Behind The Scenes

Ever wonder what happens before your renovation begins? Some days we wish it was as simple as organizing the jobs and getting the work done. But a lot has to be in place so we can get there.

We all know about overhead such as vehicles, insurance, office staff etc. but here are some of the other important parts to running a successful business and also some of the reasons why costs keep going up.

Safety is an important but onerous part of our business. The Ministry of Labour requires that  we develop a Health & Safety Policy which all employees must be familiar with. All employees must be trained every two years in the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) which mandates that all materials at the office and on the site have up to date Material Safety Data Sheets available, even for the ink in our pens. They must also be trained in Fall Arrest, the Workplace Violence and Harassment Policy and the Accessibility Policy. We have one employee who is our Safety Rep. and he had to attend classes for a week to learn the company’s responsibility. On each jobsite, we have a storage container that has a first aid kit, emergency numbers and routes to the nearest hospital. We supply each employee with the necessary safety gear and it is our responsibility to teach them how to use it and make sure that they are. Whether it is a bathroom or a two storey addition, we must inspect our sites weekly and document required reports.

Moreover, we must ensure that all our sub contractors have proper WSIB and liability insurance., inform the Department of Labour about the location of any new jobs and secure all the necessary permits and approvals. Rob Clements has taken courses to get his BCIN certification so that he can stamp plans for permit application.  In a case where a part of the job doesn’t meet City Bylaws, there is an application and meeting for a Minor Variance. Rob also recently completed a course to be certified as a Green Renovator.

This is on top of getting the job set up and organized. Once a job is sold a lot of steps are taken to ensure good organization and scheduling. Once the schedule is done, subcontractors need to be notified and materials need to be selected and ordered. The vast variety and selection of materials keeps growing and it is important to keep up with trends and new ideas.

So, this is just some of what happens behind the scenes before the workers show up at your door. It seems like year after year, rules and regulations keep growing. There are so many compliance requirements along with our own production systems that go way beyond the hammer and nails.

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