Contractor Stories

Most of the project is paved with larger scale Belgard Arbel pavers (brown). But for a transition to a steeper slope down to the water, Dan’s crew chose Belgard Belgian Cobble pavers (gray) which fit in nicely.

Jobs up to 3 hours away can be worth it

By Tom Hatlen

“I have another one coming up for you. I’m planning on lots of pavers.” That was the call fielded by Dan Hughes, President of Segmental Systems, Inc. 1 year and a half in advance of the projected project start time.

The new project was remote, about 30 miles (as the crow flies) from the Canadian border and 2.5 hours from Dan’s home base near Spokane, WA. So, 5 hours round trip for client meetings, 5 hours weekly round trip x 6 crewmembers, 3 hotel rooms (2 to a room) x 4 days each week and meals. The site was also 30 minutes each way from the nearest hotel.

Project Profile

Segmental Systems, Inc.

Otis Orchards, WA
Founded 1992
Dan Hughes, President

Project Designer

Collaborative effort between the client, Segmental Systems, the excavator and Spokane Landscaping & Maintenance

Project Manager

The client with substantial contractor input

Project value

(including both in-house and subcontracted work)
$155,000 (7.5% of that was travel costs)

Size of installation

10,000 sf

In-house work

Final base prep, bedding sand, pavers, granite steps

Work done by others

Landscaping: Spokane Landscaping & Maintenance, Mark Lamp & Lori Cates
Excavation, rock walls, rock steps & rough gravel base prep: Kelly Lynch

Construction timeframe

Start date 10/3/22
Completion date 10/20/22

Man hours

Construction - 610
Travel - 120

Services

100% hardscape

Annual sales

$2 million

Employees

6 field (includes Dan), 1 office

At just under 10,000 sf, the project took 3 weeks to complete at a price of $155,000. $11,830 of that was travel related ($7,680 hotel, $2,650 travel & $1,500 meals).

The client would have been paying substantial travel expenses to get any qualified contractor out to this remote site. But he wanted Segmental Systems.

Dan says, “I've done so much work for him over the past 25 years that nobody else was even given an opportunity to bid. We did a couple cabins for him on Lake Coeur d’Alene, ID, his house in Spokane, WA and his engineering/fabrication business in Spokane.

“We were halfway done with this project before he even asked me how much it was likely to cost.” Dan ballparked a price and the client didn’t blink an eye.

Building trust

This was a job based more on trust than on executing a plan. Dan says from the first on-site meeting with the client, “There was no real plan; just some concepts and ideas. He relied on us to enhance his ideas and make it better.”

A week into the project Dan was looking at a circle of pavers designed into the entry drive. “Then it occurred to me, we can complement that with a large W, the 1st letter of the client’s last name. That would be pretty spectacular."

Dan pitched the idea to the client’s son in law who was co-spearheading the project. He loved the idea, even with the additional cost including a 6-hour road trip for 1 of the crewmen to pick up a different color of polymeric sand to make the design complete.

They worked to keep it a secret until the end when the surprise brought tears to the client’s eyes. Dan knows his clients.

In another area, the crew introduced a smaller, charcoal colored paver that wasn’t part of the planning discussions. Dan says, “That was another pleasant surprise for the customer.

“I've been doing this work for 30 years, and this job actually kind of reinvigorated me. We do a lot of commercial work where we're handed a plan and we just build what's on the plan. And this one, having free rein to do what we wanted – that was nice.”

Travel specifics

In a typical year the Segmental Systems crew travels out of the area for 3 or 4 jobs. Dan says, “3 hours each way is about the max for most jobs. Once I get outside that radius, it starts to become not cost-effective compared to more local contractors that don't have those travel expenses.”

The project involved just under 10,000 sf of pavers for a patio, walkways and a drive on a lake in Idaho just below the Canadian border. The new cabin is in the center, bunk house on the left, guest cabin on the right.

To make travel easier on the crew, Dan typically schedules 4 ten-hour days and they drive back on Thursday nights for a 3-day weekend. “We try to knock out a little bit more than 10 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday so we can get out of there a little earlier on Thursday. But this job was in October so we were working basically dawn till dusk because we only had about 10 hours of daylight.”

“We put 2 guys to a room and then I pay for all their meals. In this case we were so far away from anyplace, I brought barbecue sandwiches to the job site for lunch. Back at the hotel, there was a handful of little restaurants. We go out to dinner and everybody orders within reason off the menu.”

Dan says clients are willing to pay substantial travel expenses for the level of expertise they get from Segmental Systems. Segmental Systems specializes in hardscape and they’re good at it. Their team won the national HNA Installer Competition 3 years in a row. Most of the crew has been with Dan for years. “I sell our work based on our education and credentials vs. the cost of the project.”