Construction Team Meeting and the Power of the Action List
You made it! You picked all the things, hired all the people, and arranged for a lovely short-term rental close to your house so you can keep close tabs on your renovation and now it’s time to consider a Construction Team Meeting.
A date has been set for your construction to begin. Now what? In a perfect world, you can sit back and relax and watch your talented team transform your space without ever lifting a finger. In reality, you will (or rather should) plan to be involved, at least on some level.
Renovation can be a tricky business, so this is a great time to revisit The Ultimate Home Renovation Checklist and make sure that you’re on track. Even with the best planning in place, things can go wrong, and decisions will need to be made on the fly to keep your project on schedule. Make a plan to stay closely involved with your project so that you are not caught in a #RenovationNightmare.
This blog post will provide a road map for successfully working with your construction team, as well as teach you how to make an action list that works.
Plan for success with your construction team
Before you break out the tools, it’s important to answer some key questions about your renovation, as well as ensure that your team has everything they need to be successful. This phase is all about communication and managing expectations—prioritizing these steps will lead to a less stressful project!
Who is managing your project?
Get to know your renovation team and identify your point of contact. For example, If you hire a mid-size to larger-scale construction company with a staff of project or site managers, one will be assigned to your project and be your point of contact.
If you hire a small construction company, chances are the person swinging the hammer is also wearing the project manager hat and is your main point of contact.
Pro Tip: Before you sign paperwork with a general contractor, ask for clarification on who will be managing your project and your main point of contact. Meet that person in advance of committing to the company's services, if possible. You are going to spend a lot of time with the project manager. Make sure that you are comfortable with them and the level of support they will bring to the table. For more tips, check out our post on hiring a rockstar general contractor.
What your team needs to know about your home
Plan to share this basic information about your home with your construction team:
Home access: Do you have a keypad entry or a lock box to access the home?
Alarm: If you expect your team to arm and disarm a home security system, you will want to get them familiar with that process at this meeting.
Water/gas shutoff and circuit breaker panel: Where are these located?
Unique features: Make them aware of features such as a landscape irrigation system that should be considered if they’re doing any work on the exterior.
Ask: Will they need crawl space and/or attic access?
Pet concerns or considerations.
Review the construction team meeting schedule
This is the ideal time to review the projected construction schedule. This is an outline of what happens on your project each week. Keep in mind this schedule will most likely change! Renovation work is fluid.
If the windows are delayed by two weeks, the tile could also be affected. Ideally, the person responsible for your construction schedule is updating you on changes as they occur.
The weekly meeting and the power of the action list for your Construction Team Meeting
The weekly construction meeting is an opportunity to see job progress from the previous week, discuss any issues that have developed, and create an action list of items that need to be resolved.
You can expect each meeting to last anywhere from fifteen minutes to two hours or more. It really depends on what is happening on the job site that week.
Pro Tip:: Connect with the team leader via email a day or two ahead of each meeting. Confirm what is happening that week and what you can expect to review and discuss. There will be weeks when not much is happening, and there is nothing to review or discuss. This check-in will be an opportunity to cancel the meeting for the week if it is not needed.
When it comes to scheduling—be flexible!
There will be weeks when the regular meeting time does not work for everyone. Be ready to adjust your schedule if needed to keep the project on track.
Let’s address the question that might be in your mind. Do you really need to meet EVERY week? My answer is 100% YES! At a minimum, check in with the team leader via email or a phone call every week.
Should a representative from the design team attend your weekly meetings?
If your budget allows, I highly recommend that you include a member of the design team in all or, at a minimum, these key moments in your renovation:
PreCon
Framing
Electrical rough-in
Plumbing rough-in
Finishing details such as tile, paint, and trim out.
If your budget does not allow for a member of your design team to participate in your meetings, set clear expectations to all parties regarding how to resolve potential design questions. It is important to note that if your contractor is contacting your architect or designer with questions, it takes them time to respond. It is expected that they will invoice you for the time it takes to complete those responses. Have a conversation with your design team and contractor about how to field these important questions and stay within your available budget.
The action list and Construction Team Meeting
At every meeting, a designated note taker compiles a list of actions that need to be addressed in order to keep your project moving forward. This could be anything from finalizing a paint color to revising an element of the design based on an unexpected condition discovered during the demo.
Important things to include in your action list:
The action
Who will resolve it
Due date
Additional notes
The action list helps the project stay organized and on schedule. Don’t skip this important step!
A little planning goes a long way for your Construction Team Meeting
Even with the best of plans, your renovation will likely throw you a couple of curve balls. However, with consistent weekly construction team meetings and a dedicated action list, those little surprises will likely feel manageable (or at least less scary)! Your team is there for YOU—create an open door of communication so they can bring your vision to life, and you feel more confident every step of the way.
