The construction industry has had its share of ups and downs in the last couple of years. And though the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to labor and supply issues within many trade industries, life as a contractor can still be difficult even without these circumstances.
Perhaps the more common issues regarding the construction business involve logistics. And it’s not uncommon for projects to be stalled because equipment and materials often need to be transported to the job site. But when this doesn’t occur, you could suffer delays and setbacks.
You may want to take it upon yourself to try and speed along the process. But how do you go about doing this, and what resources do you have at your disposal?
If you’re looking to make your life easier as a contractor, the following will provide some useful tips for you to consider.
Locating Materials
Depending on your or your client’s budget, you may have opted for cheaper materials for your project. But cheaper materials usually come from out-of-state or overseas. And with the supply issues still plaguing the construction industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you could be waiting months for your materials to arrive.
Utilizing local resources is often the best method in any case if you’ve found yourself at the mercy of out-of-state or overseas suppliers. And you may be surprised at what you’re able to find in your local area.
For example, you can’t begin a construction project in most cases until you pour concrete for a foundation. As such, instead of buying in bulk and having to go pick up your supplies from a wholesaler or a warehouse, consider having a local concrete contractor come and deliver your concrete mix. And some of these businesses will even pour the foundation for you.
Hire Experienced Workers
If you’re just beginning your business or you’ve reached the point where you’re trying to expand, you may be tempted into hiring cheap labor. But even though doing so may appear to be cost-effective, you could also be causing more problems by choosing the cheaper alternative.
When you hire cheap labor, you’re often hiring inexperienced workers. And you may end up finding yourself dealing with workplace accidents or having to go back and fix problems that wouldn’t have occurred with experienced laborers.
When you hire experienced workers, you might have to pay a higher hourly wage, but you won’t become a victim of do-overs or mistakes that need to be corrected, which can also cost you precious time and money.
Before hiring anyone, ensure they have a clean track record and that they have at least a few years of quality experience under their belts.
Keep Your Project Calendar Small
As a contractor, the more jobs you’re able to work the more money you’re able to make. But the biggest mistake that many beginning contractors and contractors looking to expand make is that they take on more than they can handle at one time.
If you find yourself becoming bogged down with projects, deadlines will soon be approaching and you may end up losing a contract if you’re unable to deliver results in a timely manner. And this is something that you’ll definitely want to avoid.
When planning out your projects, ensure that you can complete a job before you even consider beginning another one. This will also lend itself to better quality as you won’t be tempted into rushing to finish a job just so that you can start another.
As a best practice, keep your calendar free until you know you’re able to take on more work.
The construction business might have taken a few hits recently due to the ongoing issues brought forth from the COVID-19 pandemic, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t find alternative solutions to maintaining your business.
So if you’re trying to make your life as a contractor easier, thinking creatively will help facilitate this goal.
