Where Can I Find NC Codes?

Willie T

Today, the world runs on schedules. You will have to meet several. The owner is on a timed percentage point deadline for his/her financing. The architect and/or backer will require some hard, fast indication of not only how long you'll take, but also exactly where you are on a weekly basis. The subs will need to have a schedule they can relate their own resources to if they are to get in and get out in a timely manner. Your suppliers will need to know when and where on your schedule they are expected to deliver. You may be fighting against other factors... seasonal weather being one. Many times inspections require a lead time... this needs to be on a tight schedule.

It goes on and on. And the kicker is that all this needs to be pre-decided and printed in hard copy long before the job begins. Then guess what? About a week and a half into the project someone will screw the pooch, and blow your schedule right out of the water. So you will have to learn to re-adjust on the fly. Then someone will do it all over again a couple of weeks later.

BTW, I use MS Project. But there are many out there. Some considered much better than "Project". I think it's still running around $1,000. It's not important that you run out and buy one right now. More imperative is that you begin to understand the elements and principles of project scheduling. You can do this, to an extent, with Excel.

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"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Bill Everett - St. Petersburg, FL

Willie T

Here's one you'll love. If you are doing multiple homes, they will just about always be financed by different banks or lending agencies. Wouldn't you know it, almost every bank authorizes payment draws on a different progressive schedule than the one down the street. So you will have to develop several differently arranged building schedules to allow for timely "draws". It can get to be a monsterous headache.

__________________
"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Bill Everett - St. Petersburg, FL

Willie T

As disappointing as this sounds, simply getting the building constructed will end up being one of the least of your many hundreds of concerns when you become a GC. There is a world of staggering legal conformity and complicated coordination that revolves around the simple, basic task of putting a house together. The HO and none of your subs will ever have even an inkling of what goes on behind the scenes. But you sure will!

__________________
"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Bill Everett - St. Petersburg, FL

Willie T

I'm going to give you one of the most valuable, free assets you will ever receive at this point in your education.

HERE is the link to an online Construction Management course. There is so much information here that you won't believe your good fortune in getting this. Safeguard it, and study hard.

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"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Bill Everett - St. Petersburg, FL

Haaser

Seems To Me Willie T Knows his stuff.

We To use MS Project along with a few others. we dont build houses, but the path is much the same just A LOT longer more people to deal with (DOI on state funded jobs...).

but i would not advise taking an online Cst. Mgmt. class. GTCC has a Great Program. id check them out. and take a Blueprint And MTO course it will help in your exam.

and lastly learn as much as you can from the people that have done this for years. Kirkland Construction tends to hire fresh kids to train to become Project Mgrs.

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Willie T

I do have to agree about online courses being the last choice. You would not believe the benefit of a classroom situation where you can ask questions and chase rabbits. I posted this one only to give Vinnie a quick overview with a huge repository of pertinent information to use as a resource pool.

It also shows a logical outline format to follow in the learning process.

__________________
"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Bill Everett - St. Petersburg, FL

Willie T

I like your choices of basic classes, Haaser. I actually began that way. As a kid, I worked for a man who required that we (the young guys) come to his shop every Tuesday night (for no pay, though he fed us) to take informal classes from his foremen. They taught us nail sizes and types, how to hammer them, how to pull them, etc. We were taught how to measure, how to cut with both hand saws and power. We were taught layout methods, even how to use a transit. Mostly just the basic stuff we needed not be a drag on the job site.

Later, he offered, and paid for, a degree in Civil Architecture for several of us. This began with the very courses you mentioned, Blueprint reading and Estimating (MTO... "Material Take Off", Vinnie)

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"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Bill Everett - St. Petersburg, FL

Haaser

very true willie, you can learn more mor on the job than you will EVER learn in the class room(IMO). when i first got started in construction i was hired as day labor, sweeping floors, dumping trash... when ever i had some spare time i would help the carpenters. they are the ones to learn from.

Worked my way up the ladder for the same company for 9 years made asst. super with them, then i quit. but thats another story...

but now i am shocked at how many guys cant read a tape. our local CC has career prep classes that we will pay for our guys to attend after 90 days that will teach some of the basics.

One more little side note: dont be afraid to let some one under you to show a thing or 2. trust me, i have been shown up a few times and i co-own the company... there are always better ways to do things!!!

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Haaser

and one more thing...

dont let the nice folks that make the drawings piss you off! most of them have NEVER done any field work and think just because they can CAD it, it means you can build it.

Truth is, sometimes you cant. dont argue with them smile take there advice then when it still dont work out, do it your way*. we have as built plans for a reason!

*Unless its a major change to the building structure or LBW placement*

then they will submit a CO and a new drawing.

other than that, if you need to make a window smaller or move it a few inches, things like that. your good.


I know that prob. wont apply to your project but its good to know

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Willie T

Haaser mentioned Change Orders. You might as well learn this one early. Your attitude about changes can make you or break you. All customers will ask for them. And it behooves you to graciously welcome them. These next remarks aren't strictly mine, but they reflect my thinking on Change orders.

Soon after the beginning of every new project someone will come along with the inevitable changes. Ask any contractor. He knows that it is not long before the customer is asking you to make some modifications to the original scope of the work by way of changes.

Be sure that each of these changes is put in writing immediately, priced accordingly, and signed by both parties to avoid later disputes.

Contractors who do not document every change are setting themselves up for a losing battle in the event of a dispute. In addition, such contractors may be reducing their profit margin by not taking into account the additional cost (and markup) of each change.

