Tag: construction

Fence Contractor

How to Plan Properly for Fence Installation

Richard Mcbride

A fence can add value to your property and provide a sense of security. It can also provide a beautiful landscape for your yard and garden.

Before beginning your fence project, you should know the local building codes and regulations. Failing to comply with these can lead to legal and financial consequences down the road. Contact Fence Installation Holland MI now!

Adding a fence is an important home improvement project that adds both aesthetic and functional value to your property. Proper planning will help you achieve your goals and ensure that the fence is safe, durable and meets local regulations. In addition, it will help avoid problems like zoning violations and materials shortages that can derail your project.

Start by marking the perimeter of your yard with stakes or string. Be sure to consider property lines and any buried utilities. It’s a good idea to talk with your neighbors about your plans, as well. You may find that your needs or theirs differ, and the ability to communicate will make the installation process easier for everyone involved.

Use graph paper to draw a plan for the fence layout, including post locations and gate locations. Some towns require this as part of the application for a building permit. Determine whether you will need a gate, and if so, what size it should be. You’ll also want to take into account the openings required for any existing landscaping or other structures, such as sheds and driveways.

Once you have the basic layout established, begin digging the holes for the posts. Make sure you dig deep enough, and slope the concrete away from the post to direct water away from the hole. This will prevent damage to the posts during inclement weather and extend their life.

Once the posts are in place, it’s time to install the panels. Start with one end of the fence and work toward the other, ensuring that all joints are tight and flush. If your property experiences a lot of wind, you should also consider its direction when installing the panels and adding spaces to account for the gusts.

Select Your Materials

The type of fence you choose will have a significant impact on your home’s aesthetic and functionality. Whether you are handling the fence installation yourself or hiring a professional company, selecting durable, stylish materials is essential. It’s also important to consider long-term costs and maintenance requirements.

Local building codes and homeowners’ associations may set standards for the types of materials that can be used in your neighborhood. Contact these governing groups before you begin your fencing project to make sure your fence meets specifications. Failure to do so could result in hefty fines or even the requirement to take down the entire fence.

Fence prices vary widely, depending on the type of material and style you choose. Steel chain link is usually the least expensive option, followed by aluminum and vinyl. Wood is another popular choice, and it can be crafted in many different styles, including lattice patterns, picket designs, and horizontal slat fence panels. Cedar and fir are the most common wood varieties, but you can also select more exotic hardwoods like redwood and teak for your fence.

Before you begin working on your fence, it’s best to clean up the yard to remove any debris that might interfere with the installation process. It’s also a good idea to locate and mark any buried utility lines that might be affected by the fence. This will ensure that you or the professionals you hire aren’t digging into any buried wires, which would be dangerous for everyone involved. Once the site is clear, prepare for the actual fence installation by creating a mound around each post location. This will help to guide rain and snow melt away from the posts, ensuring that they remain stable after being installed.

Get Permits

Homeowners install fences for many reasons, including adding aesthetics to the landscape, securing pets and children, keeping wild animals away from the property and even preventing trespassing. However, not everyone knows that a building permit is required to build any outdoor structure, including a fence. This requirement is often tied to local zoning laws, which dictate how far the fence can be set back from property lines and what type of materials are allowed.

Some towns have a permit process that requires detailed plans and specifications for the fence, as well as fees and inspections during or after construction. Others may require you to have a professional survey done to locate the exact property line and ensure that your new fence doesn’t encroach on a neighboring landowner. In addition, if your home is located in a historic district or a homeowner’s association (HOA), you may have to obtain additional approval and/or permits.

The good news is that you can avoid the hassle of navigating a complex permitting process by hiring a professional fence company. Most fence companies will obtain the permits for you as part of your estimate. This saves you time and gives you peace of mind that your fence is built in accordance with all local regulations.

In some areas, if you don’t obtain the necessary permits, you could face fines or have to remove your fence when it becomes a nuisance to the community. You should also keep in mind that if you ever decide to sell your home, unpermitted fences are likely to be a major hurdle in the home inspection and sale process. If you are unsure whether you need permits, check with your local government office or visit their website for more information.

Dig Post Holes

Digging post holes is perhaps the most important part of any fence installation project. This is because the posts are the foundation for the entire fence, and they need to be set properly in order to be stable and last a long time. Post hole requirements can vary depending on several factors, including local soil conditions and frost line depth.

A professional fence installer will know how to work with these factors to get the best results from the job. They also understand that different seasons can affect digging conditions and how to deal with rocky or sandy soil, for example. A good fence installer will also know how to avoid hitting any underground utilities, which can be a major problem that could result in expensive repairs down the road.

