From Pilot to Contractor (23): Dance with the One Who Brought You

Dance with the One Who Brought You.

It’s an old expression which, applied to the general contracting business, means: “Use the people you’ve known and trusted.”

The problem is, the general public nowadays expects at least three price quotations for just about everything, with a preference for the lowest bid. However, you as the contractor might feel strongly that a certain trade, specialist, or supplier will deliver superior service or quality based on reputation and past experience, even though they might be more expensive.

You’re in a difficult position. You pride yourself on your work. You don’t want call-backs due to poor workmanship and neither does the customer. At the end of the day, you’re the one who bears overall responsibility – plus you need to get paid in full, no matter which choice is made. How can you make your recommendation for Best Value trump Lowest Price?

I have found myself in this same dilemma. Since I wear both the Customer Hat the GC Hat, I have argued with myself throughout the construction of my new house. I want a good price but I also don’t want problems down the road.

It comes down to Risk Analysis, particularly now as I plan the complicated landscaping project around our pool and patio. We’re on a hillside lot. Instead of the usual walk-out basement, I re-used the excavated material from the basement to form a man-made extension for the pool and patio at the main floor level, which then slopes down to meet the original grade of the hill. This excavated material was machine compacted, then left 12 months to settle.

The structural issues are not to be minimised. For example, rain water must drain away from the house and also away from the swimming pool. Therefore the stability of the base material is critical not only to maintain this drainage plan over time but to prevent the entire pool from sliding down the hill!

I had a choice to either tender this project out to a number of landscaping and pool installation specialists, or simply hire people I know and trust. At the end of the day, I chose the latter, accepting their pricing as fair while remaining confident that these quality people will stand behind their work.

Dance with the One Who Brought You.

It was the wise decision for me, in this situation at least. It was a matter of Risk Assessment, and understanding that Best Value means being comfortable with ‘The Who’ behind ‘The Quote.’

At my property north of Orillia, Terry and Patrick (left & centre) from Sunshine Pools mark transits for the pool edge, while landscaper Dan (right) from DNG Construction ensures those transits meet his needs for water drainage.

Follow John on twitter    @john_bleasby