Construction

On a residential construction project, having skilled crews in the field is only part of keeping production moving. Those crews also need the right materials, in the right quantities, at the right location and at the right time.

That becomes increasingly important on high-volume projects where multiple homes or units may be moving through different stages of construction at the same time.

For plumbing and HVAC contractors, material planning starts well before installation. Purchasing teams, project managers, warehouse teams, field leadership and suppliers all play a part in making sure crews have what they need to stay productive and meet the builder’s schedule.

Planning Around the Construction Schedule

Residential construction schedules are constantly moving.

One group of homes may be ready for underground plumbing while another is entering rough installation and another is approaching trim and final completion.

Material needs are different at every stage.

Planning ahead allows contractors to anticipate what will be needed based on upcoming construction activity rather than waiting until crews are already on site. We covered the seasonal side of this in Why September Is an Important Month for Construction Planning.

Good communication between the builder and trade partners is especially important when schedules change. Updated information gives purchasing and operations teams an opportunity to adjust orders, deliveries and staging accordingly.

Managing Lead Times

Not every construction material is available immediately.

Fixtures, equipment, specialty products and certain components may require additional ordering time depending on the manufacturer, supplier and product.

That makes lead-time awareness an important part of project planning.

Purchasing teams can monitor upcoming needs, communicate with suppliers and identify potential issues early enough to evaluate available options.

The goal is not simply to order materials early. It is to order them at the appropriate time based on the project schedule, available storage and expected installation dates.

Coordinating Deliveries

On active construction sites, when materials arrive can be just as important as whether they arrive.

Deliveries need to be coordinated around jobsite access, construction activity, available storage and the crews scheduled to perform the installation.

Receiving too much material at once can create storage challenges. Receiving it too late can affect field productivity.

For high-volume residential construction, deliveries may need to be separated by phase, building, lot or community depending on the project.

Careful coordination helps ensure materials are available without creating unnecessary congestion on the jobsite.

Staging Materials for Field Crews

Once materials arrive, they still need to reach the people installing them.

Material staging helps organize products so field teams can spend more of their time completing installations rather than searching for parts or waiting for additional materials.

Depending on the project, this may involve warehouse preparation, jobsite storage, delivery by construction phase or coordination directly with suppliers. At 20/20, in-house fabrication and warehouse operations give our teams greater control over that process.

The process may look different from one community to another, but the objective remains the same: keep crews supplied and installation moving.

Communication Connects Everything

Material planning ultimately depends on communication.

Purchasing needs accurate information from project teams. Field leadership needs visibility into upcoming work. Suppliers need realistic delivery expectations. Builders need trade partners who can adjust when schedules change. For more on choosing a trade partner, read What Single-Family Builders Should Look For in a Plumbing and HVAC Trade Partner.

On high-volume residential projects, these pieces are closely connected. The same applies when one contractor handles both trades, a topic we covered in How Dual-Trade Coordination Protects Your Schedule on Multi-Family Projects.

At 20/20 Plumbing & Heating, supporting residential construction requires coordination across our field, operations, purchasing, warehouse and project teams. Material planning is one of the many behind-the-scenes processes that helps our crews stay prepared as projects move from one phase of construction to the next.

As a 100% employee-owned company, each team member is personally invested in getting that right.

When planning, purchasing, deliveries and field execution work together, it helps create a more organized construction process for everyone involved.

Talk With Our Team

Planning a single-family or multi-family community in Southern California or Nevada? Contact 20/20 Plumbing & Heating to talk through your project and schedule. You can also find more resources for builders on our blog.