📅 Monday, March 18, 2025
🛠 Helping Residential Contractors & Subs Build Smarter, Work Safer, and Grow Faster
🚧 Today’s Rundown
🔹 Struggling Employees? How to Get Them Back on Track (or When to Let Go)
🔹 How to Protect Your Business from Scope Creep
🔹 Tool Spotlight: Best Jobsite Generator for 2025
🏗️ Feature Story: Struggling Employees? How to Get Them Back on Track (or When to Let Go)
📉 What’s Happening?
Every contractor has dealt with employees who struggle with consistency—late arrivals, missed deadlines, sloppy work. When one team member isn’t pulling their weight, it impacts project timelines, client satisfaction, and overall team morale.
So how do you fix the problem without immediately firing them? And when is it time to cut ties?
📌 What Causes Inconsistency?
🔹 Unclear expectations – Employees may not understand job standards.
🔹 Skill gaps – Lack of proper training can lead to underperformance.
🔹 Personal distractions – Family, health, or financial stress can affect work.
🔹 Lack of accountability – If no one enforces rules, bad habits spread.
📌 How to Fix It:
✅ Set Clear Expectations – Define responsibilities & performance goals.
✅ Provide Additional Training – Help employees improve where needed.
✅ Enforce Accountability – Implement written performance reviews & consequences.
✅ Identify External Issues – Offer short-term flexibility if personal issues are affecting work.
✅ Know When to Let Go – If performance doesn’t improve despite coaching, move on.
🚀 Pro Tip: A weak link drags down the entire team. Make expectations clear, give employees a path to improve, and if they don’t step up—it’s time to replace them.
📌 Business Tip: How to Protect Your Business from Scope Creep
Scope creep is one of the biggest profitability killers in contracting. It starts small—a client asks for "one little thing" outside the contract—but if you’re not careful, those “small” extras can pile up, eat into your profit margins, and extend project timelines.
Many contractors fall into the trap of saying yes to minor requests to keep the client happy. The problem? Unbilled extra work adds up fast, and suddenly, you’re doing thousands of dollars in unpaid labor.
Here’s how to identify scope creep, prevent it, and protect your bottom line.
📉 What’s Scope Creep?
Scope creep happens when a client gradually increases the amount of work you’re doing—without an official contract change or additional payment.
🔹 They add tasks after the contract is signed—without increasing the budget.
🔹 They "forget" to mention details upfront and expect you to cover it.
🔹 They ask for tiny favors that slowly pile up into serious extra work.
🚩 Red Flags That Scope Creep is Happening
🚩 “While you’re here, can you just…”
Clients assume you can knock out a small task quickly, but every small request adds time and cost.
🚩 “It won’t take much longer, right?”
A classic guilt-trip phrase that pressures contractors into extra work without compensation.
🚩 “You’re already doing XYZ—can’t you just include this too?”
Clients try to sneak in more work by making it sound logical or minor.
🚩 They start questioning the contract after work begins.
If a client suddenly wants to reinterpret the original agreement, they may be trying to expand the scope without paying for it.
🚩 They assume materials and labor are unlimited.
Some clients think modifications, additional labor, and last-minute requests won’t affect the budget.
✅ How to Prevent Scope Creep Before It Starts
✔️ Clearly Define Scope in Your Contract
Outline exactly what is included in your price.
List specific exclusions so clients can’t claim misunderstandings later.
Have clients initial contract sections that discuss scope and limitations.
✔️ Require Signed Change Orders for ALL Additions
Train your team to never start extra work without a signed change order.
If a client asks for additional work, respond with:
📌 “I’d be happy to do that! Let me send over a change order with updated pricing.”
✔️ Charge for Extra Work—No Freebies
Set a firm policy: “Any additional work requires a price adjustment.”
Charge for time, labor, and materials on all change requests.
Be clear that any work outside the contract is a paid service—not a favor.
🚀 Pro Tip: Set Expectations Upfront
Before work begins, tell clients:
📌 "Any additional work will require a signed change order and revised pricing."
Make it standard practice to repeat this during the initial consultation, contract signing, and project kickoff meeting.
The contractors who get paid what they’re worth aren’t afraid to set boundaries. Protect your time, labor, and profits by locking down scope creep before it costs you.
💡 Take Action This Week
✅ Review your contracts—do they clearly define the scope and exclusions?
✅ Train your team to recognize scope creep and require change orders.
✅ Implement a "No Freebies" policy—your time and expertise have value.
Would you like a ready-to-use change order template to keep extra work profitable? 📑💰
🛠️ Quick Bites
📌 Business Tip: How to Protect Your Business from Scope Creep
📉 What’s Scope Creep? Clients slowly adding more work without paying for it.
🚩 Red Flags: “While you’re here, can you just…” or “It won’t take much longer, right?”
✅ How to Prevent It:
✔️ Clearly define scope in contracts.
✔️ Require signed change orders for all additions.
✔️ Charge for extra work—no freebies.
🚀 Pro Tip: Set expectations upfront: “Any additional work will require a signed change order and revised pricing.”
⚡ Tool Spotlight: Best Jobsite Generator for 2025
🔹 Honda EU7000iS – Powerful, quiet, and fuel-efficient—perfect for job sites that need reliable backup power.
😂 Contractor Humor: "Why did the construction worker bring a ladder to the bar? He heard the drinks were on the house!"
📣 Call to Action
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👷♂️ Stay safe, keep building smarter!
— Benjamin Patton