The Dynamics Between The General Contractor and Different Trades




The Dynamics Between The General Contractor and Different Trades!!

hi everyone! I am pitching in and helping with about 3 projects at the moment. One job is in Queens and the other two jobs are in Manhattan. One job has a growing troubled relationship between the trades and the general contractor on the job. At first, I thought it was just our shop that was at odds. Now I see it is a growing distain for the GC amongst all of the trades on the job. They are trying to say that we are holding up progress. Meanwhile, the general contractor should be coordinating work with the trades. We can't work in the same space as the floor guy when he is gluing his floor down. Oftentimes, our field guys are coordinating with the floor guy. It has been rather frustrating that jobsite. There are people screaming and shouting so that they can push through and get their way. It has definitely been an eye opener for me. My project in Queens has been decently smooth as a construction job can be. I am walking that job weekly to document the progress and see how we are being held up by other trades. The job has been passed to quite a few people over the past 2 years. It is supposedto be wrapped up by summer time. That is our goal and this has been an amazing learning curve for me. I have not gotten into a shouting match yet with anyone. My goal is to avoid that and try to get the job done. I have a great crew of project managers to learn about the PM process along the way. I have been walking a few jobs with our in house inspector consultant to learn more about the potential issues that can come up as violations. Then I have walked with the inspector to see if our cleaned up violations, previously fixed, help us pass our inspection with flying colors. There are alot of items to keep an eye on and make sure they are done correctly! You can delay the job and be at fault if we fail inspections. I learned that there are no rough in inspections in NYC. They just have final inspections. In Westchester and Fairfield territories, we have to get an inspection before the walls are closed up. They want to make sure all holes in the deck and ceiling where a cable or pipe enters is firestopped (sealed up). Walking these inspections makes me feel the need to study the NYC electrical code and earn my master's electrical license in New York City. I then have to shelf it as long as I work for a shop. It is a good idea so I can either open my own women owned W/MBE business. I can hold a license for a NYC shop if I get laid off from this shop. I can even start up a minority contractor business with my son Tom. He is currently scheduled to enter the apprentice electrician program this fall. It takes about 5.5 years to finish his apprenticeship. He needs about a good ten years worth of work experience before I would open a business with him. Holding a NYC license is a key to success with a means of having a way to work. One of the things I have learned about the business is that as a large shop, the largest electrical contractor in NYC, is that we must award 20-30% of our work to women/minority/disabled supply houses and electrical subcontractors. There is money to be made as a woman owned electrical shop. However, you need deep pockets (investor) to fund material purchases and pay for weekly labor and benefits. It is definitely a goal of mine within the next ten years to get that NYC electrical license. I figured I would share what I discovered while walking the job. I can only imagine the courage needed to spray paint that on the wall and not get pinched by a general contractor employee! This area is near the former temporary elevator used in the beginning of the job to carry labor and materials. We now use a covered permanent elevator to access the jobsite. Here is the work of a disgruntled construction worker taken on the 53rd floor:
Thanks for stopping by my blog to read my material! 

Cheers! 
Leslie M Jasper

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