The small builder has to deal with some very challenging situations, and with several projects on the go, he will be juggling with his workforce as best he can, while making sure that materials are delivered on time. Aside from all of this, he will have to negotiate with customers and make sure they are happy, and more often than not, he will have to hire heavy equipment. Typically, the small builder will be a family owned business, perhaps passed down from father to son, and the traditional values would remain today. Here are just a few of the essential services a small builder might call upon in the course of his work.
- Plant Hire – A small construction outfit could never afford to own and operate a large fleet of heavy machinery, which is what is often required. If, for example, a builder needed grab hire in Chelmsford, his local plant hire company would oblige, and with so many machines available, the plant hire company is perhaps the most important ally a builder can have. Excavators, earthmovers, and dumper trucks are all required at the early staged of a project, usually for a few days to clear the ground prior to construction.
- A Range of Tradespeople – Only a large builder would directly employ all of the tradespeople they would need, therefore, a small builder would contract out many of the tasks, including brickwork and rendering, roofing, plumbing and electrics, and a few more besides. The workers would be hired on a performance based system, and they would be responsible for their own work schedules. The small builder will try to avoid directly hiring too many employees, as the added burden on tax and National Insurance make it an expensive option, and apart from perhaps a few labourers and a driver, all the other people are contracted for the project. If a builder needed grab hire in Chelmsford, an online search would reveal a hirer in the area, and without the need to invest, one can simply hire the equipment for the required time.
- Materials Supply – Of course, this is critical, as without materials, workers cannot work, and reliability is the number one factor from the builder’s perspective. He would most certainly forge an alliance with a local builder’s merchant, where he would procure everything he needs, including hand tools. Then there is the concrete provider, another essential supply that must be there on time. The competition in the ready mixed concrete sector means that most companies will guarantee a prompt delivery, and with modern equipment, they can pour the concrete in tight spaces.
- Surveyors and Architects – The builder relies on having a good working relationship with both of these people, and timely schedules allow the project to flow. There are also local authority personnel the builder would have to communicate with regularly, and he would try to develop a good working relationship with everyone, as this facilitates a smooth conclusion to the project.
A builder must have many skills to effectively run his business, and with an army of back up services and a sense of class workmanship, the small builder is an important member of society.