Before digging any holes, it’s a good idea to make a blueprint of the area you want to fence in. Luckily, there are a number of smartphone apps that can help you do this with ease. Then, using stakes, mark out the locations of your post holes. This will save you time, and prevent any accidental mistakes that can cost you a lot of money to correct down the road.

When marking the location of the first corner posts, take into account any trees, bushes or other permanent obstructions you’ll need to work around. Also, check the plat map of your property to make sure you’re not building on someone else’s land by mistake. If you are, this could lead to legal troubles. Finally, locate any utility lines that may be in the path of your fence, and have them marked before digging any holes.

Install the Fence

This step of the process is where your fence begins to take shape. You will either install pre-fabricated panels or you will install rails and pickets. Whether you’re using panels or individual pieces, it is important to follow your building plan closely so that your final product looks its best.

Once you have a good idea of the layout, mark the locations of your end and corner posts with stakes. This will help you to keep track of where the posts are as you work and will make it easier to set the fence gate when it is finished. Then dig the post holes, which should be about twice the size of the fence post and one-third of its height. It’s a good idea to use a power auger for this part of the job as it will save you a lot of time and energy.

After digging the hole, it’s a good idea to add a 3-inch layer of gravel (pea-sized landscaping gravel is ideal) to the bottom of each hole to reduce moisture retention. This will also help the soil to be more easily compacted, which is essential for long-lasting posts.

Next, seat the first corner or end post and then install the first side of the fence rail. Make sure the rail is straight and plumb by checking it with a carpenter’s level on at least two sides of the fence. Finally, top off the hole with 6 to 8 inches of soil and tamp it to ensure it’s compacted.

Repeat this process with the remaining side rails and then install the gate. Once the gate is complete, it’s a good idea to place diagonal bracing on the gate to prevent sagging over time. It’s also a good idea to stain the posts and fence panels at this point, if you choose to do so.

Home Services

Negotiating Contracts For General Contractors

Shannon Little

GCs work to bring a client’s vision for their home renovation to life. This may include executing plans developed by other professionals, such as engineers or interior designers.

Large construction projects often require the movement of a large number of raw materials and building components. GCs oversee the entire supply chain management process to ensure it remains streamlined. Click the Website to learn more.

Contract negotiation is developing an agreement with a partner over terms such as price, delivery schedules, or terms and conditions. General contractors often negotiate with various parties, including project owners and subcontractors. Getting to an agreeable contract takes time, skill, and flexibility. There are many different strategies to consider when negotiating a construction contract, and it is important to understand the motivations of each party to find an effective solution.

It is common practice for project owners to invite multiple bids from various contractors on a commercial building project. The bidding process may produce a lower final price, but it can also lead to numerous change orders that drive up costs and project delays. Ultimately, the quality of the general contractor chosen is one of the most important factors in project success.

To mitigate the risk of costly change orders, it is vital that all stakeholders work together to negotiate a fair contract. This begins before the contract award, and requires thorough understanding of the project scope and its limitations.

The most important goal of contract negotiations is to establish a level of certainty about the project deliverables and what is expected from each party. This includes clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of each party, along with how changes will be managed and dispute resolution processes.

One strategy to help both parties achieve their goals is to involve a neutral third party. This can offer fresh perspectives and encourage more constructive dialogue. It can also help to overcome impasses that would be difficult to resolve independently.

For example, a common issue in construction is the conflict between the contractor and the owner over the amount of warranty coverage. It’s important for both parties to be clear about the duration and scope of warranties, as well as the responsibilities of each party for managing claims.

Other critical elements include establishing a clear schedule for payments, and providing for proper documentation of invoices and receipts. It’s also crucial to avoid misunderstandings about the scope of work by carefully labeling repairs. Careless language can impact lien rights and the ability to request additional payments for delay damages.

Sub-Contractors Management

As a key component of the construction team, subcontractors are responsible for executing specialized scopes of work that impact project timelines and overall outcomes. As a result, GCs must manage these partners to ensure that their work is aligned with the overall vision of the project and to deliver high-quality results.

To do this, GCs must create an environment that fosters open communication channels, which are essential for building a mutually beneficial working relationship. This includes establishing clear timelines, milestones and deliverables for each project phase. By doing so, GCs ensure that all parties understand their responsibilities and can address issues promptly.

