Building Your Dream Home Starts With a Quality Team

Most homeowners think they're hiring one person to build their home.

The reality, you're hiring an entire team.

Your contractor is the orchestrator, but the musicians are everyone else,

the employees, the subcontractors, and the suppliers.

In this episode, you'll learn the three-layer framework of

quality contractor teams and discover the three interview questions

that tell you if a contractor has really built a quality team.

I'm Bill Reed, your home-building coach. Let's dig in.

Welcome to the Awakened Homeowner.

Thinking about a new home or a remodel but feeling lost in a maze of decisions?

You're in the right place. I'm William Reed and for over three decades,

I've coordinated the design and construction of hundreds of remodel and new

home projects. I know the process can feel overwhelming,

but trust me, you can do this. Here we break it all down step by step,

so you can feel confident, empowered, and even excited about your project.

No stress, no guesswork, just the guidance you need to bring your dream home to life.

Let's dive in.

All right, welcome back everyone. Bill Reed here.

And if you've been following along with this contractor series,

you know we've been building a really solid foundation for making

one of the most important decisions you'll make for your project,

choosing who's going to actually build your home.

So last episode and episode 46, we pulled back the curtain on the attributes

of a quality general contractor. And we talked about three things,

expertise, project management, and team building. And here's what happened.

We dove deep into the expertise and the project management,

but team building, well I said it's so important that it deserves its own

episode. And so here we are. Here's the thing.

Most homeowners walk into an interview with a contractor thinking they're

hiring one person to build their home. That person shows up, swings a hammer,

directs traffic, and builds a house. That's not what's happening.

Not even close. You're actually hiring an entire team, a carefully

orchestrated group of employees, subcontractors,

and suppliers that your contractor has spent years assembling.

And by the end of this episode, you're going to understand exactly

who these people are, why your contractor's relationships with them matter to your project.

And most importantly, what questions to ask during that interview that will tell you

whether this contractor has built a quality team or they've just got a list of phone numbers.

So let's start here. Your contractor didn't build the last three homes in your

neighborhood. They're told entire team did. Your contractor is the orchestrator,

but the musicians are everyone else. And here's a thing that most homeowners completely miss.

The strength of that team is what you're actually paying for when you write

that contractor a check. So a lot of folks think they're buying the contractors time and

expertise. And yes, that is part of it. But the real value, it's the network.

It's the relationships. It's the fact that this GC has spent 10, 15, 20 years building trust

with the same plumber, the same electrician, the same roofing crew, and maybe, you know,

and the same lumber supplier. So why does that really matter? Because those relationships

translate directly to your timeline and your quality. When a contractor calls a sub,

they've worked for a decade. That sub knows they're going to be scheduled properly.

That job's going to be ready for them and they're going to get paid on time.

So they show up. They do the good work. They're a partner in the success. That is what we're unpacking

today. All right. So here's the framework. A contractor's team consists of exactly three types

of professionals. You've got employees, people on the actual contractors payroll,

you've got subcontractors, licensed specialty contractors who come in for specific trades,

and you've got suppliers, the folks who provide all of the materials. These are the three completely

different relationships. They serve three different functions and understanding how your contractor

manages each one is going to tell you volumes about whether there's someone you can trust.

Let's start with the employees. These are the people on your contractors payroll. They're full

time or regular part time and they perform the core work. Typically, the carbon tree framing,

windows, doors, and the finished work on the project. So here's something most people don't realize.

In the construction industry, we've got a real problem on our hands. The average construction

worker in this country is over 50 years old. So we're all aging out and I'm one of them.

And here's the critical part. Not enough young people are entering the trades. It's a nationwide

issue that I hope gets addressed with better wages, trade schools, and more women in the industry.

And now we're getting a little help from AI because they're basically killing off a lot of the

white collar jobs. So those young people out there that think you want to be a software engineer

or move to Silicon Valley and make a bunch of money, you might want to think again.

You might want to think about how to work with your hands, understand a trade,

how to run a business because I got to tell you wages for construction workers is going to do

nothing but go up while other white collar and other jobs are going to completely disappear.

A contractor where their own employees, their own crew, they have more control. They have more

consistency. If your contractor has a crew of carpenters who have been with them for years,

and they're handling your framing, your windows, your doors, your finished carpentry,

that's in their hands. They can control the schedule, they can control the quality. That's

real value. So if you're looking at a contractor and you ask them about their employee structure,

here's what you're looking for. A hierarchy, usually it starts with a job foreman,

that's the supervisor for your specific project. Then you have journeyman, apprentices,

and laborers. The foreman is absolutely critical to your experience. This person is on your site

every single day. They see the actual application of the plans happening in real time.

They're the GC's right hand and sometimes they are the GC if it's a really small organization.

And here's like a kind of like a pro tip. If you want to bond with this person,

bring water to the crew, you know, build that relationship because that foreman is going to be

your advocate on the job site. Remember, these guys in the field, the whole objective of you

planning your project properly, of architects doing their job, the architects consultants doing

their job is these people in the field are designed mentally and physically to execute a plan,

not to improvise too much on the job site and quote unquote, designing on the fly.

