Hi Reader,
Years ago, when my wife and I were building our own house, our contractor came to her needing a decision ASAP.
Rather than scrambling to answer, she asked him one question: "When did you know this decision was coming up?"
Silence.
Her next question was pure project planning gold:
"What other decisions are coming that I need to know about now, so we never have to have this conversation again?"
This was a big deal because it reset expectations around timelines and communication. She expected to be told much earlier about decisions, and she would not be rushed.
In other words, it established her as the CEO of the project.
The truth is that hiring a good contractor is only half of your job as the homeowner. Being a good client is the other half.
I've worked with a lot of contractors over the years, and even the best ones are often going by the seat of their pants. In the renovation world especially, most of them are either good at project management and weak on construction, or the reverse. It's rare to find someone who's strong at both.
Don’t get me wrong, they know what they're doing! There are a lot of trades and moving parts to keep track of. They just keep track of it in their heads, or in the text app on their phone.
They're builders, not project managers... which means the schedule and the decision-making can feel ad-hoc and last-minute to you, their client.
So if you think hiring a contractor means you can check out of the process — that's not going to happen. You're still going to be involved probably more than you'd like to be.
For your own peace of mind, being a good client in this situation means being ready to manage your people.
Here’s what that looks like:
Check references, and check thoroughly. Ask about their process specifically. A lot of contractors will present a very robust process in the sales meeting and then never actually use it. So ask their references: did he follow it? How did that go? How involved did they have to be in the day-to-day? (More on hiring and questions to ask here.)
Keep your calendar clear. Set your headspace, ahead of time, to the fact that you'll be spending a portion of every single day on this, whether you like it or not. If you can, bend your hours — leave for work a little later or come home a little earlier — and set a standing time to walk the job with your contractor. Things come up during the day that need an answer, and quite often they need it on the spot.
Ask lots of questions. You don't need to know how to swing a hammer. You do need to insist on clarity, communication, and understanding what’s going on at all times. If you feel unclear, uncomfortable, or uncertain, it’s time for a meeting.
Sort your big decisions early. This is what my wife was really doing when she asked what was coming next. She was pulling decisions forward so nobody had to make them in a panic. The more decisions you make early on, the less pressure you’ll face down the road, for two reasons:
- Your project’s timelines will run more smoothly in general because the contractor has the information they need to plan
- You’ll have clear priorities, which makes in-the-moment decisions easier and less overwhelming.
The truth is that your contractor can make some decisions on your behalf… but most of the time, you won't actually want him to. Just because you have a contractor doesn't mean you can check out.
Making a plan for staying involved — and what that will demand of your time — is the best way to be a great client that I can think of.
Till next time,
Gerald