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The only things I didn’t like about super work was upper management shaving days off my completion/possession dates so they could get paid sooner, dealing with building inspectors, and trying to get shit built on budget when the estimators and sales staff missed major parts of the material package in their estimates. They were working off a Timberline estimating database that was four years out of date, so materials and labor they estimated at $X per board or per square foot or per hour were now 50% more expensive. But the contract was already signed with the customer at the old labour and material prices, so I had to find people that would do the work basically for no profit. And try to find bargains on materials of poorer quality. And hold the subs to completing their deficiency lists by withholding 30% of their invoices. And personally run on short notice for all the materials they forgot on the estimates. Exterior wall studs, 2x10 headers, roof sheeting etc. Constantly short. That and framing packages that instantly warped into unusable shape once the banding came off. The company I worked for usually had me on 3-4 new stick builds, 3-4 ready to move homes, and 3-4 renovations at any given time. It was stressful as fuck. I’d stay on the tools myself man lol.
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Piez 9mo ago 💬 2

Yeah I know that’s what I’ve been thinking, but my body is getting beat up with age and I’ve been offered a few times and turned it down. Idk it’s a tough decision to make.

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nobody 9mo ago

Depending on the company, it can be good though. If there’s one bit of advice I’d give, develop inspection checklists for each phase and hold your subs to doing their own cleanups. Even if you have to lay down the law and hold back on their invoices. And get a feedback loop going with the estimators so they correct any regular shortages. And make sure they have a couple gophers on staff who can run for short materials and do the pack-ins on your finish packages, or hop on the goon spoon when needed for slab preps and before foundation inspections prior to backfill.

15
nobody 9mo ago

Here’s another couple of gems:

- memorize as much of the code as you can especially with respect to stuff that you won’t have access to for insulating and vapour barrier after the tin bashers get their ducting in or after chimney flues are installed

- learn the proper lapping of poly on exterior walls for tying in to your interior wall poly, and leaving lots of poly uncut in window RO’s for lapping later

- make sure the boarders aren’t flexing window frames inward by zip cutting drywall so close to windows that they flex in or can’t be insulated, or cause window frames to flex in if they get spray foamed

- remember your framers doing backing for towel bars, tp dispensers, vanities and fireplace mantels

- make sure cabinet walls don’t have studs crowned the wrong way. Same for fireplace walls

- get your basement window wells bolted on before foundation backfill

- get your final paint stage touchups done after flooring because carpet guys will rub the bottoms of walls with the carpet backing

- use a bright headlamp or light and a pencil or green painters tape to mark drywall finish deficiencies or paint deficiencies

- give hard copy deficiency lists and get subs to check off items so you don’t have to effectively do your inspection three or four times