I was recently asked what we value most at Skelly Build by a potential client. While of course there are dozens of things that make a construction company stand out, I think beyond the basics of a high-quality product and good communication our team-oriented mission is what sets us apart.
As an internal team, we meet (currently Zoom) once per week to review all projects, discuss any surprises, brainstorm solutions, review victories, and how to support each other that week and beyond. Our company culture is team-centered. My team knows that they will make mistakes and that we will figure out solutions together. Mistakes are learning lessons and facilitate growth even more than victories. We are constantly learning, growing, and improving together, we are never stagnant. We challenge each other to be better and do better in every aspect of life, including construction.
At projects, we truly value client, architect, and designer input. I am not just referring to the design and development phase as our involvement during that process is typically budget-oriented only. What I mean is that we set frequent meetings that involve the entire team.
Two (plus) brains are better than one and discussing solutions and options with a team will always lead to a better outcome. There is never a project that doesn’t hit some type of roadblock or 20, especially with renovations. Plan set doesn’t always translate to reality and by approaching each job as a team we are able to respectfully create solutions together and therefore building trust with our client.
Additionally, we have a pretty extensive approval process that involves the creative team (designer or architect). For example, we have all tile layouts, grout joints, edging, seam lines in countertops, rough-in verifications, etc all approved. Assumptions are rarely made; we want your home to be your place of peace and happiness and these extra approvals result in a special home.
And what about your subs, how is your relationship with them? Our subcontractors are also a part of our team/family, which I know is frequently missed in construction. We have created a pretty simple formula with our vetted and specialized subs. They provide us with high-quality work and reasonable timelines, and we pay them once per week. Simple as that. It may seem rudimentary, but these relationships are two ways streets. We want access to them and quality work: they want to get paid. Voila!
