How To Reduce Your First Fix Carpentry Costs In Your Construction Project

How To Reduce Your First Fix Carpentry Costs In Your Construction Project

As every construction project manager knows, ensuring that all first fix joinery work is solid is a crucial part of any residential project.

First fix joinery involves structural work, ranging from floors and ceilings to door frames, wall studs, and other space divisions that are put in place before plastering can begin. Therefore, high-quality first fix carpentry and joinery are essential when it comes to ensuring the structural stability of a new building.

Having said that, quality work always comes at a price. Is it possible to get a high-quality first fix carpentry service while reducing your project costs?

When it comes to cutting down on costs but not on quality, the general rule of thumb is to avoid expensive mistakes. The easiest way to do this is by working with a reliable contractor who uses their experience, expertise, and technical knowledge to use the most cost-effective techniques and methodologies for your project.

In this article, we’ll discuss 4 cost-saving strategies that every construction project manager should know about.

1) Choose A Contractor That Understands Your Project

A reliable carpentry and joinery contractor will take time to understand the scope and requirements of the entire construction project, instead of simply working on their tasks in isolation from the rest of the project.

Therefore, you should make sure you meet with prospective contractors in person or by video to go over the project in detail. By gaining a more holistic view of the project, your commercial carpentry contractor can come up with an estimate or tender that’s aligned with your design, budget, build programme, and quality requirements so you avoid surprises further down the line.

And if problems do arise, whether in the design, due to mistakes by other trades, changes to the build programme, or material supply issues, a great carpentry and joinery contractor will work with you to find solutions.

2) Choose A Contractor Who Understands The Role Of Other Trades And Can Carry Other Aspects Of Your Project If Required

In a successful project, each trade needs to work together. This is particularly true with carpentry which relies on the work of architects and designers, structural engineers, groundworkers, and bricklayers, and is relied on by mechanical and electrical trades (plumbers and electricians), plasterers, painters, and decorators to ensure the perfect finish. So, it is essential to ensure that your carpentry contractor understands the role of other trades and works well with them.

Sometimes, assigning different parts of a project to other contractors makes it hard to consolidate costs and can end up with you going over budget. To avoid this, you could benefit by using the same company to install your timber frame or roof and a first fix carpentry contractor that also has the expertise and finesse to install cladding and carry out high-quality second fix and finals carpentry, as well as follow-on tasks such as painting, decorating, and wallpapering.

At SC4, we are experts at providing services for medium to large new build housing sites. We’ve consolidated our team’s wide-ranging construction expertise into three areas:

a) Carpentry and joinery (from roofs and joists, porches and cladding to first and second-fix carpentry and finals)

b) Timber frame installation

c) Painting and decorating

3) Choose A Contractor With A Proven Track Record

In a construction project, time = money, so the sooner you can complete the project, the more you will save on overall costs. This is why it’s worth finding a carpentry and joinery contractor that has a proven track record of providing a high-quality service, on time, safely, and to their client's satisfaction. Recommendations and testimonials from clients, as well as awards from independent organisations, are a good sign that the contractor has the experience and qualified staff to carry out your project.

At SC4, we’re proud of the service we deliver, which means we have won several awards for our work and our clients return to us to work on new projects. Contracts are delivered by our trained workforce ranging from Crane Supervisors to Tradesmen, CPCS Slinger Signallers, SMSTS Managers, and more.

Recent clients have said this about SC4 Carpenters Ltd:

• Great professionalism, craftsmanship, attention to health and safety, and willingness to find solutions - QS & Site Team, Redrow Southern Counties
• Working with SC4 Carpenters Ltd is always an absolute pleasure - John Black, Surveyor, Highwood
• Very friendly and professional outfit - Will Rose, Commercial Manager, Foreman Homes
• I would highly recommend SC4 Decorators - Jason Smith, Senior Contract Surveyor, Hill Partnerships
• Excellent results! Looking forward to working with SC4 again on our next projects - ABRI (was Radian Group)
• An excellent and reliable Timber Frame erection service - Paul Harris, Senior Contracts Manager, Taylor Lane

See our Testimonials, Awards and Reviews for more information.

4) Choose An Accredited Contractor

Industry-specific accreditations may seem like a “nice to have”, but they are extremely important in the construction sector. A contractor that has invested time and effort in getting accredited has shown they’re committed to health and safety, excellence, and compliance. This means that they put health and safety and training at the top of their priorities. They’re much less likely to make mistakes, which not only wastes time and materials but could become a liability, or be very costly to repair.

We recommend you ask carpentry and joinery contractors for relevant accreditations, such as those from the Structural Timber Association, the Federation of Master Builders or, Construction Line. It’s also a good idea to verify those credentials independently. You can do this by going to the website of the accrediting body and doing a member search.

For example, at SC4 Carpenters we are long-standing members of all the organisations listed above, as well as SMAS (SSIPs) accredited.

Find Out More

For a free quote or to discuss your project requirements with one of our team, please call 07715 568759 today.