Incentivise builders to speed up?

Incentivise builders to speed up?

Author
Discussion

kryten22uk

Original Poster:

2,344 posts

230 months

Tuesday 5th May 2015
quotequote all
In my extension build at the moment, the work seems to be good quality (albeit I'm not qualified to really know), but they dont exactly motor along. Sometimes there are 3 or 4 workers, and sometimes the contractor only sends along a single worker. It's not as if there isnt enough work to be done.

I was thinking that in my next phase of building work, I would try to incentivise the speed of the work, in the contract somehow. But then I thought that any speed incentive would work as a disadvantage to me, as it might tempt them to cut corners that they wouldn't have done otherwise.

So, is it possible to incentivise builders to work faster, without the pitfalls, and if so, how?

singlecoil

33,310 posts

245 months

Tuesday 5th May 2015
quotequote all
I expect the contractor is putting just enough work and/or blokes on your job to keep you moderately happy, while he does the same thing to all his other customers.

I presume you are paying as each stage is completed? If so, he's probably making more money elsewhere.

Mattt

16,661 posts

217 months

Tuesday 5th May 2015
quotequote all
Use a Programme?

Terminator X

14,921 posts

203 months

Tuesday 5th May 2015
quotequote all
Are you telling us there is no start and end date?!

TX.

Tribal Chestnut

2,997 posts

181 months

Tuesday 5th May 2015
quotequote all
Mattt said:
Use a Programme?
And LADs.

Get the design sorted before you commence.

Don't change things.

kryten22uk

Original Poster:

2,344 posts

230 months

Tuesday 5th May 2015
quotequote all
There is a start and end date, and a programme. They are on target (just about), and I pay them in stages, as advised by the architect. So I'm not unhappy. I'm just wondering if for my next project, how I can get builders to be more full-on in their original timetabling, and not take things easy. I'd be less concerned if they were falling behind an ambitious schedule, if I saw that there was much work being put it. But seeing the work able along on the current project, its a shame that theres not more effort to advance the timescales.

bobtail4x4

3,701 posts

108 months

Tuesday 5th May 2015
quotequote all
when they arrive on a morning,

make tea, provide bikkies,

mid morning bacon butties +tea

lunchtime a few sandwiches, +tea

afternoon more tea with buns/cake,

you will be over run with willing builders.

trust me I have seen it work lots over the last 40yrs in building.probably cost a fiver or more a day thats all.

Lotus Notes

1,197 posts

190 months

Tuesday 5th May 2015
quotequote all
kryten22uk said:
They are on target (just about)
I'm just wondering if for my next project, how I can get builders to be more full-on in their original timetabling, and not take things easy.
On target is good, early or late delivery IMHO are equally bad in terms of project management.

For the next build, ask for the timescales and agree an improvement (for little or no cost) before contract.

roofer

5,136 posts

210 months

Wednesday 6th May 2015
quotequote all
bobtail4x4 said:
when they arrive on a morning,

make tea, provide bikkies,

mid morning bacon butties +tea

lunchtime a few sandwiches, +tea

afternoon more tea with buns/cake,

you will be over run with willing builders.

trust me I have seen it work lots over the last 40yrs in building.probably cost a fiver or more a day thats all.
Simple as this. Helps if you have a fit wife too. biggrin

sherman

13,065 posts

214 months

Wednesday 6th May 2015
quotequote all
If you want to make them work faster cut the programme by a week.

If you want good work supply bacon, tea and tell them beer is available at the end of the project

blueg33

35,574 posts

223 months

Wednesday 6th May 2015
quotequote all
roofer said:
bobtail4x4 said:
when they arrive on a morning,

make tea, provide bikkies,

mid morning bacon butties +tea

lunchtime a few sandwiches, +tea

afternoon more tea with buns/cake,

you will be over run with willing builders.

trust me I have seen it work lots over the last 40yrs in building.probably cost a fiver or more a day thats all.
Simple as this. Helps if you have a fit wife too. biggrin

Not so good if they end up shagging her. Cause of my previous neighbours divorce and the build was late

Pints

18,444 posts

193 months

Wednesday 6th May 2015
quotequote all
bobtail4x4 said:
when they arrive on a morning,

make tea, provide bikkies,

mid morning bacon butties +tea

lunchtime a few sandwiches, +tea

afternoon more tea with buns/cake,

you will be over run with willing builders.

trust me I have seen it work lots over the last 40yrs in building.probably cost a fiver or more a day thats all.
This is tantamount to bribery. This work ethic disgusts me.

