Sep 5 2007
A Florida construction crew with a backhoe accidentally cut into an underground tank near a hospital on Aug. 27. Just three days later, a construction crew at the Minnesota Zoo punctured a gas line while they were working on a new zoo exhibit.
Although both mistakes were handled efficiently and nobody was hurt, Dean Brown, president of American Steel Buildings, points out how choosing the right construction crew can make a difference.
"Everybody makes mistakes," Brown said. "But the difference between an experienced crew and an inexperienced construction crew could be the difference in what mistakes are made and how they're handled. In erecting a self storage building, you may not have to worry about hitting a gas line, but there are other issues. Choosing the right crew can help eliminate the possibility of costly and harmful mistakes."
Brown has tips and advice on choosing a construction crew for self storage steel and metal buildings, no matter whether the entrepreneurs are new to the self storage industry or just wanting to expand their current self storage buildings.
One of the first things self storage building owners should know about any construction crew is whether or not the crew carries insurance.
"The crew you choose should most definitely have general liability and workman's comp insurance," said Brown. "Those are both critical. If they don't, move on to the next person."
Brown said that the crew should also have experience in constructing steel and metal buildings.
"There's a big difference between building a wood frame house and putting up a self storage building," said Brown. "You need a crew with the right experience. They should also be professional, and put the building up tight and correct, according to the plans."
Checking references is a good idea, but, according to Brown, it's important to realize that they won't list any bad references. A good crew will also clean up the job site and sweep out the units after they've finished constructing the metal building.