Category Archives: Tri-Bay Benefits

Last month we discussed “What to Look for in a Contractor When Planning a New Project.” This month, we will explore that in a little more depth, emphasizing the importance of trust and how trust between all parties is essential throughout a successful project.

“Trust” is an integral component of the construction industry, not just the “buzzword” it has become in the business world. A construction project (small or mega-large) represents a considerable investment in time and money for any client project type.

Every client makes an investment, signs a contract with a General Contractor (GC), and then needs to trust that the Contractor they selected will provide the expected outcome.

Construction is an industry where numerous companies (people) are thrust together in one location daily. They are there to meet a common goal (for someone else) and together to meet it efficiently, on time, and within budget. They are asked to do this quite often without ever having met each other, much less having worked together. A daunting ask. Would you have a deeper level of trust in your General Contractor going into the project, knowing that they have a strong relationship with the subcontractors because they have a proven track record of working together? There is an immense difference between a contractual relationship and a personal relationship.

A contractual relationship by itself does not require trust. Terms are defined, scopes of work are explained, and procedures to handle every situation are spelled out. As long as we both sign the document (and it is a well-written contract), trust doesn’t enter the equation. On the other hand, a personal relationship is based on trust and, in conjunction with a contract, becomes a formula for success.

A relationship based on trust doesn’t need a contract except in rare circumstances. The contract becomes a “fallback” document if something goes wrong and the two parties cannot agree on a solution.

The “lowest bidder” comes into a job with a lower level of trust before they even start a project, as the GC is wondering why the bid was so low. The Superintendent is at a distinct disadvantage because they don’t know who they are working with, their skill level, communication skills, or how they will interact with the other subcontractors.

The subcontractor has little trust in this Superintendent because in the last project he worked on, the Superintendent lied to him, belittled him, etc., so, in his mind, all Superintendents are the same. Building a relationship takes time.

Consistency is a quality of trust that seems academic but unfortunately not easily found. If a person always does what they say they are going to do, trust increases. Trust builds teamwork.

Familiarity is a key to building trust and teamwork. When subcontractors work together on multiple projects, relationships are formed and strengthened as the goals become equal. Helping one another is easy when there is trust and a team atmosphere. Multiple perspectives amongst trusting peers bring faster solutions and require less money and less time.

One of the difficulties found in Design-Bid-Build projects is that the collaboration between GC, Subcontractors, Clients, and designers rarely exists and doesn’t have an opportunity to grow, thereby reducing the level of trust (i.e., between subcontractors and designers). If there were direct contact, such as in Integrated Project Delivery, the trust between the Architect and the subcontractors is being formed from the start, and the collaboration flows through the entire project, not just when there is a problem.

When there is a centralized data system, and everyone has access to the same information simultaneously, there is less room for finger-pointing. Every member of the team has to take equal responsibility.

The chances of conflicting sources of information are reduced, and members of the team trust that everyone has the most recent data.

And finally, as customers become more committed to your organization, their behavior progresses from recommending your services to others and resisting competitor’s approaches all the way to paying a premium to do business with you. Taking a risk on a newcomer becomes less attractive. Customers know the outcome to expect when they work with you. This will create more business. With repeat work, you develop a deeper relationship, and through that relationship, you build even more trust, making the work more enjoyable.

And as we know, if you enjoy what you do, it isn’t work!

In future issues, we will discuss why greater trust leads to better performance on every project.

Is doing the right thing the same as going the extra mile? Many construction companies pride themselves on “doing the right thing” during construction. Tri-Bay Construction will go the extra mile from beginning to end. We take experiences from previous projects where we’ve worked with suppliers and subcontractors and evaluate for continuous ongoing improvement.

We take into account all the pieces that go into a project, such as:

Cleaning up after a specific operation is the standard operating procedure for most construction companies. Enhanced preparation before the project to minimize clean-up and operate more efficiently and safely is what we do.

This small amount of extra time beforehand results in a better, more efficient operation, less chance for collateral damage, and most importantly, a safer work environment. Best of all, it reduces costs in the long run by eliminating repairs and doing things a second and third time.

When you demand this type of preparation and efficiency, subcontractors want to work on our projects and leave owners knowing without question that we value them and their project. This approach results in a more collaborative and cohesive team effort on every project we do.

You should be asking questions like:

By focusing on details from the start (pre-construction), changes become less frequent and less costly. Identifying challenges or gaps early on can make a project smoother in the construction process.

Getting it right the first time saves time and money for all involved. One glitch or hiccup has a trickle-down effect that can quickly snowball into significant delays.

Transparency between all parties allows for last-minute adjustments that have a less negligible impact on the overall project. There cannot be any “islands” on a construction project. Every component will affect other parts of the project.

Tri-Bay Construction goes the extra mile for Owners, designers, and subcontractors alike. That is why we have repeat clients, referrals from satisfied owners and designers, and subcontractors who want to work with us. The extra mile we take in our work results in a victory for all.