Vent: GC wants fast but also wants perfect - pick one already

I'm on a job right now at a strip mall in Tucson where the general contractor is all over us about speed. They want the steel framing done in 10 days flat. But every time I try to move fast, the inspector flags something because the GC told us to skip a step. Then we get blamed for the rework. I compare this to another job we did for a different GC last year in Phoenix where they gave us 3 extra days upfront and let us work at a steady pace. That job had half the callbacks and the owner was happy. The difference was communication and realistic timelines. But this new GC acts like time is the only thing that matters. So which is better in commercial construction - rushing to hit a deadline or building in some buffer days so you don't have to redo stuff? Has anyone else been caught between a GC's schedule and the actual quality needed?

2 comments

2 Comments

wadeyoung3d agoRising Star

Flip that around and ask yourself if the GC is actually the one making the calls or if they're just passing down pressure from the owner who refuses to budge on the schedule... In my experience the GC who pushes hard for speed usually ends up eating the rework costs anyway, so their track record of getting it right the first time is what really matters. Maybe that Tucson GC knows the inspector is going to flag something no matter what and they're just trying to get you out of there before more problems pop up.

kim_hart73d ago

Track record of getting it right the first time" says it all. You can't rush quality and expect to save time.