I am looking for a spreadsheet, software, or tips from the pros on how to schedule subs for building a house. How do you keep things running smoothly without unecesary gaps? Do you ever call a meeting for all the major subs to work out a schedule so everyone is on the same page. Thanks for the help!
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You make a list fo the ten things you want to accomplish. You notify everyone of their respective schedules. Then you try to decide which five of the ten are going to not show up or under perform, then you make a new list
Simple!
I give two weeks notice as to when I want them there. I call if things change. As time gets closer I call a couple days before hand and make sure we are on schedule.
Normally about three weeks before rough in starts we have a progress meeting which involves all subs(either the bosses or foreman).
Other progress meetings are called as needed with plenty of notice.
I keep daily notesof calls times and promises. They know I do this. Helps them keep their word.
When I have a schedule hammered out. It gets emailed to them, faxed to them, and I call and tell them their days to show up.
Kind of a hard azz I guess, but I use the same subs all the time. And their guys seem to like the way I do things. Once they are there I bend over backwords to make sure they can finish on schedule with no delay from my end, and they don't run out of work unless they are done.
Friends help you move.
Real friends help you move bodies!
Having a thorough knowledge of the sequence of building is key! asking/knowing what a sub needs done for him ahead of time and making sure those things are accomplished, having any materials/supplies, that I supply, on site and in good condition.
If your getting bids to build, you should ask them what they need, how long they need to complete the diffent phases(rough vs. finish), what lead time they need, (for scheduling the job) etc.. then put all that info on a spreadsheet and say crap! I shoulda hired a general contractor!!..........:) just kidding...but you might say that later on, It's a daunting task (GC ing ) and knowledge and preparedness are king in the long run. As for calling a group meeting to work out schedules, you could try, but because you're a one time shot for these guys, that may not work, besides your the GC, that's what your supposed to do....set the schedule! Have back-up subs if you can,just in case you get a no show, and keep ahead on the money, no paymments until you start and only enough to pay for upfront materials and labor and a little more,progress payments the rest of the way, final pay on passing final inspection, no if's and's or but's....again you'll get some guys who won't deal with you , but,be as informed as possible, respect the pro's opinion and don't try and nickel and dime them, if you think they're charging too much get 5 bids and learn if you are being unreasonable, don't go looking for a bargain, you might get one in the form of shoddy work that won't show up until later in the job when it costs three times the original to fix. Sepping down off the soap box now.... good luck
Geoff
I use a cell phone for scheduling
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Excellence is its own reward!
I use a cell phone for schedulingWill that be on the test? Oh God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin' you better run"
Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God says, "Out on Highway 61."
Strange... I use mine for all the rescheduling/ negotiations/threats and begging on bended knee. ;-)
I use a radio more than the cell. It's kind a good though because if I get "user unavaible" I can call him 100 times a day until I get him. Usually after an hour or so I'll just call the guys cell, leave a message, and move on though. When begging, I try to keep the wine out of my voice - and I don't make threats - I just do what I say and say what I do. Recently though I had a cut truss situation that required the involvement of 4 other trades to get resolved. The guilty sub knows he is paying for it, but if he continues to PO me and I decide to replace him, he is gonna cry like a baby when he sees my "delay of project and management fee" tacked onto the other backcharges... :-)
Somebody here has one of those by-lines at the bottom of their posts that says something to the effect of: "if it were easy, anyone could do it." Regarding scheduling, this couldn't be more true. Regardless of how much notice I give, some subs are always late - a day, a week, and a month gets them replaced. Further, I know that any sub can get behind and miss an appointment. I keep a calandar of who is supposed to be there when, but it's just a guideline - and everything is penciled in. I've tried keeping a call log, but it doesn't get the missed date fixed - it's more just like keeping score, but I haven't found it to help. I'd just wish they'ed call me and let me know what their schedule really is when they get behind. Usually, when they are late and I call, I get something like - look - "we got two one day jobs before you, and then we will be to your job as soon as we can". That means a week... After the week, my plumber, for example might get a call to the effect of - "if you don't want a bunch of ducts and wires in your way, you need to get someone over here. They all just pulled up." If it's a situation like that where I know it will be easier for sub A to be there first, but the job will still get done OK if sub B starts first, and sub A is a week late, tough luck for sub A. And BTW - the words "I'm not in a hurry" strike those from your vocabulary!!!!
The other side of the coin is you gotta give your subs as much notice as possible when things get behind. A lot of times I don't feel like it, but I constantly remind myself to treat other people in a professional environment the way I would like to be treated - regardless of how they treat me... Here at BT, I don't sugar coat it though :-)
As far as having a meeting - I have trouble getting a sub supervisor or company owner just to show up on a particular day to discuss something - unless it's about the money I owe them... Forgetaboutit as far as getting several people to show up at a particular time. I think it's just part of the biz - people feel like - hey if I wanted to be on a fixed schedule I'd go get some corporate job. This is very different than an office environment... I'll maybe take some flack for this, but it's the truth... Maybe people act more responsibly in remodeling - I do new houses, and scheduling is probably 40% of my job - and it isn't easy.
Here is a simple schedule that works for me, It's not critical path or MS Project based, just a simple calendar in Excell but I can fax it to my subs with the street map to the site and they have a good idea of how they fit in the big picture and what the urgency is in terms of the next guy on the job. Since it's in excell you can click and drag to adjust it as conditions develop.
PS - I've used M/S Project for construction scheduling. It's a lot of work though, but setting it up helps you walk through the entire process in your mind. It also helps you remember to order the brick 3 weeks ahead of time and all that. It doesn't help the other people involved in your project stay on schedule though. I don't use it now though because it is a lot of overhead work. When you are doing a large project - ie commercial - you gotta have something. If you decide to use a tool like this, don't fall into the trap of trying to be too detailed. It just doesn't work out - unless you have a significant part of your day to devote to this.