Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes in the construction industry?
The life of a building supervisor like Bob is far busier than most people imagine. From before dawn to late in the evening, Bob's day is a whirlwind of inspections, paperwork and problem-solving. Here's what a typical day looks like.
Perhaps you picture someone leaning on a shovel in stubbies and a hi-vis shirt, smoko in hand. There's a bit more to it than that.
A typical day for Bob the Builder (or Joe the Building Supervisor) starts early. Bob is up at 4:30 a.m., showers, eats breakfast and heads to his home office. First job: review the call forward sheet for each site he manages. A call forward sheet is a job summary listing every item that needs organising, with install or delivery dates and notes about each booking.
Bob checks each call forward against what's already booked and where the job is actually at, allowing for weather delays and what's coming up next. Back when I started, he'd then write out faxes to suppliers and trades. These days the orders and bookings go out by email and the scheduling app, but the job is the same.
Once the paperwork is done, Bob begins his circuit, driving to each job site under his control to inspect progress. At each site, he pulls out the call forward sheet, checks what materials should have been delivered, and ensures that the trades scheduled to be onsite are there and working. He verifies that completed installations meet industry standards and contractual obligations, noting any issues in his site diary for follow-up.
If something or someone is missing or hasn't started, Bob makes phone calls and notes the discrepancies on the call forward sheet and in his diary. He communicates with the tradesmen, ensuring they have what they need, reminding them of the work standards, handing them purchase orders and organising new work for them to continue with.
Bob is part accountant too, checking trade invoices against the work actually completed before approving them. He also balances the labour force across his jobs, keeping quality up and meeting contract timeframes. He needs to know where every trade and supplier is at so he can move them to the next site efficiently.
During site visits, Bob also inspects items that clients have asked him to check. He calls them back while onsite to answer their questions. Time on each site varies depending on the construction stage; for example, frame stage inspections can take up to three hours to ensure quality.
Managing up to 23 sites means Bob might only see four sites in a day if a detailed inspection is needed. He aims to visit all his sites by Wednesday each week to coordinate his labour force. Wednesdays include labour meetings to share resources with co-workers, while Thursdays and Fridays are for revisiting urgent sites and handling client appointments and inspections.
Mondays are chaotic, with two days of missed calls and clients visiting sites over the weekend. Bob's phone is constantly ringing on Monday and Tuesday. His circuit can be a 300km round trip, involving repeated inspections, quality control, phone calls, notes, and observations.
Bob also handles maintenance and service requests for completed houses, fitting these appointments into his schedule. He meets with clients to answer questions, discuss industry standards, and conduct practical completion inspections (PCI). These PCI meetings, lasting 2-3 hours, ensure the home meets contractual specifications and industry standards. A final list of unfinished items and defects is created, and Bob and the client set a timeline for completion and handover.
Lunch is usually eaten in the car between sites. At the end of the day he's back in his home office with the site diary and call forward sheets, following up the day's notes. By 8 p.m. he's done, has dinner and a glass of red, and goes to bed ready to do it all again.
Some days Bob feels like all he does is organise other people. But without him, nobody coordinates the trades, checks the work or keeps the job moving. He's crucial, even if he needs the occasional reminder.
Why this matters to you: a supervisor running 23 sites can only give your home a limited slice of their week. When you're choosing a builder, ask how many sites your supervisor will be managing and how often they'll be on your job.
So next time you drive past a house going up, spare a thought for the Bobs working behind the scenes to make it happen.
Further Reading
Support for supervisors
That workload takes a toll. If it's getting on top of you, MATES in Construction offers free 24/7 support on 1300 642 111: https://mates.org.au/
