LLStyle Story: TV Show Home Project? Ask the Expert Construction Manager Nicholas Nygaard
One reason we love watching building and remodeling shows on TV is seeing a complicated project come together quickly. In a half hour, you get the design, demo, building, and a beautiful new home revealed at the end.
One reason we love watching building and remodeling shows on TV is seeing a complicated project come together quickly. In a half hour, you get the design, demo, building, and a beautiful new home revealed at the end.
Of course, it’s not so simple when the cameras aren’t rolling. These projects take extraordinary coordination to stay on track and on budget. For today’s Ask The Expert, we’re dropping in on a construction manager to ask how the magic happens.
Nicholas Nygaard manages building and remodeling projects in Minneapolis for Fox Homes, the builder featured on HGTV’s Stay Or Sell. Nygaard talked to LL Style about his path to the business, what makes a construction manager successful, and a recent project.
LL: How did you become a construction manager?
Nicholas Nygaard: I only started in construction after my wife and I moved to Minnesota in 2018. I started working full-time as a framing carpenter and, after work, took full-time evening classes at Dunwoody College of Technology to tailor my previous management experiences to the construction industry. I did that for two years, framed for three-and-a-half, had a little time in commercial, then came back to residential and I found Fox Homes and they hired me on.
LL: What’s your average day like? What does it take to be successful in your position?
NN: It's busy. You are always juggling the many items your role entails, trying to stay ten steps ahead at all times to keep everything moving forward the way it should.
When I'm in the office, I’m sending emails; I'm also making phone calls to sub-contractors, either on-site or getting one geared up to start. When I'm in the field, I'm looking at progress, quality and mentally preparing a list of what's coming up, making sure we are ready for that next step.
My goal is always to alleviate as much headache as possible by making sure we are prepared for the other sub-contractors. I'm also monitoring the schedule daily and trying to find any gaps where I might be able to overlap trades to either make up time or deliver a project earlier than planned. Life in a project management role is a continual balancing act.
LL: So what makes the grind worthwhile?
NN: I am a people person; I always have been. That’s why I wanted to get into construction, so I could make a difference in our clients’ lives. When I was a carpenter, I'd walk onto the field and say to the guys "Let's build a home together.” This is how I have always viewed my role, no matter what it is. I am part of building a home, not just a house.
Let's be real: buying a home is a big deal in anyone's life. So I enjoy construction for many reasons—because it is personal; it is life changing; it is building memories, and it is making someone's dream come true.
LL: What skills does a good construction manager need to have?
NN: Managing residential construction projects starts with properly understanding your client's goals and expectations for their project, and then communicating well to them as a result. As a contractor, being in tune with their wants and needs, and the things that are particularly important to them will help the project to go smoother overall.
You have to become really good at the Listen and Learn sessions, or L&Ls as I like to say. Starting off on the right foot with the clients will make the bumps throughout the process seem trivial because you have established trust by demonstrating your ability to listen and (hopefully) respond appropriately to whatever was shared.
LL: It sounds like communication is key to this job.
NN: Adapting to each client's way of communicating is key in being successful. For example, one client may not say anything about how frustrated they are for the duration of the project, whereas another will vocalize every issue no matter how small. Another example, one might make fast decisions on material selections and ask questions. Others might drag out decisions, internalize questions and not communicate their thoughts. There are so many situations on projects that are tied back to the way people communicate and it is completely different from job to job.
LL: Tell us about a recent project that stands out in your mind.
NN: I worked on an old 1924 South Minneapolis home where we performed an addition to the north side of the home. The project included a two-car garage with a master suite addition above. One of the unique features of this space was the master bathroom which had a master shower with a bathtub inside, behind large glass panels.
This project was particularly fun to be a part of because the bathtub/shower combo in one wet space is a relatively new concept so additional considerations had to be made in order to adequately plan for water drainage. The homeowners were thrilled with it considering the space constraints we had, yet we also gave the shower this grandeur presence in the home, so I'd say it was perfectly executed.
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