Construction Quality: A Lost Art?

By Jon Solomon

When it comes to home building, quality should be at the top of the list. However, the recovering and improving market for new custom homes in the Tampa area has left many builders short staffed and with poor infrastructure. The result is that quality is suffering.

Quality and craftsmanship is something that virtually every builder pushes as a differentiator, but how does the average person recognize superior vs. substandard quality? Frankly, we discuss our high quality, but fully realize it’s difficult to tell the difference. Here are specific ways to ensure that you get the quality construction that you expect from home builders Tampa:

• Solid, Name-brand Materials: Probably the simplest step towards high quality is using Grade A materials from manufacturers with a long history of value and who stand behind their products.
• Experienced Installers: Selection and evaluation of the best companies is important, but it’s equally significant to evaluate the installation crews so a builder gets the best of the best. Detailed scope of works between the builder and the installer are critical to making sure that expectations are set correctly.
• Schedule: Making sure that each job is ready for the work and that each stage of construction is fully completed and prepared for the next step is the key to quality. Tampa new home builders should utilize detailed schedules that show dependencies and that are communicated to all parties involved.
• Management Oversight: As builders have gotten busier, so too have the installers. That means installers are lessening their oversight duties, which places a higher burden on the builder. The result is that the number of homes a builder can oversee has decreased. Even with technology, quality checklists and other tools, a superintendent can only manage a few custom homes at the same time. The old saying, “Quality over quantity” still rings true.
• Site Conditions: Un-kept and unclean homes and job sites are a sign of poor quality. Keeping a project clean is critical to noticing issues and managing the construction process. A well maintained job site will make it easier to catch errors. Once everyone understands that’s the practice, then it ripples into the quality of their work.

So is construction quality a lost art? Well, if it’s not then it’s definitely an endangered species. Make sure to talk with your Tampa new home builder about how they maintain their quality and contact us with any questions.

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