Construction runs on silence, assumptions, and hope.
These are the uncomfortable truths of our industry.
We believe saying them out loud is the
first step to doing it better.
Drywall? Only standard — Level 4, no backing for recessed details, flush doors orbaseboards not included.
Plumbing? Assumes floor-mounted fixtures. If you picked wall-hung toilets or ceiling rainheads, framing and costs just changed.
Electrical? Unit prices based on “typicals” — but you haven’t selected fixtures, zones, orcontrols. That dimming system? Not in the quote.
Takeaway:
Understand the process.
Define what’s included.
And if you’re unsure, assume & indicate in a narrative your considerations— it’s the only way to protect yourself.
What’s often missing:
Finish schedules
Basis of design alignment
MEP coordination
Shop drawings
Specialty elements like lighting, AV, and millwork
This isn’t an architect’s failure. It’s how the industry works.
Design sets intent. The builder’s job is to coordinate, simulate, and align before execution.
Takeaway:
Permit sets get you approval.
Coordinated documents get you a building.
Trades quote conservatively.
Overlapping scope is priced in multiple times.
Unknowns are covered by stacking allowances across packages.
Design gaps are “filled in” with high assumptions.
The result? GMPs are often 10–15% more expensive than an open-book structure — without actually preventing change orders.And when changes do come, many GMPs don’t have a clean process for cost validation or time impact analysis.
Takeaway:
A contract without a system is just a sales tool.
If design isn’t resolved, and procedures aren’t clear, the GMP won’t protect you. It’ll just hide what’s
broken — until you pay for it.
Tracking submittals isn’t quality control.
Updating schedules isn’t coordination.
Filing paperwork isn’t solving problems.
Oversight is not the same as ownership.You need someone who understands sequencing, tolerances, specs, and consequences — and who can make decisions under pressure, in real time.
Ask:
Is this person managing a contract, or managing construction?
Are they checking physical work — or just updating a dashboard?
Takeaway:
Progress reports don’t build projects.
People do.And not all “project managers” can manage a jobsite.
Every project has unknowns.
Design evolves. Products get delayed.
Human error shows up.
That’s reality — and it's fine.What’s not fine is when those changes turn into confusion, blame, or panic.
That only happens when there’s no structure behind the process.
A good team doesn’t just “solve problems.”
They detect them early, escalate fast, and absorb them without drama.
Takeaway:
You don’t need a team that avoids challenges.
You need one that’s built to handle them — with control, not improvisation.