This is a common problem in this business. I'm just going to have like a side note there.

But here's something else. So the longevity matters, right? As this GC,

been able to keep the same team. If a contractor is constantly replacing their crew,

that's a warning sign. It means either they're not great to work for or they're not running

projects well enough to keep people loyal. So when you're interviewing contractor candidates

dig into this, ask about their people, ask about their foreman who would be on your project,

ask how long these folks have been together. And you'll also by asking these kind of questions,

you're going to open up a dialogue and a conversation and hopefully that contractor will be able to

explain more about their company as a whole. Now let's talk about subcontractors. So these are

the specialty trade contractors, electrical plumbing HVAC, which is heating ventilation and air

conditioning, roofing tile, and really dozens more that come into the project as part of the team,

as part of that orchestra sitting in the orchestra pit with your general contractor as the conductor.

These these individuals are all licensed or they should be. They're all skilled. And here's the

difference from employees, they bounce between projects. Your GC brings them in when it's time

for their specific trade and when they're done, they move to the next job. This matters because

it changes the dynamic. A sub doesn't stay on your site for the entire project. They come, they do

their thing, they leave. So the GC's job is to coordinate when they come and make sure the project

is ready for them. And here's the thing that most GC's don't do well. And it really is kind of a

massive problem. If a sub shows up and the job site isn't ready for them, if the prep work isn't

done, if the materials aren't there, what do you think they do? They leave. They walk. They go to

another job where they're going to make more money that day. And now your timeline is blown up.

So a qualified general contractor brings a pre-qualified network of trusted subcontractors

to the table. These are the folks they've worked with for years. And because of that relationship,

because the GC has a history of scheduling accurately, having materials ready, and paying them on time,

that's a big one, those subs want to work for that GC. So on a custom home project, you could

have 10 to 30 different specialty subcontractors coming through. It could be framing, it could be

plumbing and electrical and HVAC and insulation and roofing and tile and finished carpentry sometimes.

The list goes on and on and coordinating all of that. That's where a good GC shines. That's part

of what you're paying for. Now, here's where home owners do get into trouble. Some folks see a chance

to save money and they try to hire their own subs. Maybe they find an electrician on Yelp or a

buddy recommends a plumber and they think, well, I'll just hire them directly. That can create

total chaos in a project because now you've got a sub who doesn't have the same relationship with

your GC. The GC can't control them the same way. The communication breaks down, the scheduling gets

confused. And guess what? Your GC is a little less responsible for the outcome because you mucked with

the team. That's mucked with an M. By the way, don't do that. Let your GC bring the team.

All right, quick reminder, everybody. Everything we're talking about today and so much more is in the

Awakened Homeowner book. At less than one 10th of 1% of your project cost, it's the best investment

you'll make. Grab your copy on Amazon and keep it by your side throughout your entire project.

Trust me, you'll refer to it again and again. All right, here's a picture word for you.

Think of suppliers like Mama Bird. The subs and crews are hungry for materials and if they don't

get them, well, you know the rest, nothing happens. Suppliers provide everything, concrete for your

foundation, lumber for your structure, electrical materials, plumbing materials, roofing insulation,

interior finishes, all of it. Now, here's what most people also don't realize. Material is

represented a significant portion of your project cost and this is critical. Materials are the

number one critical path item on your schedule. You can have the whole crew sitting on your job site

ready to go, but if the lumber isn't there, nothing happens. If the cabinets aren't there,

the cabinet install their walks. If the roofing materials aren't there, the roofer goes to another

project. It's really that simple. So a qualified contractor has long standing relationships with

suppliers. They pay them on time, they communicate early, they order material strategically and because

of that relationship, those suppliers prioritize their orders. When your GC calls and says, I need

this material on this date, that supplier makes it happen. Now, keep in mind, in the previous episode,

I talked about scheduling and this is how a contractor is able to do this in the first place because

they've created a project schedule, as I mentioned in the past episode. Within that schedule,

they have task install cabinets, for example, but in order to install the cabinets, you need the

cabinets. So they've assigned tasks within the schedule about when to order the cabinets based on

the lead time. So hopefully, you're getting the idea here is this is all part of the project management

aspect, which is then enforced with a team. So now I'm going to tell you something that's going to

sound a little harsh, but it's a truth. There's one way to really undermine the value your builder

brings and that's by inserting yourself into the supply chain. I've seen homeowners try to do this

for a variety of reasons, usually cost. They think, well, I can find a cheaper lover supplier or I can

buy my own kitchen cabinets. And what happens? Chaos hidden liabilities, confusion about

specifications, materials that don't match materials that arrive too late. And the reality is,

unless you're an experienced in this area, I recommend you resist that temptation. You can

obsess over what you want. You absolutely should make decisions, specify what you love, but leave

the ordering to the pros. So the entry door you love actually fits. So the paint color you picked

is actually available. So the material arrives when it's supposed to. And here's the hint from the book,

a prevalent contributor to a poor construction experience is the absence of material specifications

when it's time to place the orders. So if you haven't locked in exactly what you want during

the design phase, you're creating delays and problems down the road. So focus on decisions during

design, document everything, your contractual will then be empowered to meet your expectations.

