We’re Part of the Project Team

On any project, we view ourselves as part of the team.

Yes, we are hired by the owner to protect their interests, but protecting the owner does not mean working against the architect, engineer, general contractor, or subcontractors. In our experience, the best projects happen when everyone understands the expectations, communicates openly, and is willing to work through issues together.

We also understand that our involvement can occasionally make people a little uncomfortable. Our plan reviews tend to be detailed, and we may ask questions about details that seem minor or request clarification on something the design team believes is already understood. Not every question ultimately leads to a drawing revision, and not every condition needs a fully developed architectural detail. Part of our role is working with the design team to determine an acceptable approach to difficult conditions and make sure the intent is clear enough for the contractor to price and build it correctly. Sometimes that means developing a specific detail. Other times, we may be able to simplify the drawings and supplement them with a clear scope description rather than adding unnecessary detail everywhere. The goal is not to make the drawings more complicated, it is to eliminate assumptions that could turn into confusion or change orders later.

A detail that is assumed during design can become a disagreement six months later when construction is underway. A scope item everyone thought was included can suddenly become an extra. It is much easier to ask the question early, agree on the expectation, and document it appropriately than it is to argue about responsibility after work has already started.

The same applies in the field. We understand that having another person walking the project, looking closely at the work, taking pictures, asking questions, and pointing out deficiencies may not always be enjoyable for the contractor. Nobody particularly enjoys having someone looking over their shoulder. Our goal, however, is not to be a nuisance or to catch someone doing something wrong. Our goal is to help the entire team deliver what was agreed to. The owner expects the drawings and scope to clearly describe the work, they expect the contractor to build it properly, and they expect the finished product to perform and hold up over time. We are there to help the team reach that expectation.

Some of our best contractor relationships have actually started out a little uncomfortable. There may be frustration early in the project when we begin asking questions or identifying workmanship issues. Over time, though, the relationship often changes. Once the contractor realizes that we are consistent, fair, and focused on solving problems rather than simply pointing fingers, there tends to be a much greater level of mutual respect. Contractors begin bringing us into conversations earlier. Superintendents start asking questions before something is installed. The team begins identifying issues before we ever have to mention them. That is when the process is working the way it should.

A good contractor can also use that additional set of eyes as an opportunity to improve. If the same installation problem keeps showing up, maybe there is a training issue. Maybe a detail needs to be communicated better to the subcontractor. Maybe a checklist needs to be added to the company’s quality-control process. If those lessons improve the contractor’s process on the next project, that is a benefit to everyone involved.

We also try to keep things in perspective because we have been contractors ourselves. We understand what it is like trying to meet an aggressive schedule while coordinating subcontractors, dealing with material delays, responding to design questions, keeping the owner informed, and still trying to maintain a high level of workmanship. It is not easy. Field staff are busy, superintendents cannot physically watch every piece of work being installed, the quality of available labor varies, and training levels vary. Sometimes simply getting people to follow through with what they were asked to do can be one of the hardest parts of managing a construction project. We understand those realities, and we try to help owners understand them as well.

At the same time, there is still a contract, a set of drawings, a defined scope, and an expectation for the finished product. Someone has to help keep those expectations from slowly slipping as the project gets busier. That is where we fit. There are certainly times when conversations become difficult, especially when the same deficiencies continue to occur or an issue cannot seem to get resolved. Accountability is not always comfortable. But even during those conversations, our objective remains the same: identify the problem, determine an acceptable solution with the appropriate members of the team, and keep the project moving forward.

We sometimes joke that we are the project’s accountability police, and there is probably some truth to that. But good accountability should benefit everyone. It protects the owner, helps the design team make sure their intent is being carried through, gives the contractor another experienced set of eyes, and ultimately gives everyone involved a better chance of completing a project they can be proud of.

That is the relationship we want on every project. We are not there to create an owner-versus-contractor relationship or a consultant-versus-design-team relationship. We want to be a useful part of the team, help manage expectations from all sides, work through the difficult details, and help everyone reach the same goal: get the project done, and get it done well.