Learn About How Some Home Builders Can Complete Projects Faster Than Others in Toronto
BVM Contracting discusses the key features of a home builder that allows them to get home addition, new home construction, and interior renovation projects completed in the most efficient manner. You are going to be surprised to learn that some of the methods involve some seemingly non-standard practices that end up working out for the long-term for the Home Builder, Sub-contractors, and every home owner that decides to build with an efficient home builder like BVM Contracting!
As a prelude to what is to come in this article, and to get you thinking in the right way, I like to show a well-known business Venn Diagram that shows the three key differentiators that separate businesses from each other. It is a simple but powerful concept that will allow you to think about how home builders can build efficiently and deliver high levels of quality.
HOW TO EVALUATE A HOME BUILDER TO DETERMINE THEIR EFFICIENCY OF BUILDING YOUR DREAM HOME
“Good, fast, and cheap - pick two and take the opposite of what’s remaining”
There has not been a potential client that we have talked with that hasn’t been concerned with the speed in which a certain renovation or building project can be completed. We have noticed in particular that potential clients that ask us what our timelines are for new home builds and home addition projects are usually pleasantly surprised, or better yet do not believe us. Since we realize that this is a massive value-add for the demographic of home owner’s looking to renovate and build, we have made an effort to find mechanisms to create as efficient of a build as possible for our clients.
The result is quality work done by quality trades who prioritize their relationship with us because we treat them well. That is a little bit of a teaser for what is described in the list of items below that we feel every efficient home builder needs to have in order to deliver fast projects with a high level of quality.
In no order of priority, these are the key ingredients for a fast and efficient home building project:
Number 1: If you treat your subcontractors well they will prioritize your projects
Have you as a home owner ever hired a plumber, electrician, tile guy, drywaller, or other trade and notice that they throw high numbers at you or miss deadlines? For most home owner projects these sub-trades realize that it is likely just a one-off project that will deliver very little future project potential for their business. This is why they increase their margins and/or expand timelines for the work - because it is the only work they are going to get from you.
Now on the other hand, with a General Contractor or Home Builder, subcontractors see this as a sustainable form of work due to the consecutive projects that are completed that could potentially provide a very sustainable income stream for them for years to come - especially if the General Contracting Company is busy all year round. It is also equally important that your Home Builder treats them well, pays them on time, and is transparent with what projects they will and will not be a part of.
The biggest thing that we do is we pay our subs right when they invoice us, instead of lingering with the invoice and taking a week or two (or longer) to pay. Which job site do you thing a sub-trade is going to want to go to between the builder that paid them for the work they did right when they invoiced versus the builder that is still withholding payment for something that has already been completed?
Number 2: Does your home builder have an in-house team to help complete the many hundreds of tasks in between Tradework?
This one seems very obvious when it is put down on paper but it is surprising how many people are still trying to compare the work of “X Home Building Project Manager” to an actual Home Builder who has a team behind them on their payroll moving mountains behind the scenes. This is seldom an apples-to-apples comparison and usually results in home owners taking the cheapest quote and spending double the amount of time on their project (we know because people who choose not to use us have followed up months/years later regretting their decision and asking for our help)
At BVM Contracting we call our in-house team of skilled labourers/carpenters the “Minutemen” because without them we would not be able to move as quickly as we do on projects, and actually finish them. It isn’t only the labourers and employees on the job site either, because of the complex nature of these larger home building projects it is important to have an admin/sales team that rallies behind any change orders or general communication with the client to help things move along. It is just as important to have your client be in the loop about goings-on with their project so that they can make quick decisions so we can make even quicker changes. It is all a fragile ecosystem lead by an experienced Project Administrator and Project Manager.
Number 3: What is your Home Builder’s Geographic area?
An often overlooked aspect of a Home Builder’s business is where they take on their projects. You cannot tell me that a home builder of the same size and make up that does work all over the Greater Toronto Area is as efficient as one that locally provides home renovation and home building services to a certain area of the City. What locality does is it increases efficiency because everyone working on each project (internal team, subcontractors, and vendors) are able to quickly and efficiently jump from project to project without having to make a full day of visiting just one job site.
