prime example is job scheduling.

We recently were asked to bid a rush job for a major federal entity. They wanted five temporary buildings in six weeks. We sharpened our pencils, but could not figure any way to complete the project safely in less than nine weeks.

What are the costs of “going green”?

Bid shopping is when you pass on a project bid you receive, revealing a company’s pricing to its competitors. I am against bid shopping, and so is everyone I know. But if everyone is against bid shopping, why does it exist?

Last week, I discussed how some individuals and companies have on occasion conducted themselves in less than a stellar way. But it’s easy to look at others. How do I stand up to such scrutiny? How do I conduct myself in business?

This past week I attended a client’s contractor integration program. It was what I expected, including the firm’s zero tolerance policy for its employees receiving gifts from vendors. They made it very clear: no dinners, no lunches, no hats, not even a cup of coffee. It seemed to me pretty drastic–until I thought more about it.

When I started in the construction industry, I assumed that everyone was working for the company’s best interest. We may not all agree on the idea of ‘best interest,’ but we all were working to help the company succeed.

In last week’s blog I discussed my attending a seminar on Building for the “Church / Religious Market.” The facilitator discussed his belief that contractors who build churches need to be Christian-based firms, meaning firms that have Christ-like values.

Last week I attended a seminar on building for the “Church / Religious Market.” The seminar focused on how to market, design and build for churches and other places of worship. Many of the contractors expressed a belief that to be qualified to build churches, a firm must be Christian-based. This made me wonder: should a Christian-based firm build only Christian churches? Is it important that a contractor mirrors the values of its clients?

Many projects have hidden costs that are not apparent to the contractor, owner, architect or engineer at the design and bidding phase of the project. This is good news for the building owner because these costs are rarely included in the contract amount. However, the bad news is that just because the hidden costs were not included in the contract does not mean the building owners are not impacted.

I have been a contractor for more than 25 years, and not once have I heard a client state they want to purchase the most complex building for their budget. What clients want is a building that meets their needs and reflects their values.

Over the years, I have seen a handful of projects that were needlessly complex. The complexity did not add to the artistic integrity of the project nor did it add to the functionality of the project. The added complexity only increased the difficulty in constructing the building.