Contractor/ Owner / Architect Relations

With respect to day to day communications and negotiations with the owner, CGCinc has an excellent track record of being reasonable and easy to work with, a couple of quick reference calls and this can be verified. Celso Sr. has long instilled a philosophy of good relations and good communication. Open communication, RFI’s and project meetings are all venues for the base of this philosophy.

RFI’s (request for information) – It is a standard practice for CGCinc to submit RFI’s with not only questions to a particular issue but also a recommendation to the solution. In this manner, the architect or engineer can quick evaluate the situation and provide a prompt respond with an answer. The faster an issue gets resolved the happier the owner will be.

Project/Progress/Construction Meetings – CGCinc normally sets the agenda for all progress meetings. We believe that it is essential that project meetings are not dictated by pre-set venues but by addressing pertinent topics related to the completion of the project. We use project meetings to make sure that all parties are all on the same understanding and that all unresolved items are understood.

Submittals – CGCinc is well versed in the submittal process. We keep logs off all submittals and review the status of the submittals at each progress meetings. We make a point of reviewing the required submittals at the pre-construction meetings.

Closing Documents – Affidavits of bills paid, warranty Items and as-builds are the main components of the closing documents but we adhere to the specifications and include all items pertinent to the project.

Change Orders – We believe on avoiding change orders in order to expedite the project completion. Many contractors believe that change orders are where the money is made. CGCinc believes that change order’s is where we, the contractor, makes us stand apart. We believe that change orders are for issues that are clearly not on the plans or for which the owner chooses independently to make additions or deletions to the contract. We like to address small changes, with the owner/architect’s approval, on a plus (+) and minus (-) list and reviewed periodically. This expedites the projects and work proceeds smoothly. Our change order prices are reasonable and fair.

Our “open dialogue” philosophy – Too many times we have encountered the “I cannot answer that…send in an RFI request!” when in fact five minutes and a simple answer over the phone will address the issue with a much quicker result. A chain of command is eminent in this business but it will also bog down an answer behind a long list of tasks and paperwork. Horror stories of over 200 RFI’s are common and in the end the contractor wins because of something he requested 4 months earlier and someone forgot to respond to. Our philosophy, let’s talk and let’s resolve quickly. In the end, it is the final punch list and the retainage that will dictate the owner’s wiliness to except the work.