How to think like a general contractor
Sequence, scope, and no surprises on Friday.
A good GC is not the fastest builder. They are the one who knows what must happen before what, who owns each piece, and what it costs when someone is late. The CEO words, written for the job site.
The six laws, in this form
Scope, time and money always balance. Change one and you have changed all three.
Price every change the moment it is requested, in writing, before a tool moves.
Build the plans, not the picture in your head.
Read the drawings, the specs and the site. Where they disagree, stop and ask before pouring.
Inspect the work before the next trade covers it.
Walk it at rough-in. Anything hidden is twice the cost to fix and three times the argument.
Bad news travels the same day.
Call the owner with the problem and two options. Silence is what loses the relationship, not the delay.
One schedule, visible to everyone on it.
Publish the sequence and the dates. A trade that knows what follows them shows up ready.
Plan backward from the finish, then buy forward.
Work out the last step first, then order long-lead items before they become the reason you are late.
Daily moves
- ◦ Never start a phase with an open question in it.
- ◦ Document with photos daily. The photo is the record.
- ◦ Hold retainage discipline and pay fast for clean work — good subs go where they get both.
- ◦ Price risk, do not absorb it silently.
Bring it to the coach
Ask the QUUNIX coach with your real situation. It answers from this material and names the law it is using.
- > Sequence this project and show me the long-lead items.
- > Write a change order for this in plain language.
- > What questions should I settle before demolition starts?