With BVM Contracting, all of our internal labourers and project management team lives and works on the East End of Toronto, and about 75% of our subcontractors hail from East of the Don Valley Parkway as well for that matter! We also have a team of local vendors that we refer our clients to that are all in the DVP/401 Triangle that we have determined as our core service area.
Number 4: Does your builder have a Project Warranty?
With larger home building and renovation projects, there are always bound to be deficiencies with smaller aspects of work, or certain areas of the project that inevitably need to be touched up after some time once the project is completed. All good Home Builders know this and as a result will supply their customers with a warranty to cover anything that comes up with the house. Paint touch ups, drywall screw pops, sliding door malfunctions, warping doors, etc. are all examples of things we have covered under warranty, which is two years from the date of completion. You will even hear it from our past clients, the last time you will hear from us won’t be after getting the final invoice, it will be after one of our staff members comes by to fixed something that you noticed is out of place. We take a lot of pride in fulfilling our warranty obligations, which is why we always recommend speaking with our past clients about that!
I am sure you are still wondering why this leads to a more efficient build? It means that we can close out projects faster and not linger around waiting for deficiencies to reveal themselves, we will come back and fix them even when you pay us in full (as per our contract)! We are a family construction company that has a lot of pride and an extremely good reputation that we would like to keep because it directly reflects on us as individuals. We don’t have anything to hide behind and we like it that way because it ensures honesty and integrity during every build.
Number 5: Staggering Project Start Dates
This is a very interesting concept that is very simple on paper but a lot more difficult to implement than people think. Knowing your sub-contractors scheduling, knowing how long certain activities on site will take, and working with clients to pick start dates is all part of this and sometimes things line up well and sometimes there is a bit of latency that is usually expected at certain times in a project. This goes back to Concept Number 1 - if you treat your subs well they will work hard to make your timelines (and their schedules) work for you, because they know they will be rewarded. With the shortage of skilled trades this is especially important to understand that Number 1 and 5 are intertwined and not mutually exclusive from each other.
At BVM Contracting we take on anywhere from 5-7 project starts per year (depending on size and duration), which allows us to stagger them around 1-2 months apart from each other. This leads to ultimate efficiency between our internal team and trades.
Number 6: Clear Cost Expectations and Comprehensive Home Building Budget
It is important that your home builder gives you the right expectations for what your new home build is going to cost. If they string you along and then add additional costs right before the contract is signed (or worse, as the project is underway) then there will be delays in starting or completing your project. It is better to have someone who can give you realistic budget numbers for you new home building project. It is also important that your home builder is knowledgeable in the areas of your new home build that will cause delays, and work to prevent those delays with proper project planning.
With BVM Contracting, we have even taken it a step further and now offer a new home building cost calculator for people to get a no-obligation estimate of their proposed project’s cost before reaching out to us. We do this because we understand that cost per square foot amounts are very misleading and a total cost gives people a better understanding of what to expect.
Key Takeaways
It is important to know that, above all else, there will always be pros and cons no matter who you choose. We are not a perfect Home Builder by any stretch of the imagination, but we are big enough to be efficient and small enough to care about our quality and service levels. At the end of the day just know that, as we started this article, you cannot have it all and will have to make a decision about how you want the project to go based on the Venn Diagram above! Good, Fast, and Cheap - Pick two and get to building!
About BVM COntracting
BVM Contracting is a full-service General Contractor or Home Builder located in Toronto. We provide home renovation and building services for major home renovations and custom home builds (full interior renovations, home additions, lot severances, new home construction, and laneway suites). Our goal is to help guide our clients through the process of building their home, from concept to completion.
Further than providing General Contracting and Project Management for major home renovations, we also offer value-added services such as renovation financing, renovation rebate consultations and services, building permit and design services, smart home installation services, and real estate investor services.
To learn more about our offering by visiting our services page.