The ability to be handy and perform some maintenance around the house can have its advantages—especially when it comes to saving money. But there is a fine line between what a homeowner can do and where someone more experienced is needed.

Putting a successful bid proposal together is more than just jotting down some numbers and gambling for a good outcome. Proper bid preparation requires time and effort, including reading and fully understanding the plans and specifications, visiting the site, estimating costs for labor, materials, and equipment, and making sure you have everything covered.

If you have ever watched the progress of a large construction project, it is quite amazing to see the steps involved and the coordination it takes from start to finish. You might see contractors excavating the building and site, installing the concrete foundation, erecting structural steel, framing with wood and steel, setting block and brick, and bringing utilities from underneath the street. What you don’t see, however, are all the moving parts behind the scenes—the organization, management, and network of communications that make it all happen.

In one of my previous articles, “Tips to Resolve Job-Site Problems,” I wrote about challenges that can occur on a construction site, including an example of a problem I experienced in my career, and listed three basic principles I would go back to when I could foresee a potential problem with another contractor. Since then, I have received a few other questions around job-site problems I wanted to address.

We all have our busy seasons and for most contractors summer is the busy time. Unfortunately, cutting corners or accidentally overlooking important safety protocol can happen when schedules are tight and the demand to complete one project and move to the next increases. But don’t let that happen to you or your employees.