For many co-op and condo owners, watching the work crews arrive and the scaffolding ascend into the sky is akin to seeing the storm clouds gather on the horizon. They can be a harbinger of dark days to come, filled with noise, dust and inconvenience.

For too many co-op and condo residents, the thought of construction brings out the gloom. And that’s too bad, because if handled properly, the inconvenience of a construction or renovation project should be more akin to a light spring shower rather than a raging summer storm. With the right attitude and the right preparation, the process can be relatively painless—and that’s good news for residents, boards and managers alike.

First off, it’s important to know ahead of time which construction jobs have the potential to cause the biggest problems for a building and its residents. The worst projects, says Patricia Garbutt of Manhattan’s Elite Construction Consultants, Ltd., are masonry and façade repair, window replacements, elevator upgrades and hallway or lobby renovations.

“Masonry is noisy with a lot of dust, and it can be a problem for an entire floor—as well as the floors above and below,” she says. Lobby renovations can cause disruption as well, with sidewalk sheds, dust, dirt and noise. Elevator repairs cause inconvenience, obviously by limiting service—never a good thing at rush hour.

“Residents need to include the added wait time as part of their commute,” Garbutt says. And while window replacements do not affect an entire building concurrently, they can still be an issue for unit owners who have to change their schedules to accommodate work crews, move furniture, and make other interior preparations for the work to proceed smoothly.

Talk it Out

Once the board and manager know what they might be facing, it is imperative to design a plan of attack, so to speak, to conquer the potential problems. To this end, knowledge, as always, is power. “Communication is key,” says Anita Sapirman, owner of Saparn Realty Inc., a Manhattan-based management firm. “Boards and managers need to always inform residents of the plan. As soon as the board comes up with the construction plan, they should share it with the residents. They should continuously communicate and tell people what the timeline is so that everyone is part of the plan and no one feels left out.”

When it comes to any construction project, especially the real potential headache jobs such as façade replacement, elevator repair and lobby renovations, there should be no surprises for residents. “You don’t want men to show up unexpectedly outside someone’s window one morning,” Sapirman says. That kind of shock is not a good thing, and it will lead to bad feelings before a project is even fully underway.

Keeping residents apprised throughout the project will eliminate any shock and likely will create more understanding. Garbutt agrees with Sapirman that communication is probably the single biggest factor in whether a major job goes off without a hitch. “Board and managing agents should send out information as early as possible,” she says. “There should be weekly or daily memos either to the building as a whole or to the people affected. Information boards with floor plans and a schedule also should be on display.”

Good communication also means honesty. While sometimes the news on big construction projects can be painful, it is always better to bite the bullet in the beginning rather than waiting until things go wrong to inform residents. “You have to share the good news and the bad news,” Garbutt says. “That’s one mistake that people make—trying to keep the bad news to themselves.” Information is important for residents, she says, because it “makes people feel more in control.” And perhaps most important of all, it stops gossip and misinformation before it can start. If people do not have accurate information, “residents will start their own rumors.”

It is also imperative that all of the information shared with residents is realistic and accurate. Creating a good working relationship between the board, manager, contractor and engineer means that accurate timelines will be established behind closed doors before that information is disseminated among residents. Building that trust will pay off in the long run.

Manhattan-based co-op and construction attorney C. Jaye Berger issues a word of warning, however, when it comes to information sharing: make sure residents know who is in control. “It is certainly appropriate to tell people that there will be scaffolding outside the building,” she says. “But if you say, ‘we hope to use ABC Contractors, is that okay with you?’ you will never get the job done. There is a reason that board members are on the board: they were put there to make decisions.”

Maintaining a firm hold on the situation and letting residents know that the board is in control and in command will minimize problems and help create a sense of trust between the board and the unit owners.

Nip it in the Bud

Anticipating the needs of residents also can ease the stress of the average construction project. One of the biggest undertakings—elevator repair—provides a perfect example of what can be done to show unit owners that management and the board are looking out for them.

According to Sapirman, when an elevator was being replaced in one of the buildings she manages, “[We] worked together with handicapped residents and seniors to create a buddy system with kids in the building who would do chores for them so that they would not have to take the stairs.” She and her staff determined who the people in the building were who might need help and then reached out to them directly with a solution for their problems.

Sapirman also adds that providing accurate timelines and schedules also can help make life easier for residents by giving them the option of finding other accommodations during lengthy projects. “We had a 100-year-old elevator replaced in one of our buildings,” she says. “It was a major job, so some people moved out. But we had a real time frame in place so that people knew when it was going to happen and could make plans.”

Little things, too, can make a difference in showing residents that management cares. Garbutt suggests sending out memos to remind people how to protect their possessions in the event of major building work. With façade repairs and all the pounding and vibrations they can entail, it helps to remind folks that they should remove the pictures from their walls or take down valuable items that may be on display. It is far better to take the time to help a tenant protect things that are important to them rather than try to make up for damage later.

Starting Out Right

The best way, of course, to deal with a problem is to avoid having one at all. Launching a repair or restoration project successfully means having the right team in place. “Have an architect or an engineer on your team do a set of drawings and document what areas will be repaired,” Berger says.

One mistake a lot of boards make is to “try to save money and just get, say, a waterproofing contractor and then think that person will know what is needed. They won’t.” And worst of all, no document will exist detailing what this contractor was supposed to do.

Nickel-and-diming a project will never pay off, Berger says. “Buildings are always lured by the lowest price. That doesn’t mean company is the best or most appropriate.” Often, the person with the lowest price issues that estimate because they have a different perspective or do not fully understand the scope and scale of the job.

Every project needs to start out with detailed drawings and documents. “Parameters need to be defined as clearly as possible,” Garbutt says. “Spell out specific work hours, days, schedules, dates of completion. Offer a bonus or a penalty to get the work completed when expected. What happens a lot is that a board will not have a contract with specific dates listed. When something goes wrong, they think they can sue, but that can’t happen if nothing was in writing.”

It also helps, Garbutt says, to map out unit prices for extra work that might be encountered. That way, if a disagreement arises, the contractor can not hold up the job until a new price is agreed upon. By detailing everything up front, there are no surprises.

Boards and managers can ensure that all the i’s are dotted and the t’s crossed by including their staff lawyer on the team. “Before you enter into a contract, you want to have your lawyer review the documents,” Berger says. “And it should be a lawyer familiar with the construction industry.” An attorney, alongside the building manager, also will help make sure that the contractor has proper insurance to cover any and all damage.

Owners representatives also can help significantly, Garbutt says. “We make sure that the owners’ interests are always being protected.” They do so by reviewing contracts and bids, overseeing changes that are made over the course of a project and making sure that everyone involved is on the same page.

The best results will be achieved by allowing everyone on the team to do his or her own job. “Don’t use your managing agent as your architect,” Berger says. “That is not what they are supposed to be doing.” Let the contractor do his job, which will include getting permits and ensuring that all local codes are being met, and let the architect, the attorney, the landscaper and anyone else involved plow ahead with what they know best. “Don’t cut corners,” Berger adds.

With proper planning, sensitivity and a high-quality team, construction and renovation projects should not be too painful. While planning and execution can be time-consuming, patience-trying and sometimes very, very messy, the end result will be an improved living environment. When it is all done, the new lobby or the eye-catching new façade will be an accomplishment that everyone involved can look on with pride.

Liz Lent is a freelance writer and a frequent contributor to The Cooperator.