How to become a home building superintendent?

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Karma - 29 Jun 2006 22:36 GMT

I have this post in "home.repairs" group (my mistake).

I'd like to become a building superintendent and utimately become a
home builder.....What do I need to do/learn?

I'm always fascinated with building things, watch them all come
together....I've been doing the same office job for almost 25 years
and am tired of it. My dream job is to become a building superintendent

and eventually become a home builder... I know it sounds
silly....because I don't have any experience in that field.

I have a couple of houses for rent and contract people to fix them up
when the tenant moved out...that's it. I can do a little painting
here/there and minor repairs, but don't have knowledge for
plumbing/electrical and other heavy duty jobs. Where can I go about to

achieve my dream? What do I need to do/learn? How can I learn to read
the blue print?

Any advice, suggestion are greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

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Phil Scott - 29 Jun 2006 22:47 GMT

>I have this post in "home.repairs" group (my mistake).
>
> I'd like to become a building superintendent and utimately
> become a
> home builder.....What do I need to do/learn?

You become a apprentice first in the building trades, work
with the tools until you are good at it... then you can become
a foreman and learn about the down and dirty part of managing
a project.

then you become a contractor and do small jobs..as you grow
you build homes.

then when you retire and have a clue you become a
superinetendent.

being a a superintendent prior to having a clue happens all
the time but doenst work well at all....

as the economy tightens it wont work at all.

> I'm always fascinated with building things, watch them all
> come
> together....I've been doing the same office job for almost
> 25 years
> and am tired of it. My dream job is to become a building
> superintendent.

OK from a corporate base, you can get a job as superintendant
with no clue what so ever...you do that by noticing how the
engineers and construction foremen dress.. get a hard hat and
carry a roll of prints around with all the time. The
stress and disaster generated by that practice though
decimates almost everyone involved...

> and eventually become a home builder... I know it sounds
> silly....because I don't have any experience in that field.

If you are a woman with good legs and screw, you can do the
owners and move into construction management fast...what you
do is walk around with great authority and demand that the
plumbers get the plumbing fixtures before the walls are
built... fast track and all that. that will be
impressive...or you can issue threats.. that works.

> I have a couple of houses for rent and contract people to
> fix them up
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> learn to read
> the blue print?

If you are unable to figure out such basics as how to get
trained you will make the PERFECT owner...I would move deeper
into ownership if I were you.

> Any advice, suggestion are greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks.

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Al Bundy - 30 Jun 2006 02:23 GMT

"Phil Scott" <philscott@philscott.net> wrote in news:e81hp3$nsu$1
@news.tdl.com:

>>I have this post in "home.repairs" group (my mistake).
>>
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
> engineers and construction foremen dress.. get a hard hat and
> carry a roll of prints around with all the time.

Yep, vouch for that one.

> The
> stress and disaster generated by that practice though
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> built... fast track and all that. that will be
> impressive...or you can issue threats.. that works.

Hmmm, sorta surprised at your comment; nonetheless, to the point and
accurate as always:-)

>> I have a couple of houses for rent and contract people to
>> fix them up
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>>
>> Thanks.

Reply to this Message

Phil Scott - 30 Jun 2006 02:53 GMT

> "Phil Scott" <philscott@philscott.net> wrote in
> news:e81hp3$nsu$1
[quoted text clipped - 59 lines]
> point and
> accurate as always:-)

I was being sarcastic... threats in most cases are
disasterous...good contractors know exactly how to handle
those...if I even see the precursors of threats...I start
running the tab up. Thats necessary to compensate for the
time it takes to cope with threatening idiots in management...

those dont know it, but virtually every contractor I met knows
exactly how to handle them... all real sweet like too... but
very expensively..

Threats are used by people who do not set a project up with
parallel resources. so they become dependent on single
rescources, if those bog they issue threats as they have few
other options.... the reason threats dont work is that the
contractor is most likely doing the best possible under the
circumstances...his own error included... with threats the
contractor then burns his time up defending and positioning
himself. instead of getting the job done

with parallel rescourses in place you just write the guy a
final check and wish him well ...as one of the others you do
business with.... and who was plugged into various aspects of
the job takes over.

Primarily however you pick good people and invite them and the
vendors into the project at the planning stage if
possible...that is the smartest of all moves...

their input can save you a fortune in mistakes...everyone
makes money...you let the people you hire tell you want they
need and how the job should be done... if you cant trust the
outfit for that...then you don't hire them.

dont hire people you have to slave drive.. it doesnt fly...
and it will drive you nutz.

Phil Scott

.

>>> I have a couple of houses for rent and contract people to
>>> fix them up
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>>>
>>> Thanks.

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Homeowner Forum / Construction / June 2006

How to become a home building superintendent?