Comparing Apples to Apples

So I had the chance this week to go to a VERY famous HGTV moderator's home in Buckhead who is doing his own renovation that is being managed by a friend of mine.  I went over there to check out the work of some of his subs and make the contact with them to come and price my little job.  It is a major expansion over there and total chaos.  I am not sure what I was expecting but I guess it was a long the lines of perfection, no messes, no visible mistakes, total organization on a construction site....I wanted to see how "bad" our sites were to his...how imperfect our finished work probably was to his...

MUCH to my surprise it was all the same.  People everywhere, dings in the newly finished and painted walls, finished hardwoods with a mess on them....things I really strive to protect and am a "pitbull" about were also happening there.  It must truly be a construction thing.  How hard is it to clean up after you are done with your work?  To ask for a broom or where to deposit your trash?  How about your lunch trash?  Does it belong on the newly painted window sill...I KNOW I am overly sensitive to that stuff but I am hell bent and determined to train my guys to think about this.  It makes a HUGE difference to the client when he or she sees the subcontractors making an effort, being respectful of the homeowner's space.  Don't be afraid to "educate"...I always tell my husband, it is not me yelling at them, it is simply me "educating" them to be better, cleaner, and more organized in their daily work!!

Moral of the story? Do not think it is only happening to you, in your home, on your project...it happens everywhere, EVEN on an HGTV site that was even being filmed!!!  Speak up, educate those in your space (or have your project coordinator speak to the fellas) so you can sleep sound at night.  They don't do it on purpose, it is not dependent to the size or the cost of a job, it is simply a "construction thing".  Hold everyone accountable to any and all damage they do especially to untouched portions of the home or newly finished ones.  That will educate them faster than a few harsh words from the project coordinator - "um that window you just broke cost you $300"! 

I need everyone to help me come up with a concept to pitch to HGTV - a female based perspective on renovations...any ideas????