The trades that can make or break a project
Architects and designers, you’ll already know this: in a renovation or building project, every trade is important. However, some of them can make or break the whole shebang.
Cast your minds back to your last three projects. At which stage of the project did your client’s excitement visibly increase?
Was it when the diggers came on site to start the earthworks?
When the slab was laid?
When the framing came up and the spaces started taking shape?
At the roof shout?
When the functional services like the electrician and plumber came on site to install connections?
Or when the painters started, when the overall appeal of the house started coming together, a signal to your client that “moving in” is imminent?
Painters as the pièce de résistance
Our experience is that by the time the painters start, clients are generally at the end of their tether, regardless of their experience to that point. It is unusual for the client to not have had to deal with at least one or more of the following:
Problem-solving sessions with various other tradespeople due to unanticipated obstacles.
A review of their overall budget and/or timeline due to unexpected delays.
Re-negotiating an extension on the lease of the property they are temporarily living in.
Make decisions within short timeframes to enable their project to keep moving.
Suffice to say that by the time the painting work starts, emotions (good and/or bad) are rife! The pressure is on to complete the project and deliver an outcome that will stand up to scrutiny. We all can differentiate a good paint job from a terrible one. However, the risk area is always the gap between good and what the client expected.
Meeting expectations right at the finish line
With painting, there is no “hard and fast rule” with the client’s expected outcome, unlike with other trades like electrical or plumbing work. If the power comes on when one needs it to, the electrician has done what he needed to do. Similarly, if clear water comes out of the taps as expected, then the plumber has delivered on his promise.
Due to subjectivity on the painting outcome, it is critical to understand the client’s goals from the outset so we can:
Assess whether the client’s goals are reasonably and practicably deliverable based on the building specification.
Plan the underlying groundwork that is needed to deliver on the client’s goals. For example, the client is adamant that they want dark paint colours in a space with significant critical light. Our only option to minimise the effect of imperfections and critical light is to ensure that a level five plastering finish is achieved. That is not the plasterer’s responsibility alone; it affects the work of the gib fixers too.
This must occur before the painter can deliver on the client’s goals and enable smooth completion of the project. If your aim is to cross the finish line with happy clients and a fantastic outcome, a premium painting service is crucial—and they must be part of the process from the beginning
Seeking success from the start
If understanding the client’s goals and coordinating the trades to deliver on these goals is so important, why don’t we do so as part of the quoting process? Isn’t this vital information to ensure that the tender price we submit is accurate, minimising the drama of the client needing to increase their budget?
The architectural drawings detail the overall structure and layout of the building. But they don’t shed light on client goals. For example, the architectural plans may require provision for sprinklers: the client’s true expectation is year-round green grass. How would we have known that if we hadn't asked “what does success look like?”
Looking for a successful end game to your project? Get in touch with the Wall Treats team right from the start!
