You’ll discover simple and easy-to-digest insights at Miami-based contractor Seacoast Construction’s blog. Company president George Abadie writes in plain English, with solid suggestions for owners, investors and others who might have reason to choose a Florida general contractor.
He reports on the reasons to consider seeking LEED certification for building retrofits including its investment payoff-value:
While there is a cost associated with LEED certification and making the necessary retrofits to get certified, it creates a long-term return on investment. Green building owners all over the country have reported an average of 19.2% ROI for retrofitting existing projects.
LEED-certified projects are among the top-performing buildings when it comes to energy usage, water consumption, and overall resource efficiency. Typically, this means lower operating costs over the lifetime of a project.
In another post, he outlines the criteria Seacoast apply in selecting subcontractors:
Here are four things to consider when selecting a subcontractor:
Experience
Never underestimate the power of experience. We always match a subcontractor’s capabilities to the project’s requirements, including job size and scope of work. This maximizes the use of resources and gives the project the attention in deserves.
Reputation
We always seek out credible sources when looking for feedback about a potential subcontractor. Asking for references from other contractors is one way to get valid feedback. It’s also highly important to determine whether the subcontractor has any pending or past litigation cases, claims, or conflict issues.
Accountability
Understanding the structure of a subcontractor’s company is another important aspect to consider. Find out who runs the business and who actually directly manages the workers on the jobsite. It’s vital that the subcontractor’s structure supports the needs of the project, including issues of compliance, decision-making, and resolution. Also, it’s imperative to check into the company’s safety record, including the type of training programs the company puts into practice.
Processes
We always make sure that the subcontractor is a well-run business and consider the company’s bond capacity and insurance. How the subcontractor handles labor time capturing and reporting, and other compliance issues is also important to know.
Other regional contractors may find special value in reviewing Seacoast Construction’s blog for its content focused on the interests of potential clients, yet without any hard-sell techniques. This is a worthy entry in the competition.
Popular voting closes in two weeks and you can select Seacoast Construction’s blog (with any others you like) at this link. You can vote until March 31.