Establishing a Lead Carpenter System

Successful remodeling firms across the county have adopted a bottom-up production management system to ensure high-quality, on-time, on-budget jobs. Lead Carpenter System: A Guide for Remodelers and Their Employees, by Wendy A. Jordan, shows remodelers how to set up a lead carpenter system, select and hire high-quality lead carpenters, and maintain communications between office and job sites. In addition to successful case studies, the book contains more than 100 pages of helpful forms. Included on a computer disk are hiring forms and tests, job descriptions, performance evaluation forms, pre-construction guides and checklists, job progress reports, and work assessment and inspection checklists.

The following sections have been condensed and excerpted from the book:

Responsibilities of the Lead Carpenter

The lead carpenter’s job description may include requirements to:

Evaluate and revise estimates before construction begins

Perform all carpentry, requesting help as needed

Track actual costs against estimated costs

Handle material takeoffs and orders

Schedule trade contractors

Supervise all labor at the jobsite

Process all time cards

Perform ongoing quality checks, making corrections or requiring trade contractors to make corrections as necessary

Prevent and solve job-related problems

Communicate daily with the clients to ensure customer satisfaction

Write all change order forms

Maintain the job file

Keep the jobsite clean

Monitor safety of equipment and the jobsite

Enforce safety requirements

Report daily to the office about the project

Provide progress reports at company production meetings

Things to Look for During the Trial Employment Period

Most companies have a probationary, or trial employment, period for new hires. Observe the new lead carpenter closely during this time to verify the lead’s strengths and identify any problem areas. Ask yourself these questions:

Are the lead’s construction skills and knowledge adequate?

Is the lead reliable, honest and trustworthy?

Does the lead demonstrate skill in building and maintaining a positive working relationship with the clients?

Does the lead take instruction and constructive criticism well?

Is the lead a good judge of work quality?

Does the lead willingly follow rules--including safety regulations and company policies?

Does the lead have a realistic concept of his or her skill level?

Does the lead have realistic expectations regarding promotions, pay raises and benefits?

Performance Appraisal: Lead Carpenter

Lead carpenters can rate themselves on certain items using a 1-5 scale (5=distinguished, 4=outstanding, 3=commendable, 2=provisional, 1=marginal):

Customer satisfaction

Budget

Scheduling

Subcontractor management

Daily organization

Job close out

Problems

Communication with customer

To order Lead Carpenter System: A Guide for Remodelers and Their Employees, call (800) 223-2665, go to www.BuilderBooks.com. or www.amazon.com