What may appear to be a minor change can cost you time and money. A little bit here, and a little bit there, can soon add up. For example, the customer may only want to change the color of a toilet. This small change may involve a price change for a color not in stock. It could take extra time to obtain. It could involve the hassle of exchanging a toilet already purchased. A delay could idle workers and extend the due date for completion of the contract. By the time the project is completed, the customer (and you) may have forgotten about that change. Or, the customer may dispute that this was a change at all. When the customer requests a change, they would be very willing to make sure you don’t forget that change by signing a Change Order. Now, later on, you have a legal document that shows they approved the change (the document also indicates there may be an additional charge and it may extend the completion date).

Were you paying attention to this very easy way to introduce a Change Order? Present it as helpful and beneficial to the customer to see that a Change Order is placed on file.

Some changes may require another application having to be made for a building permit or the need to modify an existing permit. A variance may be required so the property owner can get a certificate of completion or a certificate of occupancy when the work is done. This will often involve a great deal of time and effort on your part. Don’t even consider it without a Change Order.

There is no excuse for a contractor to avoid using formal Change Orders. To use informal notes or to ignore documenting changes will cost the contractor money in both his time and effort to execute the changes and in time and legal fees in case of dispute.

Successful contractors know that Change Orders provide a healthy financial profit for the overall project if properly executed. Develop the mindset of welcoming the additional income Change Orders represent.

· A good Change Order should be dated and signed by both the contractor and the customer.
· It should note the additional charges to be added and how it will be paid.
· It should indicate how many extra days, if any, will be added to the original completion date.
· And, it should stipulate that the change becomes a part of the original contract.

The customer should be pleased with the professionalism of any contractor who dutifully pays so much attention to detail by documenting all changes. The contractor should be pleased with the financial rewards and the profound reduction in disputes.

And above all, don’t do the new work without a signed Change Order already in your hand. (Actually, there are legal ways to handle starting without a CO.... but it's best just not to get into that bad habit.)

__________________
"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Bill Everett - St. Petersburg, FL

vinnievega

Wow I'm overwhelmed with Great information! You guys are cramming years of experience into one thread. At what point did you guys make the transition from working for somebody to venturing out on your own? I'm not saying that I want to jump right in over my head with a business but I've already made it clear to myself that eventually I would like to be my own boss. I'm just curious to see the steps that some of you guys have taken to get to that point.

I'm going to look over that online course but I'd like to take some classes that will specifically help me get my license (when that time comes) I took a construction course in high school (no not just a DIY shop class, actually specific to the trade) And it went over many of the basics, My teacher was really awesome so I learned a lot from him. I was actually able to get a hold of a similar text book that I used in that class that I skim through when I have time, or when I know ahead of time that I'll be doing something on the site that I don't have much experience in and its helped me a lot so far.

Willie T

May I suggest that you think about the full classroom path before settling for a cram course that does little more than teach you how to pass a test?
I had more than 20 years under my belt when I became a GC. And like so many other people, my first choice was a professional cram course. It took one night at the introductory class to see that, yes, they would show me how to pass the exam, but that's all. It is much the same today with our required continuing education classes. They get me the necessary legal 14 hours every two years, but most of them are useless for anything more.

My time is too valuable to be wasted that way. And yours is too. If you are going to take a class, any class, make sure it gives you something that will be of added value to you for the rest of your life.

__________________
"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Bill Everett - St. Petersburg, FL

vinnievega

That's a very good way of putting it. Perhaps that's why I didn't go to the traditional college's that my friends did. The only added value to there lives now is addiction and STDs . I need to get myself enrolled into business and construction courses asap.

Haaser

ive been in this for almost 11 years. my decision to venture out on my own was one of politics and not so much a choice. (a story ill share another time)

another goot tip that goes along with willie's Notes on CO's,

we are in a digital age, it is very cheep now to own a digital camera. we require our supers to write daily and weekly reports, but those are just words. we also require them to take pictures of EVERY THING!!! from the footers to the "L-Bolts in them and the nuts that attach the steel to them.

we take photos of anything that we can, even the wiring and plumbing in walls.

it seems like alot of extra work, but a year after you close and the customer call and tells you the roof has a leak that was caused by not attaching the steel in the correct way, all you have to do is show them the photos showing them how it was attached...

pictures are the best tool we have to save us money in callbacks.

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Haaser

Quote:

Originally Posted by vinnievega That's a very good way of putting it. Perhaps that's why I didn't go to the traditional college's that my friends did. The only added value to there lives now is addiction and STDs . I need to get myself enrolled into business and construction courses asap.

the best thing you can do is take coruses at GTCC or someplace like that. the GC exam is not the hard part. the working capital that you need to have is the worst of it... IMO.

the test its self is not easy, dont get me wrong. but its not bad. and if you have a wife, let her study with you then you can both take the test... thats what i did! so even if you fail and she passes, she can act as your qualifier.

but for now i would just try to learn what ever you can!

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Willie T

I've attached an old basic Change Order that I used to use. This one is geared for a Townhouse project.

I don't know if the feature will transfer here, but the form is set up with "typeable form-fill fields", so you can do most of it right on your computer.

Notice too, that it has offset margins so you can punch holes on the left for keeping the forms in a loose leaf binder.

I mention these things to help you see that each small step you can incorporate (anywhere) to make your work smoother and more effective will make your life smoother and more effective too. Productivity = $.

Attached Files

CHANGE ORDER FORM (old).doc (31.0 KB, 25 views)

__________________
"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Bill Everett - St. Petersburg, FL