Hi!
Quote of the Day: "It is not the general contractor's job to receive/handle RFI's". HUH?
I got my first job to run. I have been posting on a thread I started a week ago on Electrical Engineering. I thought I'd start a new thread to post a daily update...for info/suggestions and for your enjoyment. This job easily falls under the "school of hard knocks" but, BOY, am I learning alot. And, I guess, so is the GC Rep. I'm gonna assume that anyway.
Job: Commercial, small kitchen remodel and later some hospital patient room's headwalls & nursecall system. I have been stuck in a twlight zone of only the kitchen so far..patient rooms later. This is a state gov't job. And, accessible to the jobsite is extremely limited and secure.
Today's best quote was: the GC Rep said to me, "It is not the general contractor's job to receive/handle RFI's". HUH?
It would take many long posts to describe my days. Short version: Prints, between electrical and food service equipment contracting, have many errors & omissions, inconsistencies, conflicts and vagueness. I first verbalize questions to GC Rep for days (my "bad"). After 2 weeks, I started writing my first RFI's..."my bad" again. (I've never even seen one b4). Yesterday, I discovered he had been squirrling them away in his gangbox. If you think he has been faxing them somewhere. You are wrong. He's kidnapped them, I guess. I asked, "Did you fax those RFI's to your office?", he said "No".
(Is their an RFI tooth fairy that comes to the GC's gangbox occassionally, to leave writen responses?)
I think today was a turning point tho. GC Rep, who's primary job seems to be running a jackhammer & laborer, nearly shoved the phone on my ear and proudly announced that he had the architect on the phone for me, for my answers. Poor GC Rep thought his problems w/ my requiring questions was over. Wrong! His look of relief quickly changed to distress as he stood beside me to hear conversation.
Architect says, "I will answer your questions when I GET the RFI's", as if I hadn't sent any. At this point, I thought I should explain to him why I thought he hadn't got 'em yet. Cause the GC Rep has 'em in his gangbox, some 12 days old and he just told me it is not their (GC) job, according to his office. They are from out-of-toen, so maybe they do things differently.
Diplomatically, I hope, I pointed out to the architect that these prints seem to have more errors, etc than usual. I quickly suggested that it may be due to lack of accessibilty to this unusual jobsite. Maybe had to rely more heavily on phone conversations, as-builts and coordinating w/ a food service equipment contractor. He quickly agreed. (Heck, I don't know...maybe too many cooks in the kitchen...no pun intended). Regardless, these prints are wacked! Far more than, "all prints today are bad".
Architect further asked if the customer facilty "had stopped by to see me today, to handle my questions?", like there were few questions or simple discussion. I said "Yes, but...", before I addressed all issues, they got a headache, decided it was out of their scope and required the architect to solve. (I don't blme 'em). I think I told him, that at this point, I clearly need answers in writing.
I then handed phone back to GC Rep. I paused to listen and then decided not, cause I had a good idea what the architect was about to tell poor GC Rep the jackhammer operator. And I bet the GC's office got their own call immediately after.
(Keep in mind I am wingin' it and do not have a co-pilot and my contractor seems to be inaccessible/unavailable, for various reasons. One, "I like my foreman to figure it out themselves". I am but it just not pretty....Yet!
But, this past week has been fun at times. This same GC Rep has been trying to push me for a rough inspection. Aw, I need answers first.
Daily work completed: Work completed by 2 JIW's... In spite of our hard efforts, only permanently installed 4' of emt and temporarily raised (6) 2X4 flourescent lights so ceiling grid can be demo'd. Why? After 2 hrs got chased out of small work area (700 sq ') by TWO jackhammers from GC, wasted 2 hrs on standby/prepping for the arrival of architect (so said the GC Rep) and another 2 hrs discussing it w/ who was actually sent it to discuss it w/ us plus lunch. Was a waste of time, except the lunch part.
Then, after fooling around w/ fanthom architect visit, visit by "crowned" customer rep who left w/ a headache, we again tempted to do some prep work in a future worksite w/in facility...but, had to spend about an hr physically moving/securing another trades tools/material so no one got killed. (A substitue guard goofed up and left a potentially dangerous situation).
Safety first...ya know, especially here.
We have the same 2 guards daily, except when the GC fails to "coordinate trades" & has us all over the facility. I had been thinking that that has only been merely a hassle and a time/waster to subs. But just now, I realized that his incompetence is actually creating unnecessary or more dangerous work conditions for us and whole friggin' facility. I will aid addressing this to the top correctional officer inspector, to my to-do list. I won't be patient w/ that one.
That is a whole different ballgame of unsafe conditons like him just drilling out floor under my ladder...while I am on it.
I'm gonna start a post on what are typical foreman, contractor and general contractor duties.
