Building with Integrity: Why Ethics Matter in Construction

With more than 40 years of hands-on experience in the building industry, I have witnessed a great deal. Some of it is inspiring, some deeply troubling. One of the most persistent and damaging patterns is the tendency for professionals to cover up mistakes or cut corners, often in the name of saving time or money. I have seen this not only on construction sites but throughout corporate offices worldwide. Whether driven by profits or laziness, the results are the same: a structure that may appear fine on the surface but is compromised at its core.

This approach is fundamentally wrong.

Whether you’re building a home, a factory, or an office building, transparency about what you’re creating and how you’re building it is essential to ensure safety, longevity, and trustworthiness.

What Ethical Construction Means

To us, ethical construction is recognizing when something is not right, whether it is a flawed detail or a deviation from the design intent and having the integrity to fix it. It is about doing the right thing, even when no one is watching, and even when it costs more or takes longer.

A good example is a project where a plumbing leak occurred over two years after completion, outside the warranty window. Upon investigation, we discovered a finish carpenter had used a nail that was too long and missed the stud, driving it into the drywall and causing it to just slightly touch, but not puncture, a copper pipe. Over time, the steel nail caused a galvanic reaction, creating a pinhole leak.

We could have easily said, “It’s out of warranty,” but we didn’t. We informed the client precisely what happened, held ourselves accountable, and made the necessary corrections—no charge, no excuses.

This issue has nothing to do with a warranty clause in some contract — it’s about our quality and integrity.

The Cost of Cutting Corners

Not everyone in the construction industry shares this mindset.

In contrast, we hired a framing subcontractor on a separate project, let’s call them SACC. Widely considered the best framers in the business. Their task was to tie a new roof to an existing one. Instead of removing the shingles and properly connecting the new framing directly to the existing, SACC chose to nail the new roof framing structure over the old asphalt shingles.

When our project manager flagged the issue, SACC responded with an excuse that has been used throughout time: “This is how we always do it.”

SACC was wrong; they were cutting corners to focus on their own profit, at the expense of the client and they knew it.

The building inspector failed the SACC framing. SACC then refused to fix their failure without an engineering report. We received the report, verified the issue, and implemented the corrections on behalf of SACC.

SACC is currently involved in a separate $1M+ lawsuit for failing to flash windows properly, ignoring the design drawings, and attempting to circumvent the warranty period without being detected.

Unfortunately, this is how much of our industry operates: the incentive to conceal flaws and maximize profits, even at the expense of quality and safety.

How Flatwater Homes Builds Differently

Flatwater Homes was founded with a simple vision: to change the way residential construction is fundamentally executed. We have learned that many people in this industry did not choose construction as a career; they fell into it. As a result, our peers measure success solely in terms of personal profit.

This is flawed ethics.

A successful project means delivering the design intent, creating an exceptional client experience, and building something that will last for decades when properly maintained.

Flatwater Homes is built around this philosophy. From daily logs and OAC meetings to as-built documentation and post-construction maintenance programs, everything we do is designed to illuminate issues early and fix them before they become problems.

Like sunlight disinfects, transparency prevents defects.

We leverage mock-ups, weekly subcontractor meetings, photos, videos, and ongoing training in project management, leadership, communication, and building science details. We have also published our own building and project management standards, which are shared with all employees and subcontractors.

When Things Go Wrong

When something goes wrong, and it will, don’t hide it — OWN IT.

Tell the client. Explain what happened and fix it. It is usually a two-minute conversation. Don’t charge for rework. Don’t make excuses. Educate the client and the design team, so they understand the issue and the solution and are better prepared for next time.

Never let a good problem go to waste.

A Message to the Industry

Flatwater Homes offers a lifetime guarantee on our new builds because we’re confident in who we are and how we build. We know if we focus on the client, the design, and the quality of our build, then profitability will follow.

Those who focus on their profits will, by default, deliver a product and an experience that is worthy of their 1-year warranty.

This philosophy permeates our culture.

As an athlete, I learned that when you focus solely on winning a gold medal or a World Championship, you will never achieve it.

But when you focus on the daily grind, the training, the technique, the discipline, you will get closer than you ever imagined.

The same is true in construction. By focusing on the client, the design, and the process, our results stand true.