Ready to Turn Your Project Plan into a Success Story? Let's Execute and Close It Out Right

Intrepid readers, we've reached the final chapter of our journey to master capital and non-routine projects! In Part 1, we aligned goals; Part 2 built a biddable scope; Part 3 selected vendors. Now, Part 4 delivers the execution and closeout to bring your vision—whether a roof replacement or pool remodel—to life. Let's dive in! 

Contract

In Part 3 I mentioned that I would often include a sample contract in the bid package that went out. This assured no surprises on the vendor side and made clear expectations beyond the scope of work. With that said, having a good contract to use is essential. Standard forms are available from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and ConsensusDocs. They are widely recognized and used especially for work that has a lot of investment and complexity. There are pros and cons of each of those contract groups. I generally defaulted to a third option which was a custom contract more tailored from the perspective of a multifamily owner.

Spend time up front and engage a construction attorney to help you early on develop a contract that suits your needs. Once you have a standard form you can reuse it with only periodic updates.

Remember, contracts are typically signed and then only pulled out when things go sideways. Mostly when the parties can't agree on a resolution. You want to be clear what those written resolutions are and avoid the costly and timely paths of mediation or litigation should something be in dispute. 

Pre-Construction

 There are lots of activities that should be occurring prior to hammers being swung and shovels hitting the dirt. On the contractor's side they will be finalizing their subcontractors and material men and getting long lead materials picked and ordered. If, as part of your scope, you have owners' making submittal approvals for products and finishes, those will be coming and you need to be prepared to review and facilitate. On the owner's side you want to make sure you are holding up your end of the bargain especially as it concerns mobilization payments and future funding needs. Nothing is more frustrating than being held up by such things.

At the Site level you will want to have a pre-construction meeting with all of the necessary stakeholders. By bringing in the on-site management team and regional team you can establish good communication and rapport prior to the launch. 

In a pre construction meeting you will talk through:

• Roles and Responsibilities: Introduce those involved and make sure you identify the key points of contact as well as their contact information.
• Overall Project Schedule: Review the expected timeline for the work along with key milestones.
• Daily Work Schedule: Be clear on when crews can stage and begin as well as end work for the day and what days are allowable.
• Safety Standards: Review Site and personnel safety expectations as well as who to elevate safety concerns to. Make sure people know that if they see a clear safety issue they have a responsibility to act.
• Logistics: Where to park, sanitations stations locations, waste locations and removal, daily cleanup.
• Resident Relations: Protocol for communicating with residents, coordination for notices, unit access etc.

When I was managing projects remotely, I knew that my best allies were the onsite teams to help ensure a smooth project. I also kept in mind that they already had a full time job without me adding to it - but at the same time they were in the best place to catch things when they were small. I'd go out of my way to build a relationship with that team prior to the start of work as best I could (such as including them all the way back in the scoping phase if possible). Problems were bound to come up and I knew I might need some relationship capital in the bank to draw on to help facilitate solutions. 

Contract Administration

It's the big day and work is starting. Whether your project is scheduled to take a day or months you'll need to be ready for the contract administration. In a nutshell this entails making sure that the terms of the contract are adhered to; your scope of work is followed and the obligations are met by both parties. When possible it is great to be onsite during the kickoff of the work. This helps sort out details that will undoubtedly arise.

Safety

Safely working at any jobsite with no third parties present is a task in itself. But in multifamily there is the added challenge that people live in the areas where you are trying to work. Residents are looking for quiet enjoyment and you're going to mess that up. People will act both rationally and irrationally. Safety fencing might get shoved aside to get past an area by residents and excavated holes might be left open and unprotected at the end of the day. Such hazards open up immense liability for all parties.

In Part 3 we talked about selecting bids not just on cost but also on the vendor's reputation and planned staffing. Here is where that can pay off. But, even with a good contractor on your side you will need to be observant and active on your own part not only to ensure quality of work but also a safe environment for all parties. Make sure the onsite team is empowered to act when safety issues arise

Monitoring the Progress of Work

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When you are able to be at the site in person monitoring progress is straightforward. Take pictures, make observations and document the day. When monitoring I try to stay out of the way of the work but will observe and ask questions. Even if you are not able to be there in person you have some options.

• Utilize the on-site team: Coordinate with the onsite team for partial observations. They can take pictures and email a quick update on the status. Of course you must be mindful that the on-site team has their other duties to attend to so try not to overwhelm them and make sure such coordination is clear ahead of time.
• Vendor self reporting: I will typically require vendors to self report daily via email. I ask for pictures of work completed as well as pictures of the general area at the end of day so that cleanliness and secureness of the worksite can be documented. I also ask the vendor to provide comments on if the work is on schedule or something has fallen behind.

Timely Payments

In your contract you may have specified progress payments as the work hits certain milestones. When the work hits those milestones and is approved you should be timely on your payments as per the terms of your contract. Late payments risk stalling work—plan funding ahead.

Closeout

When the work is all completed you'll perform your final walk, often referred to as a punch walk. If you have been actively monitoring work you will likely have few surprises. Expect to find things needing correction and make sure your project schedule allows for such correction.

The contractor should provide all warranty documentation as well as manuals as part of their closeout package. There may be a handoff and commissioning training to the onsite team. In the case of the pool remodel from our prior parts, proper care of the water balance and brushing will be critical to the final outcome so make sure those last things don't get left behind. 

Summing up the series

From aligning goals in Part 1 to executing and closing out in Part 4, this series equipped you with a roadmap for non-routine project success. Execution starts with knowing the work, demands clear contracts, safety focus, and diligent monitoring—your keys to delivering value.

What's your top takeaway from this journey? Share below, and let's connect on future projects!