Okay, so here's where this becomes actionable. You now understand that the team composition is

critical. So when you sit down with a contractor candidate, here are the three questions that tell

you whether they've actually built a quality team. Question one, employees, ask them, walk me

through your employee structure. Who's on your team? How long have they been with you? And who

would be the foreman on my project? Now, when they answer, listen for a few things. First, longevity,

have they kept the same core team for years? Those years really do matter. Second, specific names

and roles, not vague descriptions. They should be able to name their people. Third, pride in the team,

do they talk about their crew with a respect and affection and fourth, willingness to introduce you?

A confident GC will introduce you to the foreman before work even starts. That's a really good

sign. And if their answer is vague, if they're constantly replacing crew members, if the foreman

changes per project, those are the red flags. Question two, subcontractors, ask them, walk me through

your subcontractor team. How long will you work with your core subs? And what happens if one of

them falls through? Listen for the years of relationship. Ideally, that 5, 10, 15, or plus year

number with a core team. Listen for backup plans. Do they have a second tier subs they call

if someone's not available? Listen for confidence and comfort in their answer. And listen for them to

mention payment history. I pay my subs on time so they prioritize my projects as an example.

And then a red flag, of course, if they say they shop for the cheapest sub each project,

or if they don't have established relationships, that contractor is not building a team. They're

just hiring people. And then question three, material sourcing. Ask them, how do you handle

material procurement? And what happens if homeowners want to buy certain materials themselves?

Listen for a clear process. They should have a structured approach to sourcing. Listen for

discussions of lead times. They should understand material availability and how long things take.

Listen for a strong boundary about homeowner sourcing. A good GC will push back on this. They'll

explain why it creates problems. And listen for them to reference their supplier relationships.

I've worked with these suppliers for years and because of that, I get priority on orders.

And then, of course, the red flags, if they're too flexible about buying materials,

they should push back. Or if they're vague about lead times and availability, those are the warning

size. So there you have it. Three questions. That's your window into whether a contractor has

actually built a quality team. And here's the bonus. Their answers are going to tie directly back

to the three pillars we've talked about in episode 46, expertise, project management, and team

building. A contractor with strong team relationships is inherently going to have a better project

management because their people are aligned with them. All right. So here's what we've covered

today. A contractor's team consists of three groups. Employees who execute the core work,

subcontractors who handle the specialties and suppliers who keep everything flowing.

The strength and longevity of those relationships directly impacts your project timeline and quality.

And when you sit down to hire a contractor, asking about their team composition,

this tells you more about their true value than almost anything else. And why you should put value

on these aspects of a contract. It's not all about getting six different bids on a project

and going with the cheapest one. It's so enticing to look at that lowest number on your bid.

But inevitably, if you select the lowest bidder or even the second to the lowest bidder,

if you're getting six bids, you're setting yourself up for disappointment for missed expectations

and potentially a disaster. If you want to dive deeper into this in section three, the world of

construction and even section four options for hiring your team goes into even more detail on

team composition. You can grab that wherever you get your books. And if you're serious about

preparing for your contractor interviews, head over to the website, take a look at some of my

blog articles and my previous podcast episodes. And this will give you even more insight. So between

reading the book and reading some of the blog articles, more I expand even more on the book and

podcasts by writing in more detail about what I'm talking about today and all the past episodes.

And as always, if you have a question about contractor teams or a story about a team that made

all the difference on your project, send me an email at www.reed at theawakenhomeowner.com

and I read every message. And some of the best stories might just end up in a future episode.

And you can also join our Facebook community at the Awakened Homeowner. Lots of homeowners there

showing their real experiences. Now in the upcoming episodes, I'm hoping to have a guest,

another guest to the guest a few weeks ago. I'll have another guest online, a contractor that

operates a design build business. And we're going to get some real deep insights into

how a contractor really feels when it comes to dealing with homeowners. What's important to him

when meeting with a homeowner for the first time? And I think that's going to be a really insightful

episode. All right folks, that's what we've got for you today. You've got a solid understanding

of contractor teams. You've got three killer interview questions. You know what to listen for.

Now go out there and ask the right questions. Get to know the teams behind the contractors

who are evaluating. And remember, once again, I'm Bill Reed with the Awakened Homeowner,

and I'm here to enlighten, empower, and protect. That's what we're all about. So let's go out there

and make it happen. Thanks for tuning into the Awakened Homeowner. Remember, you've got the

power to take control of your project from day one. If you're ready to dive deeper, grab the Awakened

Homeowner book in Amazon. It's your roadmap to success. Join our community at the AwakenedHomeowner.com

and download our free story, The Tale of Two Homeowners. And here's something exciting. I'm developing

an app called BillQuest that's going to revolutionize how you plan and manage your project.

Visit BillQuest.co to become a founding member and test drive the app when it launches.

Follow us on social media and hit that subscribe button. All the links are in the show notes

and bio. Got questions? I'd love to hear from you. This is Bill Reed. You got this.