Mastering Construction Best Practices with The Building Doctors

Condo owners, boards, and managers—Have you ever encountered these situations?

• “We are ready to start repairs, but the bank requires us to hire a project manager to oversee the repairs…”​
• “We've assessed the building and collected funds, but didn’t account for unforeseen damages… ”
• “The contractor submitted a change order to meet Code, altering the original scope of work…”​

Watch the webinar on this topic here.

Your building consultant will help you with proper planning, which will help you avoid unexpected costs. For example, water damage may be more extensive than it appeared during a visual inspection, causing complications and added costs. The biggest challenge is admitting, "We didn't plan adequately, and now we need another assessment." With J2, you can avoid these pitfalls and ensure a smoother journey to restore your building's health.

J2’s Ways to Avoid the Headaches

Defining the What, How, Who and When is key to achieving a headache-free project.

WHAT

To define what you’re going to do, you need to first clarify the difference between Inspections and Reserve Studies, to gain an understanding of what you really need. A reserve study is a quantitative analysis of your building. The reserve analyst does some measurements and takes a visual look at the property, answering questions like: How many windows? How many lights? How old is the roof and/or siding? It is an estimate of remaining useful life that drives replacements, not a performance evaluation.

Meanwhile, an inspection is a qualitative analysis, addressing questions like how the siding and sealant are performing, how the roof ventilation is working, etc. An inspection determines what needs to be done, regardless of what your reserve study estimated. Some elements of your building will outlast the reserve study estimate, and others may need to be replaced sooner than expected. This is an evaluation of the building's performance.

HOW

Now that you’ve defined what you’re going to do, we need to talk about how to do it. It’s all about how to get a bid for work, in other words, the RFP (request for proposal) process.

In this process, it’s important to define the scope of work first, which describes the work that needs to be done and the process to get there. If you have a Building Doctor on your team, you’ll receive a “prescription” of what needs to be done and how the repairs should be performed. We create drawings, details, and a customized “recipe” of products specified to be installed and how those products fit together.

WHO

Next, to define the who for your project, we want to have bid comparisons that are “apples to apples.”

If you are missing the RFP (the how) you won’t have a scope of work, which means when you go to contractors for bids they will each come back to you with a variety of ideas and methods to handle your project. Some contractors may do it “this” way, and somebody else may do it “that” way, making it difficult for you as the client to compare the two. Isn’t that a headache?

Boards love to say, “I want an apples to apples comparison,” but without an RFP to make it extremely clear what your expectations are, you’ll ultimately end up with confusing bids and find yourself making an uninformed decision.

WHEN

To define the when for your project, you need to figure out the contents of the bids from contractors, then decide when to proceed with the work.

It’s important to note that most contractor agreements are designed to protect the contractor and their interests rather than the client’s. As Building Doctors, we stand up for the client’s best interests, assist in an owner-contractor agreement, and ensure that the contractor is properly licensed and experienced to perform the work. Legally, a roofer may have a general contractor’s license to do work on other parts of your building, but their area of expertise is in roofs.

Key considerations: If you’re signing a contractor agreement instead of an owner-contractor agreement, make sure you have somebody who can give a legal opinion for the client review.

J2 Standard of Care

We want to reduce friction. In order to avoid headaches and make the process less painful, the key is to COMMUNICATE with all parties involved.

1. Inspect to Identify Issues

Determine if the urgency level is immediate (life safety), short-term (damage), or long-term (performance). For example, a life safety issue could be a tree striking a building. A short-term issue might be a leaking window, while a long-term problem could be insufficient ventilation leading to roof damage. Identify if there's anything causing premature failure, which will give you a checklist to repair.

A good building consultant should have a type of bedside manner to know how to communicate these immediate, short-term, and long-term issues to the client. If they don’t communicate and answer your questions—ask for more information until you understand what is wrong and why it needs to be repaired.

2. Define Scope of Work

As we discussed above in the how section, a repair plan ensures that contractor proposals are comparable, making it easier to evaluate them side-by-side. This approach not only provides clarity but also involves the client in the decision-making process, fostering transparency and collaboration. Developing this plan requires a team effort, which creates an engaging and informative experience rather than a difficult and confusing one. It's essential for board members and condo owners to understand the work that is being performed on their property, ensuring everyone is on the same page. This collaborative process ultimately leads to more informed decisions, successful project outcomes, and a happy community.

3. Contractor Interviews

Before you select a contractor from the pool of bids, J2 will assist you in conducting interviews with the top contractors. We don't recommend selecting a contractor solely based on price in the bid—the interview process allows you to meet and evaluate the bidders, giving you the opportunity to choose a team with whom you feel a sense of trust and collaboration. Considering that you will be working closely with them for several weeks or months, and trusting them with your home and money, it's vital to ensure they are a good fit.

4. Contracts and Contract Language

Has your building consultant explained to you what will happen when the unexpected occurs? We want to be on the same page as you so that you are aware of all your options and feel prepared if (or when) unforeseen problems arise.

As Building Doctors, we have a solid grasp of contract language and we are dedicated to making sure our clients get exactly what they expect, at the price they expect, within the timeframe they need. This aspect is crucial; without clear contract language and professional oversight of the repair process, there are no checks and balances. We’re here to manage those details, so you don’t have to worry.

5. Financial Planning for Repairs

After defining the scope of work and interviewing contractors, you’ll need to create a financial plan to execute the repair. This can be challenging, as each market is different. Funding sources may include defect coverage, insurance, fully or partially funded reserve studies, or a savings account. However, more often than not, our clients are forced to rely on assessments or loans. Crafting this financial plan is often one of the most difficult aspects of the process if you're going at it alone, but your Building Doctors can help you through and make sure you’re aware of your options.

6. Contract Administration

Once you’ve signed an agreement outlining roles and responsibilities, our goal as Building Doctors is to ensure the contractor adheres to the design specifications, not just their usual habits. This is why we carefully outline the repair process to meet the design standard, not just code compliance. At J2, we prioritize a performance standard over mere code compliance to ensure a quality final product.

Conclusion

Unexpected challenges like unforeseen damages, contractor change orders, or discovering you need a project manager for bank loan required repairs can significantly impact costs, timelines, and contractor relationships. These issues underscore the importance of thorough planning and expert oversight. At J2, we emphasize detailed inspections, precise scope definition, and clear communication to manage all aspects of a project effectively.

By defining roles, responsibilities, and expectations upfront, as well as involving legal and financial planning experts in the project team, J2 helps clients navigate the complexities of their repair and maintenance projects with ease and success, bringing Help, Hope, and Happiness to your building and community.

Have questions about maintaining your coastal properties? Give us a call.