The day has come. The construction is substantially complete. After frantic walkthroughs, a hairy TCO (temporary certificate of occupancy) process, and movers all over the place, the client has just moved in to their new space. We can all sit and relax now, right? WRONG. This is the point where people who have been committed to a long-term relationship begin splitting up. Suddenly, no one is as interested as they used to be. The architect is complaining about the punchlist not being done, the Construction Manager is burned out, there’s a mountain of paperwork to go through, everyone is tired. This happens on every project. Suddenly, it just doesn’t seem like fun any more.

Now is the time for an entire project team to take a step back and see where they are at. Despite the fact that the Architect has to move on to a new project and the Construction Manager’s Project Manager is only on half time, there’s a list of important questions to be answered:

        How do the Mechanical Systems operate?
        How does the security system work?
        Do we have to do the entire punch list, or just most of it?
        Are all the warranties in someone’s hand?
        Is there a stash of change orders hiding in someone’s closet?
        What about the final Certificate of Occupancy?

Throughout this process patience is a short commodity. As with all breakups, there is a sense that some people would rather be elsewhere; but everyone has to come together to settle the uncomfortable stuff. Clear the air, start fresh with everyone, and by no means lose your temper.