Taking on the Sub Jobs
If a piece needs to be returned to the shop due to fabrication or template error, keep track of your travel time. You may have to bill it at a reduced rate, but bill it nonetheless.
And then there’s the fifth reason an installer may be contacted for a job: a shop may fabricate but not install, or the company seeking your services purchased stone countertops already “fabricated” and needs to get them installed.
More general contractors are now going right to the source for their commercial work – purchasing prefabricated countertops from China or Brazil – and then outsourcing the install. Or, they’re purchasing custom-built tops directly from a regional fabricator and finding a local install crew.
If you happen to be that local installer, you may be asked to quote the install of 1,000 ft² or more of tops. Before you get ready to haul that wheelbarrow of money to the bank, remember that the same rules apply about getting everything in writing. A large general contractor is going to have more paperwork on its end than you’ll probably have on yours.
Installing on a large commercial project may mean lots of on-site work, so be prepared. Many times commercial projects will be fabricated directly from architectural plans, which have the unfortunate tendency to be less than representative of what actually gets built.
If pieces need major rework, let the general contractor or millwork house know that you have your own local fabricator who can help out. Bringing this type of work to a stone shop that subcontracts you for installs may help to strengthen a long-term business relationship.
A commercial install may also mean working odd hours. Some may require install be done only at nights or on weekends, or for the install to be completed in a very short time window. This type of install schedule should be spelled out in writing before you start.
On a commercial job, it’s also important to understand where to direct any questions, and to get all change orders signed-off before you proceed. If you’re subcontracting to a millwork house, who is subbing to the GC, who in turn is taking orders from the developer, make sure you get the correct information from the person who’s actually responsible for all decisions.
Installation-only can be a successful business model when it represents a combination of install skill and clear-cut work agreements. With both of those, you should be good to go.
Jason Nottestad, a 16-year veteran of the stone industry, is National Customer Service Manager for VT Stone Surfaces; he’s now on his fourth year of “The Installer” columns for Stone Business. He can be reached at JNottestad@vtindustries.com.
This also marks the next-to-last column for Nottestad in Stone Business, as he’ll wrap-up with some final words next month.
This article appeared in the December 2010 print edition of Stone Business magazine. ©2010 Western Business Media Inc.
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