Production

Costly Mistakes in Renovation with Michael Upshall – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

May 22, 2023 Management, Operations, Production, The Tim Faller Show 00:30:41

From the vault, this episode was recorded because of a suggestion from one of our faithful listeners. Enjoy!

Get ready for an insightful episode as we dive into the topic of mistakes—specifically, the ones that cost remodelers and renovators more than just a few shims. We’re not talking about technical slip-ups; we’re tackling the errors that hit remodelers where it hurts the most.

Introducing Michael Upshall, the Founder of Probuilt Design + Build in Bolton, Ontario. Michael’s reputation precedes him, with appearances in design and home/lifestyle magazines, as well as regular speaking engagements at GTA Home Shows. With over 35 years of experience as a master carpenter turned renovator and builder, Michael has garnered numerous awards and accolades. In fact, PROBUILT holds the distinction of being the first two-time recipient of the prestigious BILD “Renovator of the Year” Award in 2002 and 2006.

In this episode, Tim, Steve, and Michael discuss:

  • Most common business mistakes contractors make
  • The importance of detailed specifications
  • Designing projects within client budgets
  • Pros and cons of competitive bidding vs. design/build approach

They also tackle the three biggest mistakes in production:

  • Sales to production hand-off packages
  • Tracking job costs during production
  • Timelines and scheduling intricacies

Michael also shares what it is like to build a house in 9 days to be featured in a trade show.

We value our subscribers and listeners, and we appreciate your suggestions for future guests. If there’s someone you’ve heard on another podcast or an author of a book who made a lasting impression, please reach out and let us know. Your input matters to us!

Join us on this enlightening journey and gain invaluable insights from the knowledgeable Michael Upshall.

Stay tuned and stay inspired!

The Art of Estimating with Geno Arroyo – [The Tim Faller Show] S4 E18

March 27, 2023 Operations, Production 00:43:02

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Geno Arroyo joins the show to discuss successful estimating. Geno goes through his process as an estimator for each project from start to finish. Suppose you want a more in-depth breakdown of his methods, including getting labor costs right, then you must attend Remodelers Advantage’s Art of Estimating masterclass, where Geno will be a presenter.

Geno Arroyo is the Estimator for Fox Home Innovations, LLC, in Manhattan, KS. Geno has had the privilege of being a part of the Fox Home family for over three years. When he started with the company, he was a Lead Carpenter, then transitioned from the field to the estimator role. The most significant accomplishment Geno can think of during his time is developing and implementing an actual estimator role within the company and having a role to play in getting our overall company slip and grip to 0.87%.

Geno, Tim, and Steve talk more about…

  • The creation of the estimator position and the results
  • Phases of work for an estimator
  • Budget meetings with the estimator
  • And more…

Using QR Codes for Field Communication – [The Tim Faller Show] S4 E17

March 20, 2023 Operations, Production 00:28:55

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Nick Sandifer details a new way to communicate in the field to help his team navigate the small details in elaborate projects. Nick and the Sandifer team use QR codes to help communicate better on the job site. The QR codes allow the project manager to view the electrical fixtures, architectural plans, and other information about the project. Nick discusses the effectiveness of the QR codes that lead to fewer phone calls from the team because all the data is in the QR code.

Nick Sandifer is the owner of Sandifer Design Build in Jacksonville, Florida.  Nick is a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in Real Estate Finance, Appraisal and Feasibility. He started his building career with a large national builder, Centex Homes. Later he worked as a project manager for local custom home builder Benchmark Luxury Homes. His experience working for both national and local custom builders has allowed him to focus on the schedule and the details.

Nick, Tim, and Steve talk more about…

  • Benefits of using QR codes
  • Changing plans while using the QR code
  • The work that goes into making the QR codes for all the projects
  • And more…

Seeing Projects from the Client’s Point of View with Meghan Haines – [Best of the Tim Faller Show]

March 6, 2023 Production 00:34:41

Have you ever gone through an entire job thinking that the client was delighted with your work and then discovered afterward that they liked most of it, BUT…. (you fill in the blank). So, the question remains, how do you ensure customer satisfaction or, as some call it, creating “Raving Fans?”

There is no better way to explore this than by asking real clients, and even better when the client has a remodeling background and can look at it from either viewpoint.

Meghan Haines is the Production Coordinator for Hercules Design Build, a remodeling company in the St. Louis area. Meghan has been with Hercules for a little over a year and a half; However, before joining the company, she was a client for three remodeling projects in her own home.

Tim, Steve and Meghan talk more about:

  • Background on Meghan’s household (size of house, family, pets, etc.).
  • Description of the projects that Meghan contracted for.
  • Sales & production: did they match and meet expectations.
  • The most critical action an on-site manager can take while working on a project.
  • Things that the contractor did that made the projects more bearable.
  • Advice for remodelers from the client’s perspective.
  • And more…

Hitting a Schedule Every Time With April Bettinger – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

February 27, 2023 Management, Operations, Production, The Tim Faller Show 00:35:55

Hitting a schedule every time in construction is possible if you pay proper attention to planning and have a purposeful attitude.

In this episode, April Bettinger joins Tim and Steve to talk about the best practices and the common pitfalls to avoid when creating and managing an on-time project that ends with delighted clients.

