Bathroom Design – The Process Vol. 6

6.  Building The Bath

You are ready. You are set. It’s time to build that bathroom.

The building process is probably the most varied procedure in our industry. Everyone has a different take on it. Everyone does things a little different. You have a big crew, or you work alone, or you are 100% sub-contract. You have staff, your spouse works the office, or your whole office is in your truck. No matter how different we are from each other, we strive for the same end result: a well built project that satisfies your clients, you are proud of, and leaves some money in your pocket.

Here are the six steps in a bathroom design process:

1. Space - what space is available for this bathroom?
2. Function - how is this bathroom going to be used?
3. Budget - how much do they plan to invest in this bathroom?
4. Layout - what is the best use of the available space?
5. Product selection – within the defined budget, what products fulfill the function of the bathroom, fit their lifestyle and their budget?
6. Building the bath – what process will be used to build this design?

In this last article in the series, “Bathroom Design – The Process”, I will go over the very basics of the building process. I’ll discuss the hand-off, scheduling, setting up the job, communication during the job, and the successful closing of the job. (See “Getting Paid 100% Every Time” on the right side of the page)

Processes or systems, will be a very popular subject on this site, since it drives our business and has the potential to make us successful. No successful company has achieved its goals without a business system. It is like water or air. You aren’t going to last long in this business or any other if you don’t have a business system in place, AND use it. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Just make one. Write it down. And share it. Get everyone on board and be sure everyone buys into the system. If you all pull in the same direction, you’ll be unstoppable. Teamwork is a force for the good. Use it.

The hand-off: A lot of time and effort has gone into the planning to get to this stage. You have made suggestions, you’ve made and modified a design, you’ve had many conversations with your client, and you have picked out products for the bathroom. Now it’s time to put them into action. And the only way to do this is to have a paper trail of everything that got you to this point. Without a really clear road map of everything that took place over the last month or so, the ball is going to be dropped somewhere. Did you note when they changed their mind four times on a product? Have you made it clear what the final choice was? Whether you are doing the job yourself or passing it off to your lead carpenter, you need to be clear about everything that was talked about during the design process. One of the best ways to do this, is to have a PCC or Pre-Construction Conference before the job begins. So after the contact is signed, set up a time for the PCC. The PCC is a walk-through with your clients (everyone involved in the decision making), you, your salesperson and/or your lead carpenter, and any trades that you want to include in this initial walk-through. This may seem very redundant after you just signed a contract and went over everything with them, but there are lots of items that aren’t in the contract. During the PCC you will take your contract, and walk from room to room (if there are multiple rooms) and go over each item in the contract. This will emphasize who will be in charge during the job, and make the house rules clear to all. Write up the notes that you take during the PCC, put them into your word processing template, and have them signed by your client. These are now part of the contract. Distribute them to all concerned. You can read the specifics of a PCC in a future article.

Scheduling: Now that the lead carpenter or you have had the PCC, you are almost ready to start the job. A day has been set for start-up and everyone has been informed. (See “What is Basecamp and how can I use it?”) Set up a tentative schedule of events for the entire job. This can be very simple or complex. The important thing here is not how complicated it is, or how complete it is. Just make one. Many times I have used a very rudimentary schedule, written in pencil on a single sheet of paper, but it has been a big help during the job. No matter how good your schedule is, it won’t be perfect. In construction things change by the hour. You have to be very flexible. That’s part of the fun, right? Explain the basic schedule to your client, and each day and week tell them what they can expect to happen on a particular day and where you will be working.

Setting up the job: The first day on the job will be set-up and demolition. Put out your job sign, put down the carpet protector and hardwood mats, set-up dust proofing, cover the furniture, and protect stair rails and newels. This is a big day for the clients. They are holding their breath, hoping they made the right decision in choosing you to work on their most cherished possession. When you walk in and confidently start protecting their home, they will breath a sigh of relief and know they chose a real professional group who knows what they are doing. First impressions only happen once. Make it a good one. Go over any questions you may have on the job start-up. Do they have any questions?

Communication during the job: During the PCC you set up a communication center, where you and your customer can leave notes, documents, pictures, questions, and checks (yum). This can be a white board, or just a legal pad on a table or kitchen counter. Re-emphasize to the client where this center is located and how you’ll use it. In addition to email and telephone this can be a real help when you need to communicate. Keep this up during the entire job, not just the first week or so. Be consistent from start to finish.

Closing the job: You have done a fantastic job. You consulted with your client and have designed and built a fabulous bathroom that they will enjoy every day for many years. It’s time to collect the final check and say good bye for a while. Because you have done everything that you said, and the job has been done almost effortlessly as far as they are concerned, closing the job should be a cinch. Take note of the process that led you here. Write it down and improve upon it. There is a reason that you are getting this final check, and all those in between. You have been a committed professional, who delivers everything that you promised. You have been punch listing the job since day 1. This single act can lead to having a successful company. Always punch the job before the customer does. Don’t even let them see a defect if you can help it. And always make it right. This takes stamina, but pays off. Make it a habit.

I hope that you have enjoyed and learned from these articles on bathroom design. I have much more to tell you about the business systems of our industry and how you can be the one and only one that people will think about when they want a job well done.

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www.RemodelerBiz.com is published by Randall S Soules, a 37 year construction veteran. The intent of this web site is to help builders, remodelers and those in the trades, create a rewarding career and lifestyle.  At Remodeler Biz you’ll find helpful articles on niches, marketing, graphic standards and the design-then-build field.