TBS CONSTRUCTION, LLC

The thing we love most about residential remodeling and construction at TBS is the personal attachment that our clients have towards their new home project. It doesn’t matter if it’s a small remodeling project or a million dollar custom home; our clients are excited about realizing their dream and we share that excitement with them. We love the design process where the dream starts to become a reality. You can see the excitement on the dreamers’ faces and you can see it in our enthusiasm.

If your home was built prior to 1978, then lead paint may be a concern. TBS can help with that too because we’re an EPA certified renovator, so we know how to minimize lead dust so your family remains healthy.

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Contractor-Client Relationships

Construction really is a service business and we like to think that we provide the best service available. TBS Construction has experience in both residential and commercial construction and understands that no two projects or clients are alike. Just as projects are unique, so are clients and their situations.

Some clients need minimal hand-holding, while others want you to be with them every step of the way. There are also clients who don’t want a general contractor as much as they just want an adviser.

There are a whole host of different contractual arrangements, with one that fits your situation just perfectly. Listed below are just a few examples of the contractual relationships that you can choose to have with TBS during your construction project. During our sales process, we can help you determine which one best suits your unique needs.

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Click here to find out about Contract Relationship types >>

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Contractor Selection: What’s wrong with shopping for the best price?

The key to contractor selection is careful consideration, doing your research, then following your gut. There are contractors out there that are most concerned about their bottom line and there are contractors out there that truly want to make their clients happy. TBS Construction exists to do the latter. Hiring a contractor means developing a relationship. Many prospective clients approach hiring a contractor like buying a new car or major appliance. They shop around and get multiple quotes and then select the contractor with the lowest price – treating their construction project as if it were a commodity. What could be wrong with this technique? As your project progresses, the relationship that began with a sole focus on cost rarely deviates from focus on cost (or profit as far as the contractor is concerned). So where does customer service come in? What about quality and attention to detail?

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If your project begins with an architect, that’s who’s focused on customer service. If you haven’t hired an architect and you’re hiring a contractor to provide the design, this is called Design-Build. Design-Build offers a lot of benefits, like a streamlined decision-making process with fewer parties to the contract; this results in a harmonious construction project. We work with architects AND in an independent Design-Build capacity. No matter the scope of your project, we have the experience and proficiency to get the job done and respect the relationships involved.

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Who’s thinking about customer satisfaction?

Service has many different components. Part of service should be the quality of the relationship between the client and the contractor’s TEAM. That’s right, not just the contractor but his team. Sometimes the contractor self-performs some of the work, but more often than not, the bulk of the work is performed by trade contractors that specialize in particular parts of the project. Many contractors rely on relationships with the same trade contractors over and over. Why do they do this? Because they’ve developed a relationship that works for them. It’s kind of like what your parents used to tell you when you were growing up, “The type of people that you hang out with is who you are or what you’ll become.” You want the team of contractors to have a similar culture that provides a benefit to you, things like dependability, courtesy and respect. These are all components of service. We’ve made sure our project team respects you and acting on your behalf.

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How do I compare apples to apples?

I mentioned clients treating their project like they are commodities, such as cars or major appliances. Commodities are things that are mass produced with fixed or advertised prices and the quality or features can easily be compared to their competitors. Commodities are complete and can be taken right off the shelf or out of the showroom, so you have instant gratification. Construction projects are exactly the opposite of commodities. Every project is a custom, one-of-a-kind creation that was built under unique conditions with a unique team. Because of all the factors involved, it’s difficult to make an apples-to-apples comparison. I know it’s tough to make these decisions because we make the same decisions on the trade contractors we hire. One’s cheaper than the other, so how do we make our selections?

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Start by doing just what I’ve been talking about here. Discuss their scope of work thoroughly, like what exactly are they going to build and/or install for you. Determine if you think they’re reputable and will work well with you. My personal opinion is that the most important thing is that contractors be reliable, courteous, dependable and provide a quality of work that is consistent with their price. Some construction projects only last a few days or a couple of weeks. For projects with a short duration like that, you can pretty much get along with anybody. But if you have a project that is much longer than that, especially if it’s a residential or commercial remodeling project and the home or commercial space is occupied or open for business, it can be a nightmare to have an unreliable or rude contractor that doesn’t take care of your place of residence or business. Things like dust control and hazard protection can be detrimental to your health, safety, lifestyle and business. These are things that the contractor should have included in their scope of work, which means they allowed for them in their estimate. These things don’t come free and while they sound like expenses you can do without, my guess is that you’ll wish they were included after the project has been completed. And lastly, don’t forget the other things your contractor should have, like proper insurance and licensing along with some references.