April is the founder and owner of Nip Tuck Remodeling in Snohomish, WA. For more than 30 years, she’s carved out a respected niche in the construction industry. Her father was a custom homebuilder, so April grew up watching and learning about excellent customer service, and what it takes to complete a high-quality project. April has held key roles in finance, budgeting, customer service, team building, and sales management — preparing her to own and operate her own company. Nip Tuck Remodeling was founded in 2010, with a vision and determination to create a construction company with extraordinary craftsmanship and a focus on professionalism. 

April and her estimator create the master schedule, then it’s turned over to the production manager, who is responsible for creating and  managing the job schedules on BuilderTrend. One huge factor in staying on track once you’re in production is getting the schedules done and materials ordered a month before the project starts. She talks about why that works, and other aspects of keeping your jobs on schedule, including:

  • Why the project manager has to create and own the schedule
  • Setting pivotal goals for each week in the schedule
  • Using goals for client satisfaction
  • Helping everyone buy in to the system
  • Handling change orders in the schedule
  • Getting clients to think ahead during selections
  • Building in reasonable wiggle room
  • Handling design changes and heading them off
  • And more …

Click here to listen

Design and Production: What Happens When the Job Starts? with Morgan Thomas and Candice Rania- [Tim Faller Show] S4 E12

January 9, 2023 Production 00:38:22

Candice Rania and Morgan Thomas rejoin the Tim Faller Show for a follow-up from their last episode, Design and Production: Can we really get along? In this episode, Candice Rania and Morgan Thomas join the show to discuss what happens once the job is started. They discuss challenges at the job site, whether it is unforeseen circumstances or supply chain delays. Candice and Morgan discuss how they resolve these challenges with the communication between the design and the production teams during the job.

Morgan Thomas started at Leff Design Build in Sonoma County, California 5 years ago as a project manager and was then promoted to her current role as the production department manager. She is excited and proud of her team’s input to the project’s budget, which she thinks has created an improved sense of ownership among her coworkers.  Candice Rania is the pre-production manager at Leff Design Build and works closely with Morgan.

Tim, Steve, Morgan, and Candice talk more about:

  • How the production team helps with client experience
  • Connection between design and production during construction
  • Limiting slippage
  • Design’s impact on change orders
  • And more…

Production System Shifts with Tim Faller and Steve Wheeler- [Tim Faller Show] S4 E8

November 21, 2022 Production 00:44:19

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Tim and Steve go solo to discuss production system shifts and the changing world of the lead carpenter and project manager. Tim talks about the most significant challenge facing the remodeling industry: increasing sales with the lack of skilled labor. The challenge comes from controlling growth with a limited number of people to handle that growth.  This is causing many companies to reevaluate their project management systems.

Tim and Steve talk more about:

  • Lead carpenter systems
  • Changes in the remodeling industry
  • Hybrid systems
  • And more…

Design and Production: Can we really get along? with Morgan Thomas and Candice Rania [Tim Faller Show] S4 E7

November 14, 2022 Operations, Production, The Tim Faller Show 00:45:36

On this episode of The Tim Faller Show, Candice Rania and Morgan Thomas join the show to answer the question: Can design and production get along? While the production and design teams have the same overall goal of completing a project that will delight their clients, they do it differently. Morgan and Candice talk about their struggles with time constraints, delays, and change orders and how they developed new processes that involve team reviews with proposed estimates to ensure each department has the proper budgets and limit unexpected client costs.

Morgan Thomas started at Leff Design Build in Sonoma County, California 5 years ago as a project manager and was then promoted to her current role as the production department manager. She is excited and proud of her team’s input to the project’s budget, which she thinks has created an improved sense of ownership among her coworkers.  Candice Rania is the pre-production manager at Leff design-build and works closely with Morgan.  

Tim, Steve, Morgan, and Candice talk more about

  • Integrating production and design and how that creates a better customer experience
  • Evaluating current methods and creating new processes can lead to better businesses
  • And more…

Co-Building Long Distance Jobs with Jordan Smith [The Tim Faller Show] S4 E6

October 31, 2022 Management, Operations, Production, The Tim Faller Show 00:36:04

Jordan Smith joined the show to discuss partnering with another remodeling company to complete a job two hours outside his service area.  He discusses the benefits, risks, and challenges associated with the job type and the steps he took to mitigate problems.

Jordan and his wife Veronica started the Smith House Company four years ago to create beautiful and functional spaces that harmonize with their natural surroundings.  

Join Jordan, Tim, and Steve as they discuss:

  1. How to handle projects that are outside of the current service area
  2. The risks and benefits of partnering with another remodeling company to complete a job
  3. How to handle the relationships between the design company, build company, and customer

Click here to listen…

The Tricks of a Lead Carpenter with Doug Horgan- Season 4 Episode 5

October 24, 2022 Operations, Production, The Tim Faller Show 00:44:29

Tim and Steve welcome Doug Horgan to the show to discuss the role of a lead carpenter. Doug talks about his responsibilities, including research, being an internal “help desk,” managing people internally and externally.  He also manages scheduling and explains the meaning behind the saying “make ready planning” and why it’s essential for a lead carpenter.

Doug Horgan is Vice President–Best Practices at BOWA, the Washington DC area’s premier custom and remodeling builder. In this training, quality, and troubleshooting role, Doug’s goal is reducing construction defects through sharing knowledge. Doug’s thirty years of tools-on carpentry, warranty troubleshooting, and instruction experience, are the foundations for visually rich presentations on how to build properly and avoid construction problems.

Tim, Steve, and Doug talk more about

  • Having an organized job site
  • Client relations and communication
  • Advice for a lead carpenter
  • And more…