A construction site, no matter the type of building, has various moving parts. There is site preparation, structural building, inspections and more that goes into turning a piece of land into a finished structure. Each phase of the project can be broken down into different pieces of work that must be completed. Typically, these pieces of work are individually subcontracted out to different entities, tasking the general contractors to coordinate with each separately while keeping the whole project moving. Juggling so many subcontractors has been proven to lead to multiple problems, interfering with the success of the project. However, if even some of the pieces of work are consolidated and handled by one contractor, the risk of problems and interference decreases significantly.
As the general contractors are experts in construction and well-versed on the intricacies of the specific project, they understand each piece of work required to complete the build. For instance, the site preparation phase includes earthwork, clearing, hauling, underground utilities, concrete, and more, each of which has been individually subcontracted out in the past. However, with this method general contractors can find themselves with various problems. One of those problems is scheduling conflicts. While some pieces of work during the project can be done simultaneously, others rely on one piece finishing in order to start. Thus, the general contractor must meticulously organize the schedule to reflect this. However, if one subcontractor is behind schedule then the next subcontractor must push back their start date. This issue snowballs into a larger problem with having multiple subcontractors – an increase in delays. This domino effect can reach planned inspections and key deadlines, resulting in missed milestones, setting the entire project behind. Additionally, as the famous saying goes, communication is key and with so many subcontractors and the general contractor as the go-between, miscommunication becomes an alarming issue. This isn’t simply “he said, she said” either this issue can also be seen as varying expectations of the job which can lead to unforeseen issues resulting in change orders. Altogether, the issues of scheduling conflicts, delays, and miscommunication are not the exhaustive list of potential problems with multiple subcontractors but paint a picture of the reality of doing so.
The question to be asked now is – how do general contractors avoid or mitigate these issues? One clear solution is hiring a one-stop civil contractor. This is one entity that handles all the civil construction, site preparation pieces of work from the underground utilities to the concrete to the hauling and more. Choosing this solution is entirely beneficial to the general contractor for many reasons. Firstly, scheduling for the general contractor is immediately simplified. Having one contractor for multiple pieces means one point of contact and no handoff issues between the services, allowing the general contractor to build and maintain a clearer, realistic timeline for the project. Secondly, and most importantly, it’s cost efficient. When there is one civil contractor for the site development, all the individual services are bundled together rather than broken up to multiple entities. As a result, there are fewer varied markups and no chance of billed duplications, saving the general contractor and owner money. Lastly, this solution allows the project to mobilize and progress quicker, as it is one seamless progression of services rather than multiple handoffs to different entities. Having a one-stop civil contractor eliminates many of the issues a general contractor could face with having multiple subcontractors for the same pieces of work.
With general contractors under pressure to ensure the project runs smoothly and adheres to the timeline, the choice of using a one-stop civil contractor versus multiple subcontractors is important. As the civil phase of a project is the foundation of the build itself, it is paramount that each piece of work during that phase is completed correctly. Thus, when all the work is being completed by one entity it minimizes any issues or misalignments, being the best option to achieve the goal.
Here at CS Constructors we are one-stop civil contractors who handle all site preparation pieces of work on commercial and large-scale residential projects. Our expertise includes full site prep, hauling, excavating and grading, underground utilities, concrete and paving, demolition and crushing, and roadwork. Located in the Tampa Bay area in Florida, we serve projects across the state from Tampa to Jacksonville and down to Naples. At CS Constructors we bring excellence without exception to all projects we are a part of. Let us bring excellence and handle all your civil construction needs – reach out to us today to get a bid for your upcoming projects!