DHA
Construction Management

The roof project was on schedule and on budget. The board still got 40 angry emails in week one. Nobody complained about the roof — they complained about the porta-john next to the mailboxes. Here's something commercial construction never has to deal with: your project site is also 200 people's home. They didn't choose the project schedule, they can't relocate for it, and they will absolutely tell you how it's going. Most of the friction on an HOA project doesn't come from th

Most HOA construction headaches don't begin on the job site. They begin in a meeting that happened well, happened badly, or never happened at all. After bid leveling, after the contract is signed, after everyone has shaken hands and felt good about the selection — there is one more moment that quietly determines how the next several months will go. It's the pre-construction meeting. And in my experience, it's the most underused tool an HOA board has to prevent the surprises t

Most HOA boards celebrate when the contractor packs up and leaves. The smart ones know the project isn't actually over — and the next 90 days will determine whether you got what you paid for. Closeout is the most underestimated phase of any HOA construction project. By the time you're nine months into a roof replacement, exterior repaint, or major concrete job, everyone is exhausted. Residents are tired of the noise. The board is tired of the meetings. The contractor is ready

If you've ever organized a kitchen remodel, coordinated a neighborhood event, or managed a team at work, you might feel like you have a pretty good handle on project management. And in everyday life, that instinct serves you well. But when it comes to a six-figure HOA construction project — a full roof replacement, a concrete restoration, a community-wide repaint — the gap between common-sense organizing and professional project management is wider than most people realize. I

My wife and I bought our dream home from a major production builder, excited for a fresh start in a beautiful community. I cared deeply about where we lived, so I joined the HOA board as a volunteer. Then reality hit: We discovered significant construction defects. As homeowners, we felt taken advantage of—frustrated, helpless, and unsure where to turn. I stepped up to lead our association through a full construction defect claim, and later, the complex remediation process to

Picture this: It’s the early '80s, and while most of my days revolved around being a normal kid—rushing to baseball practice, hanging out with friends, and enjoying summer freedom—I'd squeeze in part-time hours on the jobsite with my dad, a general contractor, heading out to build homes in the mountains of Colorado. I remember many things but one thing vividly about those days: how insanely fast my dad and his team of super carpenters were at hand-nailing 16d nails. They'd oc