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The Contractor Coaching Partnership Blog

Professional design/build contractor or design/build wannabe?

Posted by Mark Paskell on Mon, Jun 29, 2009 @ 11:07 PM

Have you noticed the huge influx of wannabe contractors now claiming that they offer design build services to homeowners? This isn't anything new, but it seems that since we've been hit with the recent economic downturn any carpenter, roofer, plumber or handyman who can swing a hammer is claiming that they are a design/build company. Homeowners faced with less equity and looking for deals are taking chances hiring tradesman with little or no understanding of what it means to be a professional design/build company. This spells big trouble for consumers and contractors alike. Many design/build impostors are pawning themselves off as a true design build professional. These contractors bid incomplete plans and leave questions unanswered until they have the homeowner over a barrel. Once the job has started then the change orders are submitted for incomplete plans and scope of work. With little leverage the homeowner has no choice but to pay up or risk an incomplete job. This hurts the perception the homeowner has of our industry. The ensuing finger pointing between designer, contractor and homeowner leaves no winners.

The Professional Design/Build Contractor, who is truly committed to design/build, educates the homeowner on what the process means and does for them. Combining the world of architecture with construction and participation from the consumer usually yields a successful project. These contractors tend to use a contractor coaching service, are members of organizations like NARI and are constantly improving their systems and products to deliver outstanding results for homeowners.

The effort and training needed to become a professional design build company is well worth the effort producing happy customers who give great referrals. If you educate and show the consumer that you are the expert, using a real design/build approach, you will likely beat out the design/build wannabe every time. 

In this downturn, now is a perfect time to look at your existing company and remodel any systems that you haven't had the time to fix when you were busy. You may have noticed consumers are harder to pin down now than a few years ago. Many approaches that work then aren't working now. Some new approaches that are working are, suggesting down sizing, looking for maintenance items on the home that need attention, letting the homeowner do some of the safe work, and working with special homeowner requests.

If you are a contractor who claims to be a design build company but you really aren't, it will be hard to win jobs in this economy from a savvy and educated consumer. The true Professional Design/Build Contractor is what the new consumer is looking for.

Any thoughts on challenges posed by design/build wannabes?

mark the coach