IdentityOur TeamWhy We Have Dedicated Project Managers On All MetroWest Siding Jobs

June 10, 2020

The Customer Was Happy With Our Work. Our Project Manager Wasn’t
So We Tore Everything Down & Started Over—On Our Own Dime.

BY JEFF BROOKS, FOUNDER

As a Central MA homeowner shopping for new siding, you’re allowed to be picky. It’s your home. It’s your time. And it’s your money. You have the right to be choosy about the siding you want, the color you want, and the contractor you want.

As a Central MA siding contractor, we’re also allowed to be picky. It’s our work. It’s our reputation. And you’re our customer. We have the right to obsess over every stud, screw, and nail.

And do we ever. It’s the reason we’re one of the few companies that dedicate a Project Manager to every job—zero exceptions.

Here’s a recent example of how this translates into better results for YOU…

A few months back, one of my James Hardie siding crews wrapped up a couple jobs for a builder. The siding for these projects needed white butt joint flashing, and the crew had some of it left over afterward.

The crew’s next job was for a customer who ordered gray James Hardie siding. Typically, we match the color of the butt joint flashing to the siding. Otherwise, you can sometimes see this flashing between the joints.

The previous contractor used white butt joint flashing, and you can clearly see it in this picture:

James Hardie Siding - Before - White Butt Joint Flashing - Shrewsbury, MA
White butt joint flashing the previous contractor installed

As you’ll notice, the white sticks out like a sore thumb. James Hardie doesn’t actually require color-matched butt joint flashing in their installation guidelines. It’s just one of those above-and-beyond details we choose to do. And you can see why.

Starting Over On Our Own Dime

On installation day, our installers arrived at the customer’s home a few hours prior to Chris, the job’s Project Manager. The crew started putting siding on the side of the garage where the customer parks. Since the white flashing was already in the truck from the previous job—and since it’s within Hardie installation specifications—the crew used that instead of gray flashing that would match the customer’s siding.

The crew had the siding—white butt joint flashing and all—completely installed on that part of the home when Chris pulled in the driveway. Being the perfectionist he is, Chris immediately noticed the flashing wasn’t gray and informed the customer of the “error.” The customer took a look at it and said he didn’t mind.

But Chris did mind.

This was where the homeowner parked his car every day. This wall of siding would be the first thing he saw whenever he pulled in his driveway. While the customer may have been fine with the mismatched flashing now, he may come to regret it 10 or 20 years down the line.

For Chris, that was enough. He told the customer, “You may not mind the white flashing, but trust me—you’ll love the gray flashing.”

With that, the customer agreed to let us install the gray trim coil. So Chris had the crew completely tear down their work and start over. It took about a day to redo and cost us $1,000 out of pocket. But it was worth it—the customer loved the gray a hundred times better than the white.

Here’s a photo of what the gray butt joint flashing looks like…

James Hardie Siding - After - Gray Butt Joint Flashing - Shrewsbury, MA
The gray butt joint flashing we installed.

It seems like such a small detail. But these things make ALL the difference.

This scenario is exactly why we have Project Managers. Though our installers are master craftsmen, it’s critical to have someone supervising the installation to see the whole picture. It’s how we catch even the slightest mistakes and ensure the job is done right the first time.

Get A Quote From Central MA’s Pickiest Siding Contractor

Solid State installation standards are just that—solid. Rigid. Inflexible. Etched in stone.

It’s why we’re the only siding contractor in Central MA with passionate Project Managers and Onsite Supervisors spearheading all of our installations. It’s why we go BEYOND James Hardie installation specifications. And it’s why we’re the only New England contractor ever to receive the James Hardie President’s Club distinction… and do so three times.

Consider yourself picky? Good. We’re pickier. Get in touch, and we can obsess over the details of your siding project together.