Quote of the Day: "It is not the general contractor's job to receive/handle RFI's". HUH?
I got my first job to run. I have been posting on a thread I started a week ago on Electrical Engineering. I thought I'd start a new thread to post a daily update...for info/suggestions and for your enjoyment. This job easily falls under the "school of hard knocks" but, BOY, am I learning alot. And, I guess, so is the GC Rep. I'm gonna assume that anyway.
Job: Commercial, small kitchen remodel and later some hospital patient room's headwalls & nursecall system. I have been stuck in a twlight zone of only the kitchen so far..patient rooms later. This is a state gov't job. And, accessible to the jobsite is extremely limited and secure.
Today's best quote was: the GC Rep said to me, "It is not the general contractor's job to receive/handle RFI's". HUH?
It would take many long posts to describe my days. Short version: Prints, between electrical and food service equipment contracting, have many errors & omissions, inconsistencies, conflicts and vagueness. I first verbalize questions to GC Rep for days (my "bad"). After 2 weeks, I started writing my first RFI's..."my bad" again. (I've never even seen one b4). Yesterday, I discovered he had been squirrling them away in his gangbox. If you think he has been faxing them somewhere. You are wrong. He's kidnapped them, I guess. I asked, "Did you fax those RFI's to your office?", he said "No".
(Is their an RFI tooth fairy that comes to the GC's gangbox occassionally, to leave writen responses?)I think today was a turning point tho. GC Rep, who's primary job seems to be running a jackhammer & laborer, nearly shoved the phone on my ear and proudly announced that he had the architect on the phone for me, for my answers. Poor GC Rep thought his problems w/ my requiring questions was over. Wrong! His look of relief quickly changed to distress as he stood beside me to hear conversation.
Architect says, "I will answer your questions when I GET the RFI's", as if I hadn't sent any. At this point, I thought I should explain to him why I thought he hadn't got 'em yet. Cause the GC Rep has 'em in his gangbox, some 12 days old and he just told me it is not their (GC) job, according to his office. They are from out-of-toen, so maybe they do things differently.
Diplomatically, I hope, I pointed out to the architect that these prints seem to have more errors, etc than usual. I quickly suggested that it may be due to lack of accessibilty to this unusual jobsite. Maybe had to rely more heavily on phone conversations, as-builts and coordinating w/ a food service equipment contractor. He quickly agreed. (Heck, I don't know...maybe too many cooks in the kitchen...no pun intended). Regardless, these prints are wacked! Far more than, "all prints today are bad".
Architect further asked if the customer facilty "had stopped by to see me today, to handle my questions?", like there were few questions or simple discussion. I said "Yes, but...", before I addressed all issues, they got a headache, decided it was out of their scope and required the architect to solve. (I don't blme 'em). I think I told him, that at this point, I clearly need answers in writing.
I then handed phone back to GC Rep. I paused to listen and then decided not, cause I had a good idea what the architect was about to tell poor GC Rep the jackhammer operator. And I bet the GC's office got their own call immediately after.
(Keep in mind I am wingin' it and do not have a co-pilot and my contractor seems to be inaccessible/unavailable, for various reasons. One, "I like my foreman to figure it out themselves". I am but it just not pretty....Yet!
But, this past week has been fun at times. This same GC Rep has been trying to push me for a rough inspection. Aw, I need answers first.
Daily work completed: Work completed by 2 JIW's... In spite of our hard efforts, only permanently installed 4' of emt and temporarily raised (6) 2X4 flourescent lights so ceiling grid can be demo'd. Why? After 2 hrs got chased out of small work area (700 sq ') by TWO jackhammers from GC, wasted 2 hrs on standby/prepping for the arrival of architect (so said the GC Rep) and another 2 hrs discussing it w/ who was actually sent it to discuss it w/ us plus lunch. Was a waste of time, except the lunch part.
Then, after fooling around w/ fanthom architect visit, visit by "crowned" customer rep who left w/ a headache, we again tempted to do some prep work in a future worksite w/in facility...but, had to spend about an hr physically moving/securing another trades tools/material so no one got killed. (A substitue guard goofed up and left a potentially dangerous situation).
Safety first...ya know, especially here.
We have the same 2 guards daily, except when the GC fails to "coordinate trades" & has us all over the facility. I had been thinking that that has only been merely a hassle and a time/waster to subs. But just now, I realized that his incompetence is actually creating unnecessary or more dangerous work conditions for us and whole friggin' facility. I will aid addressing this to the top correctional officer inspector, to my to-do list. I won't be patient w/ that one.
That is a whole different ballgame of unsafe conditons like him just drilling out floor under my ladder...while I am on it.
I'm gonna start a post on what are typical foreman, contractor and general contractor duties.
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