. . This leads naturally to using the lead carpenter concept. The lead carpenter takes over the job at the pre-construction conference and runs the job from that point on. The lead carpenter comes to the job every morning and stays all day long, getting carpentry help only as needed, keeping the material flow going, scheduling subcontractors, and dealing with the customer. Here's how the typical room addition goes now. Once the layout, footing and foundation is put in -- supervised by the lead carpenter -- then there may be two or three people including the lead carpenter to do the rough framing. The lead carpenter stays on alone and tidies up the framing, then moves outside to run the roofing, siding, cornice and trim while the electrical, mechanical and HVAC contractors come in -- under the lead's supervision -- to rough in the job and get their inspections done. Then the lead carpenter moves back inside and stays there, coordinating subcontractors as necessary, and doing most of the work himself until the job is completed. That one person is on the job every day all day, managing the project and doing the bulk of the carpentry work. Advantages of the Lead Carpenter System 1. Total job control. No chance of the electrician showing up and asking the homeowner, "Hey, lady, what do I do now?" The lead carpenter is the project manager, always there to show subs what to do, direct delivery of materials, meet with building and other inspectors, and be responsible for the job. 2. Total job security. In the old days when the woman of the house was there most of the time, there was not much demand for a remodeling contractor to provide security. Now, one of the prime concerns of American homeowners is home security. The lead carpenter being on the job every day from start to completion is a real positive element for customers. 3. Efficient materials handling. When the job is first set up, a complete material list -- almost down to the last nail -- must be developed, contracts negotiated with subcontractors and a complete task and labor breakdown for the carpenters done as well. The lead carpenter goes over the rough framing load, the trim list, the special order items, which supplier they are ordered from and the delivery schedule. Then the lead carpenter is responsible for staying ahead on materials and confirming timely and sufficient deliveries. This totally eliminates the cost of a "gofer" at about $40,000 a year counting the cost of the truck. A well-organized lead carpenter always has something to do to keep busy and if materials are delivered a couple of hours late, the carpenter can still make the time productive. 4. No buck to pass. No trim carpenter calls the office and says, "I can't trim this out because it's framed wrong." One subcontractor can't just take advantage of being first on the job and do something that makes it easier for them but tougher for the other subs because the lead carpenter is there to direct the work. Most important, lead carpenters have a certain pride of ownership in the job -- they bring the family out and say, "Look, I'm building this addition or remodeling this kitchen." 5. Labor costs controlled. The lead carpenter must be given a labor budget and an incentive. For example, if the labor budget cost on a job is $4,000, go over it with the lead carpenter item by item, agree on whether it is reasonable and complete, and from that point on, the lead carpenter is responsible to stay within that budget. If the lead "beats" the labor budget, the savings are split (if that $4,000 labor budget comes in at $3,600 the company gets $200 and the lead carpenter gets $200). The lead carpenter can get help on any task where they think it is more efficient to use two people on the job. Real experience is likely to be like the company in the Midwest that has nine lead carpenters and one helper -- and they can't keep the helper busy because the lead carpenters don't want to pay for it. 6. Responsibility for service work. Lead carpenters are paid on a rolling bonus system, usually paid quarterly, so there is always a balance in the labor budget. If there is a service call after a few months, and the company pays the carpenter or someone else to take care of it, that cost comes out of the carpenter's rolling bonus -- which was already paid on that job. Of course, most lead carpenters say, "Oh, I'll handle it on my way home." I know a company in Iowa that implemented the lead carpenter concept and in one year their service calls went down from 50 a year to five. And what really happens is that the carpenters do it right the first time. |