How to maintain a relationship with your clients’ neighbors

The construction industry tends to focus on forming and maintaining great relationships with clients. And although client relationships should be a high priority, have you ever stopped to think about their neighbors?

Building a new home or tackling a remodeling project can be – well – loud and dusty! And let’s be real: Listening to screeching saws, pounding hammers and nail guns for a couple months or more isn’t ideal. That’s exactly why forming and maintaining a good relationship with your clients’ neighbors should be a top priority. Being on good terms with them will help build trust, show respect and can even land you future jobs.

For more insight, we reached out to construction pro Ryan Jenkins of Tass Construction Group in New South Wales, Australia. Ryan makes a point to initiate and sustain professional relationships with the neighbors at the start of every project.

Check out his tips on how to establish and maintain good relationships with neighbors during your construction jobs. You can also listen to his episode on “The Building Code” for more pointers.

Why is it important to maintain a good relationship with the neighbors of your job site?

My role as supervisor is to keep the clients happy and the neighbors happy. By doing so, the job and the service I produce speaks for itself. At Tass Construction Group, we build houses in high-density areas and tight-knit communities around Sydney, so it’s imperative to our projects to keep the neighbors happy.  

As builders we need to show empathy for the neighbors. It wouldn’t be easy having a construction site next to your home for a number of months with high levels of noise constantly, contractors parking and taking up the streets and deliveries and equipment operation taking place in the street. This is their home and neighborhood where they should find comfort, safety and solace – not be intimidated or inconvenienced by power tools, heavy machinery and contractors on the job site next door.

Nonetheless having a job site next to your house is a disruption and inconvenience. So, if I can help make it any less of an inconvenience to them, I will.

How do you communicate this to your team and subcontractors?

Our team and subcontractors are well aware that the neighbors are just as important as the client. I speak with my foreman and team on a weekly basis to ensure we are:

• Sustaining a high level of property protection to the neighboring properties
• Being personable with the neighbors, greeting them and being polite when seen
• Being transparent with the neighbors and notifying them if there will be a disruption such as noise, deliveries, street blockages or dusty work

Being personable with the neighbors at the forefront allows them the capacity to be able to come to me if there’s a problem or issue, which I would then pass on to the correct personnel.

What suggestions do you have for maintaining good neighbor relationships?

• Personally knock on their door a few weeks prior to commencement and give them a commencement letter and your business card. Ask them if they had any concerns and take note of those concerns.
• Give them an update visit, call or email every couple weeks to let them know where you are with your work and what work will be taking place over the coming weeks.
• Make sure your onsite team greets them and is polite at all times.
• Remember that this is intimidating and an inconvenience for them, so show empathy and work with them to make it as hassle free as possible.

Can building relationships with neighbors lead to new jobs?

We have had a number of jobs where we end up working on the neighboring home after the completion of the project. We have also had neighbors offer to give written reviews we can publish on our social accounts and website.

Let us help you maintain those important relationships

We’ve got tools that can help you maintain great relationships with your clients and their neighbors. Give your clients access to the Customer Portal and easily set scheduled reminders for regular check-ins with the neighbors.

If you’re considering Buildertrend and want to learn more about all the top-notch features and services we have to offer, schedule a demo today!

About The Author

Chelsea Cole Chelsea Cole is a senior content marketing specialist at Buildertrend