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What you will learn in this episode: 

• How to build your team depending on the scope of your project

• What to look for in a contractor 

• Understanding who is responsible for what

Building a team is NOT something to be taken lightly!

There are too many variables that go into it to be able to slap it together last minute. And it will have an enormous impact on not only your enjoyment of the project but the overall satisfaction and completion of the project for everyone involved. So this really is an important subject to understand and get to as close to right as possible. 

I’ve been hearing a lot of, “Renee, I don’t know, I’m scared to, or not confident enough to put together a team. How is it done?”

The members of your team depend on the scope of a project.

You may be getting involved in a brand new, ground up construction. There is going to be a much larger team involved in something like this. You may not be involved in creating a team for a project like this, but there is still a role you have to play inside of that scale of a project. 

Or you may have a smaller project that’s paint and flooring. Well, that’s a much smaller team than if you take on a small addition, or a kitchen, or a bathroom. And that is how you’re going to determine who is on this team. 

It can be as simple as jotting down a list. I need a plumber, carpenter, and flooring guy. And then determine if there are any overlapping traits, and then you move forward to who is going to fill those slots. And we all want the perfect team, and one we are comfortable with….. 

But that isn’t always a reality, and unfortunately, it’s more often NOT the reality. So you must adapt to putting together a team that may not be your dream team.

So there will be times you are not controlling and creating the team, and you may be the new guy. That’s not always fun, but I have met some of the most incredible subcontractors in these situations, so I want you to look at the positive side of these situations!

Another question I have been getting is, “Who is responsible for what?” And I want to be very clear and say that no designer is responsible nor warrants any of the contractor’s work. 

Why do I say that? 

Because you’re not doing the work. My contractors are recommended by me to the client, and the client has the opportunity to meet, vet, call referrals, and do whatever they want so that they are comfortable having them on the site. 

So after you figure out who you need on a project, let’s figure out what to look for in a contractor if you’re putting together a team.  

What I want you to really be focusing on before you’re referring anyone to any client is that the contractor and you are aligned with your values. That you share values for a construction project. So, for instance, my values on any project are that the client comes first. And that may seem obvious, but you will come across contractors; unfortunately, that really don’t see it that way. 

It really is so important for you to be aligned with your team so that the project is as smooth and successful, and professional as possible. I hope this episode helps you in building your dream team for your next project because it is so critical! And I want you to enjoy your project throughout the duration, whether it is eight weeks, eight months, or three years.

Like this Episode?

• Be sure to check out Episode #67: One Designer’s Opinion on Working with a Design-Build Team

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