A Broken Industry: I’m Sick

Everday problems

The Reality of Residential Construction

We were mid-site meeting with the general contractor, walking through progress, feeling good about the momentum. The framing was nearly wrapped up, and the next phase was ready to roll. Then came the phone call.

“The plumber’s out. He’s really sick.”

At first, it didn’t seem like a big deal. A day or two, maybe? But soon, the reality sank in. The rough-in couldn’t move forward. Without plumbing in place, the framers couldn’t close up walls. The insulation crew, already scheduled, had to be postponed. Then we realized the electrician—the only one available for this phase—was already on vacation. What started as a minor delay quickly turned into a full-blown scheduling nightmare.

One illness had rippled through the entire timeline, pushing everything back by weeks. Rescheduling trades meant juggling tight calendars, negotiating with subcontractors who had other commitments, and trying to find any possible way to regain lost time.

This scenario isn’t uncommon. People get sick, take vacations, or face personal emergencies—it’s a part of life. But in small business construction, there’s rarely anyone available to step in and keep the project moving forward. A single absence can throw off an entire timeline, creating a domino effect that ripples through every trade and every deadline.

The Ripple Effect

In residential construction, most subcontractors operate as small businesses with only one to three people. When someone is sick or unexpectedly unavailable, work stops—not just for that trade but for others who depend on it.

The Ripple Effect
The impact of these delays is significant:

  • Extended Timelines: Homeowners see schedules stretch from six to eight months to six to ten months.

  • Increased Stress: The uncertainty affects not just project timelines but also budgets.

  • Rising Costs: Initial estimates rarely match final costs due to unexpected delays.

This leads us to a key question: How do we solve this?

A Potential Solution

One solution is hiring larger companies with multiple crews to absorb these disruptions. Sometimes that works—but it often comes at a higher cost, and big companies struggle with quality control more than smaller, independent tradespeople. And the reality is, many of the best subcontractors don’t want to work for a big company. They thrive on running their own business, setting their own schedules, and taking pride in their craft.

So what if there was another way? Imagine a network of skilled trades that could step in during absences—a system designed to prevent delays and keep projects moving forward without sacrificing quality or independence.

Right now, we’re identifying the problem and exploring solutions, but we need your help. It’s going to take money, talent, and resources to build something real. If you’ve ever faced this challenge—or have ideas on how to solve it—we want to hear from you. Let’s figure this out together.