Save Yourself the Headache, Hire a GC
By Shelby Ballow, Dowling Construction, Inc.
As a Property Manager, you are constantly juggling multiple tasks while simultaneously managing people and maintaining positive relationships with your tenants. If you throw a construction project into the mix, this can result in long nights and early mornings. Bringing a General Contractor on board can alleviate the stress of a tenant improvement as you have one point of contact to communicate with; the general contractor is then responsible for overseeing all the trades involved. Weekly site meetings and email communication will allow you to stay updated and involved without having to be completely “hands-on,” so your time can be spent elsewhere (tackling the never-ending to-do list).
At the end of the project, a General Contractor should provide a compilation of closeout documents including project costs, finishes, as-builts, a list of subcontractors and warranties & releases. If your GC is not sending you an orderlyclose out package, you’ve hired the wrong guy! These close out documents will make your life so much easier in the future when your tenant is expanding and wants to match the carpet, or if you are trying to establish building standard lights based on what was installed in Suite 100. Close out packages are especially helpful during the sale of a building, serving as a resource guide for the new management team to know what is in their building.
For small projects like a paint refresh, hiring a General Contractor may not be as beneficial since there is only one trade involved. Anything with 2+ subcontractors needed, entertain the idea of enlisting a GC to save yourself some headaches.
As a Property Manager, you are constantly juggling multiple tasks while simultaneously managing people and maintaining positive relationships with your tenants. If you throw a construction project into the mix, this can result in long nights and early mornings. Bringing a General Contractor on board can alleviate the stress of a tenant improvement as you have one point of contact to communicate with; the general contractor is then responsible for overseeing all the trades involved. Weekly site meetings and email communication will allow you to stay updated and involved without having to be completely “hands-on,” so your time can be spent elsewhere (tackling the never-ending to-do list).
At the end of the project, a General Contractor should provide a compilation of closeout documents including project costs, finishes, as-builts, a list of subcontractors and warranties & releases. If your GC is not sending you an orderlyclose out package, you’ve hired the wrong guy! These close out documents will make your life so much easier in the future when your tenant is expanding and wants to match the carpet, or if you are trying to establish building standard lights based on what was installed in Suite 100. Close out packages are especially helpful during the sale of a building, serving as a resource guide for the new management team to know what is in their building.
For small projects like a paint refresh, hiring a General Contractor may not be as beneficial since there is only one trade involved. Anything with 2+ subcontractors needed, entertain the idea of enlisting a GC to save yourself some headaches.