Managing subcontractors also involves establishing and monitoring financial processes. For instance, GCs must regularly compare budgeted costs against actual expenses to prevent unwarranted cost overruns. To further manage costs, GCs should also encourage collaboration with subcontractors to identify potential cost-efficiency measures.

Additionally, GCs must regularly assess performance in terms of schedule adherence and quality of work. This is done through regular inspections and a system that enables a standardized evaluation of each subcontractor. This provides a means to quickly address challenges and ensure that they are addressed in a timely manner, which helps keep the project on track.

In addition, GCs must be transparent about the project and provide detailed information to subcontractors so that they can plan their work accordingly. It is also important that GCs get all agreements in writing. This will help in case there is a dispute or the contract is breached.

Finally, GCs must make sure that they have an effective process for handling change orders and revisions to the original scope of work. This is vital for ensuring that the project stays on target and does not incur any additional cost or delay. Furthermore, GCs should ensure that they provide proper notifications to the client if there are any changes to the original scope of work. Failure to do so can result in disputes and claims that can be detrimental to the project. In addition, it may cause delays in project delivery which can be costly to the client.

Client Relationship Management

When it comes to client relationship management, many general contractors are reluctant to invest in a CRM solution. This may be due to the high cost associated with industry-agnostic software and the time investment in learning how to use it. A construction-specific customer relationship management (CRM) solution is ideal for GCs because it is built with their business development needs in mind and can be used out of the box, without the need to customize it further.

The key to building and maintaining strong relationships with project owners is consistent communication throughout the project. This ensures that the project is progressing as planned, and helps to minimize issues and disagreements. It is also important to provide regular updates on schedule, budget, and quality.

In addition, it is helpful to have a strong website that reflects the GC’s expertise. A website that is optimized for search engines is critical to attracting clients and generating leads. A good site can also be used to share case studies, videos, photos, and testimonials, which are all excellent tools for promoting the GC’s services.

The most successful GCs understand the importance of cultivating repeat business. A large percentage of a GC’s revenue can come from referrals from past projects. This means that the GC must focus on consistently delivering a great experience for each client, regardless of whether they are a new or returning customer.

Keeping clients happy can be achieved through clear communication throughout the entire project life cycle, especially during the onboarding process. This is an opportunity to set expectations for how often the GC will communicate and who is responsible for communicating with the client.

A successful GC will have a contract in place that clearly outlines roles and responsibilities of both the GC and the owner. This includes clauses on how to manage change orders, claims, and payments. It is also essential to include a statement on how the GC will communicate with the owner during the construction phase.

A few examples of CRM solutions that work well for GCs include Jobber, AccuLynx, and ConstructConnect. Jobber focuses on job quoting and offers robust project management features to oversee full construction or remodeling projects. AccuLynx is an all-in-one solution that provides a complete client relationship management platform with sales pipeline, project and production management, communication, estimating, workflows, and material tracking. It also has unique finance tools like job quoting and costing to help GCs with profitability.

Project Management

Project management is a systematic professional application of processes that leads teams to complete projects on time and at an acceptable quality. This requires the coordination of different resources that may be needed to complete a task such as equipment, tools, labour, money and time. This involves ensuring that the tasks are planned, executed, monitored and controlled effectively so they are completed on time and within budget.

Project Management Software is an excellent tool for construction professionals to manage and communicate with team members and stakeholders. It helps to improve productivity and collaboration, reduce risk, and increase quality. It also improves organizational effectiveness by aligning projects with business goals.

Choosing the right project management software is important for the success of your company. It has to be easy to use and offer the features you need. It should also be affordable. In addition, you should look for a system that is secure and supports the latest project management best practices.

A General Contractor is a professional who oversees and manages large projects and complex operations. They are often responsible for the entire construction process, including planning, design, financing, and building physical facilities. They hire subcontractors, like plumbers and carpenters, to perform specialized work on site. The general contractor is credited with ensuring that the construction is done correctly and on time.

Construction managers are often brought in during the design phase of a project to provide constructability input. They can help with planning, securing any required permits and regulatory approvals, developing a cost estimate, shaping a procurement strategy, evaluating potential subcontractor partners, and negotiating contract terms and conditions.

They can also assist in the management of change orders and schedule updates, and can help to define scope and budgets. In some cases, the CM can act as a liaison between the GC and the client to ensure that expectations are met.

Some owners choose to bring in a CM for larger projects or projects that will span a longer period of time. This can be a great way to control costs by protecting the owner from cost overruns. This is often accomplished by using a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) contract, where the contractor agrees to a maximum price for the project and absorbs all cost overruns.