I wonder what happened to people just getting on with the job in hand and being proud of what they achieved.

blueg33

35,574 posts

223 months

Wednesday 6th May 2015
quotequote all
Pints said:
This is tantamount to bribery. This work ethic disgusts me.

I wonder what happened to people just getting on with the job in hand and being proud of what they achieved.
Sadly, pride in the job seems to be rare amongst today's construction trades, despite the fact that they are generally well paid.

Spudler

3,985 posts

195 months

Wednesday 6th May 2015
quotequote all
Pints said:
I wonder what happened to people just getting on with the job in hand and being proud of what they achieved.
Maybe they are.

"On target, quality job".
Some are never satisfied.

hairyben

8,516 posts

182 months

Wednesday 6th May 2015
quotequote all
Be careful what you wish for.

Flood a job with trades all working over each other people get in each others way, damage each others work (deliberate and inadvertent), get annoyed, hold each other up, stuff goes wrong. Evan trying to book trades too close together with optimistic expectations then one's not finished before another starts something mutually detrimental eg boarder starts tacking before services go in, plumber/sparks has to rip off boards etc. Been there done that, all because the client was impatient, they pay twice except they don't, trade has to do job twice, with predictable results. Doing it right is a process, like baking a bread and leaving it to rise, rushing it will leave you an inferior or even rubbish end result.

Some jobs one man can do, others go well with 3-4 blokes on site, it's not all about numbers. Sometimes that 1 tradesman will work best/fastest on his own with no-one in his way so the main contractor will clear off to facilitate this.

It can actually be quite a juggling act to keep jobs running smoothly and everyone productive, rather than them just not being bothered about your job.

Shopfitting is usually done at x10 speed with blokes everywhere and it's the roughest carp you'll ever see.

HotJambalaya

2,023 posts

179 months

Wednesday 6th May 2015
quotequote all
bobtail4x4 said:
when they arrive on a morning,

make tea, provide bikkies,

mid morning bacon butties +tea

lunchtime a few sandwiches, +tea

afternoon more tea with buns/cake,

you will be over run with willing builders.

trust me I have seen it work lots over the last 40yrs in building.probably cost a fiver or more a day thats all.
That is hilarious. Four breaks, one before they've even started. Thats about an hour gone from every work day. Assuming you have a larger build going on, with 9 workers thats a days work gone. Pay for 9 workers get 8, plus, have the privilege of feeding them! Overall certainly more then a fiver.

Its basically attitudes like that that have me employing eastern europeans, they work NON stop from 8am to 5pm. A couple of times I've been they've even forgotten to eat their lunch (a quick sandwich), or accidentally carried on past knocking off time because they've been so engrossed in their work.

Back to the op, sorry the carrot approach doesn't work with most builders, use the stick. Put financial penalties into contracts for missing deadlines. Why are they pulling workers off your building? -because they have another contract somewhere else where someone has stuck penalty clauses in and they're rushing more workers in to finish his work off.


Edited by HotJambalaya on Wednesday 6th May 09:27

myvision

1,931 posts

135 months

Wednesday 6th May 2015
quotequote all
Bonus ££££££

Neil - YVM

1,310 posts

198 months

Wednesday 6th May 2015
quotequote all
Pints said:
bobtail4x4 said:
when they arrive on a morning,

make tea, provide bikkies,

mid morning bacon butties +tea

lunchtime a few sandwiches, +tea

afternoon more tea with buns/cake,

you will be over run with willing builders.

trust me I have seen it work lots over the last 40yrs in building.probably cost a fiver or more a day thats all.
This is tantamount to bribery. This work ethic disgusts me.

I wonder what happened to people just getting on with the job in hand and being proud of what they achieved.
Maybe Bobtails suggestion is a bit ott, but without question looking after anyone working for you is always a good idea. But a few coffees throughout the day is usually sufficient.

Bribery or just good manners?
Whilst I agree it should not be necessary, goodwill is always worth generating.




F3RNY7

545 posts

163 months

Wednesday 6th May 2015
quotequote all
Neil - YVM said:
Maybe Bobtails suggestion is a bit ott, but without question looking after anyone working for you is always a good idea. But a few coffees throughout the day is usually sufficient.

Bribery or just good manners?
Whilst I agree it should not be necessary, goodwill is always worth generating.
There's a difference between good manners and providing your workmen with 3 square meals per day!

Can't remember my boss ever making me a bacon sandwich, but funnily enough I can't use that as an excuse to not do the job I'm employed to do!

dazwalsh

6,095 posts

140 months

Wednesday 6th May 2015
quotequote all
They dont need full meals but the odd cuppa and a custard cream will do wonders for their morale.