📨 Contractor’s Digest – Daily Rundown
📅 Thursday, March 27, 2025
🛠 Helping Contractors Win More Jobs, Increase Profits & Avoid Costly Mistakes
🚧 Today’s Rundown
🔹 The Most Dangerous Phrase in Construction: “We’ll Figure It Out Later”
🔹 Business Tip: The Power of Pre-Construction Checklists
🔹 Tool Spotlight: Best Budget Laser Level for Straight Installs
🏗️ Feature Story: The Most Dangerous Phrase in Construction – “We’ll Figure It Out Later”
😬 Why It’s a Problem:
At the moment, it sounds harmless.
You’re on-site, decisions are flying, materials are delayed, the client wants changes—and someone says:
“Let’s just keep going. We’ll figure it out later.”
🚨 That phrase has killed more profits, blown more timelines, and wrecked more relationships than almost anything else in construction.
Why? Because “later” always becomes more expensive.
And when “later” shows up, it usually brings confusion, finger-pointing, and unplanned costs.
📉 Here’s What Happens When You Delay Decisions:
✔️ Scope Becomes a Moving Target
If there’s no clear answer, it’s even less clear in a week. Suddenly, you’re doing work that wasn’t approved—or missing details that were assumed.
✔️ You Lose Leverage with Subs and Vendors
Your electrician might be free today. Next week, they’re booked out. Now you’re scrambling and paying rush fees.
✔️ Clients Forget What Was Discussed
Verbal approvals vanish. Clients swear they “never agreed to that.” Without documentation, you're the one holding the bag.
✔️ It Destroys Momentum
Construction runs on rhythm. When you stop to “figure it out later,” you stall the crew, delay materials, and increase the chance of mistakes.
📌 The Fix: Make “Later” a Forbidden Word on Your Jobsites
✅ Use Written Clarifications
If something changes, write it down.
Even a quick email, text, or digital change order saves you thousands later.
✅ Create a “Hold for Decision” Log
Track unresolved items. Every project should have a simple list of pending decisions with deadlines. No guesswork.
✅ Train Your Team to Push for Clarity
Empower your foremen and PMs to say, “Let’s clarify this now before it costs us later.”
🚀 Pro Tip:
On a well-run job, everything is intentional.
No guessing. No hoping. No, “We’ll fix it later.”
Decide, document, or delay the work until it’s clear.
You’re not just building homes—you’re building accountability.
🔐 Bottom Line:
Ambiguity kills margins. Clarity protects profits.
If your team can’t answer “what’s happening and why” at every step, it’s time to tighten the process.
📌 Business Tip: The Power of Pre-Construction Checklists
Before the first shovel hits the dirt—or a single tile gets laid—you need one critical thing in place:
👉 A Pre-Construction Checklist that guarantees nothing gets missed, delayed, or miscommunicated.
Because here’s the deal:
What are the jobs that fall apart in week four? They usually started unravelling in week one—before anyone noticed.
A solid checklist does more than keep the job on track. It protects profits, minimizes rework, and keeps your crew, subs, and clients on the same page.
Let’s break down what every great pre-con checklist should include—and why skipping it is a risk you can’t afford.
🛠️ Here’s What a Solid Pre-Construction Checklist Does:
✔️ 1. Confirms All Selections Are Finalized (and Documented)
The last thing you want is to start drywall and find out the client still hasn’t picked the tile.
Or worse—they change their mind mid-install.
Your checklist should confirm:
• Flooring type and color
• Paint color and finish
• Cabinet and countertop selections
• Hardware, lighting, plumbing fixtures
• Any “allowance” items or custom orders
✅ All selections must be signed off—before construction begins.
🔒 This prevents change orders, delivery delays, and last-minute pressure that leads to rushed decisions (and costly mistakes).
✔️ 2. Verifies All Permits and Inspections Are in Place
It happens more than it should:
• The job starts on time…
• Framing goes up fast…
• Then the city shuts it down because a permit wasn’t issued—or an inspection was skipped.
Your job is frozen, your client is frustrated, and your crew is idle.
✅ Your checklist should confirm:
• All required permits are submitted and approved
• Inspections are scheduled in advance
• Any site-specific codes or restrictions are understood
🚨 Permits and red tape might be boring, but forgetting them can quickly burn through your budget and delay your schedule.
✔️ 3. Sets Clear Expectations with the Client
Don’t assume the client understands how the job will run. Lay it out for them—upfront.
A substantial checklist includes a “Client Expectations” section that covers:
• Jobsite access hours
• Where materials will be stored
• How communication will flow (text? email? weekly updates?)
• Payment schedule and deposit dates
• The process for changes (change orders, price adjustments, delays)
✅ When expectations are clear, clients trust you and panic less when issues pop up.
✔️ 4. Prepares Your Team and Subs Before Day One
Have you ever had a sub show up and say, “Wait—what are we doing here again?”
Yeah. That’s a pre-con failure.
Your checklist should include a crew kickoff:
• Who’s doing what
• When they need to be there
• What materials they’re responsible for
• Who they report to
• Where the plans/selections are stored
✅ Clear roles reduce confusion, overlap, and finger-pointing later.
🔧 A five-minute checklist walk-through at the start can prevent five days of rework.
✅ Bonus: Clients Love Checklists
When you show clients your pre-con checklist, they instantly see the difference between you and “the other guy.”
It signals:
• Professionalism
• Organization
• Reliability
• Less stress
🧠 Clients want to feel like their project is in good hands. A checklist proves it is.
🚀 Pro Tip:
Checklists aren’t just for new hires—they’re systems for success.
✅ They create consistency across jobs
✅ They prevent minor issues from becoming big ones
✅ They make handoffs easier if project managers or crew members change
Whether you’re building a deck or remodeling a $500K custom home—the process beats guesswork every time.
🔐 Bottom Line:
Construction is naturally chaotic—but your process doesn’t have to be.
A tight pre-construction checklist is one of the simplest, smartest tools for reducing mistakes, controlling costs, and building trust.
📩 Want a done-for-you “Pre-Construction Checklist” you can customize and hand off to your team and clients?
Reply to this email, and I’ll send you our free template.
⚡ Tool Spotlight: Best Budget Laser Level for Straight Installs
🔹 Huepar 902CG Self-Leveling Green Beam Laser Level
• Highly visible green laser up to 100 ft.
• Vertical + horizontal cross lines
• Self-leveling within 4°
Great for hanging cabinets, framing walls, levelling tile, and mounting hardware—without breaking the bank.
😂 Contractor Humor:
Why did the contractor bring a ladder to the meeting?
Because the project was going over everyone’s head.
📣 Call to Action
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👷♂️ Stay sharp, build with clarity,
— Benjamin Patton