Category Archives: Pre-Construction

When you come to Tri-Bay Construction with a project in mind, we will ask you a series of questions BEFORE we even talk about the project.

One must also respect the diversity of skills on the team. Everyone is invited to the team for a specific skill and the expertise required to complete the project. There is no one member of the team more important than another. Every team member needs something from other team members. This is especially true in construction and quite often not practiced. For example, if you have a civil engineer for the site development design but do not have an Architect for the building, you will likely have a parking lot without a building.

If you have an Architect but no structural engineer, you may have a structure that will crumble in the first strong wind if you build it without proper structural design. These are extreme examples.

The smaller details are what usually cost money to repair if only revealed while the work is in progress. A few minutes of discussion between members of the design team eliminates most of these costs in the long run.

We believe the same is true in the construction phase. When a subcontractor treats himself as an island, or worse, when a Project Manager or Field Superintendent allows subcontractors to treat themselves as islands, the results are often expensive and time-consuming. Weekly progress meetings on the site with ALL the subcontractors currently working on the project.

This includes other team members who will be on the project in the following weeks, keeping them in the loop. When the whole understands the needs and the integration of the individual parts, the result is an efficient, well-organized, less costly, and quality project that owners desire. From designers to subcontractors, the entire team is satisfied with their work and proud to sign their names on the project.

There seems to be a problem in our industry that has never been entirely solved. A gap often exists between the financiers, government jurisdictions, real estate brokers, and General Contractors. The lenders want detailed values before they approve a loan for a project; owners need to know they can borrow enough money required for their project but cannot provide the detail the lenders want. The Owners seek out a contractor and give them the size of a building and nothing else and want to know how much it costs.

To build a conceptual estimate from scratch and no details require hours of research and work. Real estate brokers want to hear square foot costs and also, most times, have no details. The problem is that every construction project is unique, some more than others. Each one requires both common components and unique components. Until there is a design or a road map, those costs are general, at best. It is easy to throw a square foot cost on a project with no detail. Its accuracy is the question. How far off is that square foot cost.

In today’s world, where information about any subject comes at us at blinding speeds, it is difficult to separate fact from opinion.

The phrase “I don’t know” is not often heard anymore. Everyone is an expert or knows an expert or says, “look it up on the internet.” We are willing to say, “I don’t know,” but have learned to say, “I will find out for you.” And then we only consult with reliable sources who share the same values and experience we do. Saying “yes” and then not following through seems to be more commonplace.

Many of us have spent the last two years through the pandemic with trust levels shaken by the media and the seemingly ever-changing reports by the so-called experts. We became unsure of who to trust. Because of this new perception many of us have, we must act with integrity. One of my favorite descriptions of a person with integrity is “a person with integrity does the right thing even if nobody is watching.” The ironic thing about behaving with integrity is that it provides a good feeling from within for the person who practices it and a good feeling for the recipient.

This mutual feeling creates a positive environment for a relationship to blossom and evolve. One might say that “good feelings don’t pay the bills,” and while that is true, the strength and stability of an organization (like in a family) lies in the integrity of the members of that organization. Longevity comes with integrity. Short-term profits without regard for how they are acquired only pay the bills in the short term. Integrity provides consistency in a world where strength in character is at a premium.

Looking forward to the end of 2021 and ushering in a new year, we can be optimistic and become more flexible to the uncertainties of society and the certainty of change. Finding new and innovative ways to overcome the complexities we are faced with daily will provide long-term success. Continuing to adapt, finding value in one another’s experience, respecting each other’s time, remaining honest with ourselves and others, and above all else, maintaining a level of integrity will get us through any situation.