“Set’s talk about timeline, one of the myths in construction.”
“So, a renovation versus new construction. Renovation, we do have some unknowns. We can account for those in our timelines. New construction, we have less unknowns. We could have a more solid schedule.”
“What I would like to tell you is do not go with a contractor because of his timeline. We have lost jobs due to our timeline only for me to run into that owner at the grocery store be like, “Oh, Matt, we wish we’d have gone with you because it ended up costing what you said it was going to cost. It took the timeline you said it was going to take and they just had a miserable experience the whole way.” So, be careful about timelines. Don’t buy just based on a timeline. Don’t buy just because someone can start in 30 days and the other guy can’t start for 60 days.”
“Timelines. We love to produce schedules. We look at schedules as flowcharts. That’s how the project should run. Schedules are not the holy grail. Plumbers, electricians, trades, they all have a life outside of building and construction. They are humans. Their kids get sick, their dogs die, they get flat tires, they get into accidents. When a contractor is talking to you about timeline and talking to you about schedule, he is literally speaking on behalf of hundreds of other people. The plumber, the electrician, I’m speaking for him, all of his employees, all of his employees families. I’m speaking for my people and all of their families and whatnot. So you have to keep in mind a schedule is a guideline that we want to follow. We need to be efficient with our scheduling. However, the plumber may be scheduled for Tuesday. He may not show up till Wednesday or even Thursday. We want him to finish the job he was on and then come to our job and finish our job before he moves on to the next job. So, scheduling is tricky, especially in renovations. In new construction, again, it’s a little bit easier.”
“However, do not base decisions on a contractor’s estimated time of completion. Base your decision on like, do you like the contractor? Do you trust him? Does he have a good reputation? What are the things you like about that contractor? Don’t just decide on timelines. Timelines are almost always fluid in this line of work. You have to adjust with weather, with people, with selections and due dates and cities and municipalities and all that. So, just pay attention to when you’re talking to anyone about a timeline.”
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