{"id":23928,"date":"2019-09-25T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-25T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scalzoproperty.com\/?p=23928"},"modified":"2020-07-27T18:38:31","modified_gmt":"2020-07-27T18:38:31","slug":"best-practices-for-major-projects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scalzoproperty.com\/index.php\/2019\/09\/25\/best-practices-for-major-projects\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Practices for Major Projects"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A big project has been in the negotiation stages for months, and now with the nice weather, your association is ready to move ahead and complete that capital project. Whether it\u2019s new roofs, siding, windows or repaving of roads, there are certain best practices that should be followed to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To discuss these practices, we spoke with Jason Keller, the Director of Operations at Scalzo Property Management in Bethel, Connecticut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When hiring a contractor, a board will likely be involved in the interview process and may have an initial meeting with the contractor to define the overall scope of work. Although, once a contractor is hired, the manager should work directly with the contractor and act as a liaison between the contractor and the board. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To ensure a contractor is adequate, a board and manager should obtain references, according to Keller. \u201cIn the planning process, [it can be a red flag] if a contractor has inadequate references that are relevant to the type of work being performed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A board and a manager should also ensure that a contractor is not requiring an unrealistic down payment. \u201cIf the contractor is requesting too much in advance, that is certainly a red flag,\u201d Keller noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a contractor is selected, it is essential to draft a contract that outlines the scope of the entire project, \u201cwhich includes any insurance and legal requirements as recommended by the association\u2019s attorney,\u201d explained Keller. The document is \u201cbasically written to protect the association,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added, \u201cI strongly discourage any communities from simply signing the proposal from the contractor, because it will often have language that protects the contractor and not the association.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When drafting a contract, it is important to identify potential conflicts among the contractor, the board, the manager, and residents of the community. \u201cThe contract is really the basis for the project, and should be written in a way that accounts for potential issues and offers a plan for resolving those issues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An association\u2019s insurance requirements should also be outlined in the contract, and the manager should obtain a certificate of insurance from the contractor. \u201cThe certificate should describe the type of work being performed, so it is clear that the contractor has insurance that covers them for the work that they have been hired to do,\u201d explained Keller, who also noted that different states have different insurance products and requirements, and it is important to ensure a contractor is licensed in that area specifically. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of safety, \u201cthe contractor should be setting up the protocols to protect their personnel, but if they have concerns or recommendations to make it safer for their crews, that should be communicated to the board and the manager, and the manager and the board should be accommodating,\u201d said Keller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cost overruns should also be discussed when drafting a contract. \u201cAny experienced contractor should be able to identify the most likely potential cost overruns before starting a project,\u201d Keller said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To avoid delaying a project, a timeline should be extremely detailed in the contract. When creating a timeline, \u201can association should always add in a cushion, as there is always a potential for things to come up,\u201d noted Keller. \u201cIf an association allows enough cushion for delays in the initial planning, then the association looks a lot better when it finishes the project within that time frame.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delays may be caused by material delays and other unforeseen complications, or poor planning (which is caused by a lack of communication between a manager and a contractor). However, \u201cweather is typically the biggest reason for delays,\u201d said Keller. Weather can play a role in several different ways \u2014 such as snow or rain, and extremely high or low temperatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAn association always has to account for some unforeseen complications,\u201d Keller added. \u201cSome delays on a project are uncontrollable, but some certainly can be controlled with proper planning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of setting an expectation, the contract should be well-defined and well-written to ensure both parties understand their role in the project. \u201cThe more a project revolves around a contract, the better off the association will be,\u201d Keller said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a contract is agreed upon, the manager will act as a liaison between the board and the contractor \u2014 communicating any important updates and concerns to the board. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The manager is also tasked with the responsibility of relaying important updates from contractors to residents of the community. Larger projects and projects of all sizes that affect residents on a daily basis should merit more frequent updates from the contractors. \u201cFor example, it could be a very small project from a dollar standpoint, but it could have a great impact on the residents\u201d \u2014  such as redoing a common hallway or seal coating the parking lot, according to Keller. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the timeline of a project is frequently being altered, more updates may also be merited. \u201cThere are certain projects that we expect the timeline to be disrupted several times, for example outside work that is weather permitting,\u201d said Keller, who suggested that any changes in schedule be relayed to residents and the board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith technology now, email notifications seem to be the best way to get updates out because they are instant,\u201d Keller added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite a well-written contract, if a manager feels a contractor is not fulfilling their obligations, Keller suggested first having an informal meeting with the contractor to address the issues. If the contractor does not respond well, the manager may then put the issue in writing. As a last resort, a manager may get the association\u2019s attorney involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AssociationHelpNow.com<\/a><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A big project has been in the negotiation stages for months, and now with the nice weather, your association is ready to move ahead and complete that capital project. Whether it\u2019s new roofs, siding, windows or repaving of roads, there are certain best practices that should be followed to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. To discuss these practices, we spoke with Jason Keller, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23985,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"\nBest Practices for Major Projects - Scalzo Property Management<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scalzoproperty.com\/index.php\/2019\/09\/25\/best-practices-for-major-projects\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Best Practices for Major Projects - Scalzo Property Management\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A big project has been in the negotiation stages for months, and now with the nice weather, your association is ready to move ahead and complete that capital project. 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