Possible pitfalls when picking up specialty items.
As part of an overview of my more recent columns, I came across a couple of related topics that cried out for further development (Estimator’s Edge, “Cherry Picking,” March 2020 and “Mind Games of General Contractors,” March 2025). They are relevant as they both deal with the likely complications involved with a commercial drywall specialty contractor including work beyond the comfort of his usual scope.
Specialty contractors are all too often encouraged (coaxed or cajoled) by general contractors to tack specialty work onto the drywall contract when their own dance card turns up with some empty slots. Not that specialty contractors and their estimator counterparts are innocent victims of this potential ruse.
The advantages of adding complementary services to broaden our scope may or may not be a positive opportunity after all. Scheduling benefits and partial overlap of scope are possible advantages that can be realized with inclusion.
A list of these specialty items might include ornamental precast trims, wood ceilings, acoustical panels, glass fiber reinforced gypsum (GFRG) shapes and panels, stretch fabric ceilings, structural steel, ornamental iron, wall coverings, flashings, thermal insulation—and the list goes on, infinitely.
Of course, in the interest of brevity, we will include only what we consider the most common or most relevant examples of specialty items that may cross a commercial drywall estimator’s path.
Ornamental Precast Trims
While this may not be what you would expect to be a common item, it is one that tends to arise as a candidate for inclusion within the commercial drywall scope. General contractors often find deficiencies like these in their contracts and gaps in their prescriptive buyouts. They may have exhausted a list of reliable specialty contractors and often have little direct familiarity with precast components or performance details.
In any case, a drywall contractor, on accepting this scope item, will be dealing with the typical issues of uniformity of coloration and potential issues with fasteners.
Regarding coloration, cement mixes can vary, and performance often depends on location of components, as much as anything. For example, a field band may seem uniform in color until placed with a cornice row at a much higher elevation—or even on a separate portion of a building entirely.
The best way to keep coloration of precast components uniform is to review product samples as they come produced and to keep recorded approval of samples within sets of units. In addition to the drywall sub doing constant quality assurance, he must coordinate approval of samples with the design team and general contractor.
Another possible stumbling block with including precast units lies with fasteners, which tend to vary greatly with the discretion of the precast producer/supplier. Fasteners may be supplied in the form of wires, clips or screws or a combined assembly.
Placement of units will require the drywall contractor sub to basically learn a specialized fabrication skill to perform the installation. In contending with another possible curveball, precast fasteners are often included by a separate supplier from the unit provider.
As with all components, fasteners will be coordinated with a fully functional submittal process that allows consistent review.
A drywall contractor saddled with the task of providing production and installation of precast units has his work cut out for him, and then some.
GFRG Shapes and Panels
Like precast decorative trims, glass fiber reinforced gypsum (GFRG) panels and shapes are frequent specialty candidates for inclusion in the commercial drywall scope of work. General contractors will often justify their connection as contiguous with the framing and drywall package. While their addition has its advantages, specialty contractors should be cautious about their shortcomings.
While shapes and panel installations can reduce schedule durations significantly, handling can be problematic. Shapes tend to be quite fragile, and their inherent brittleness invites breakage. In addition, GFRG is moisture sensitive, and prone to water damage. Although the product can be quite costly, it would behoove an astute drywaller to include several replacement units to ensure against unacceptable downtime for damage repair.
Wood Ceilings
If only for sheer aesthetics, wood ceilings are an attractive addition to any commercial construction project. Unfortunately, they present a couple of possible pitfalls that could make their inclusion downright prohibitive.
First, the high cost to produce the material demands that the supplier require payment up front to begin the milling process. Owners tend to balk at billings of over 50% or more before product delivery. This could lead the specialty contractor to carry the cost and become “the bank” in the interim, a serious obstacle by any reckoning. This leads to another delivery issue. Most wood ceiling components must be acclimatized before installation, due to potential swelling or shrinkage. The product must be stored on site until it reaches a predetermined humidity rating, which could take weeks to achieve and can present a scheduling nightmare.
Takeaways
These are just a few of the possible issues that can befall a commercial drywall contractor if they are beguiled into accepting a contract that includes specialty items. Astute specialty contractors and their estimating counterparts would do well in such cases to recall the Latin phrase, caveat emptor (let the buyer beware).
