Joseph Ward General Contractor Company Profile

oseph Ward of Joseph Ward Contractors in Concord, California, is a third-generation builder who grew up on a farm in County Galway, Ireland. Joe's grandfather was the first generation Ward builder; he built banks and hotels all over Ireland. When he passed away, Joe's father inherited the family farm, and his brother, Joe's uncle, took over the building company. Though Joe and his own brother grew up working on the family farm, they also built barns and structures all over the property that had neighboring farmers clamoring for their services. Joe Ward was born into the building trade.

California Dreamin'
As a young man, Joe left Ireland to visit California for a few weeks "for the weather" (Perhaps California's motto should be: Come for the weather, stay for life!). He liked California so much that he stayed on, got his contractor's license, and opened his own contracting company in Concord in 1993. As a builder specializing in "green" building remodels for homes and businesses, Joe enjoys helping people remodel and retrofit their homes with the most environmentally responsible materials available. As he says, "Remodeling is probably the best money you can spend, because you get the joy of it while you live in the home, and then you get a higher price when you decide to sell. And of course, an environmentally sound approach is a boon all around and a great selling point."

Visual Imagination as a Builder's Tool
Joseph Ward has an unusual skill, which is that he can develop a fully detailed image of each client's finished remodeling project in his head. For instance, Joe can look at an existing kitchen layout, and after careful consultation with his clients on their plans, wishes, favorite appliances, traffic patterns, colors and materials, he can actually imagine the finished kitchen in his head. Once he sees the finished image, Joe can "walk back from it" in his mind and create the most efficient path through the project. With the finished project in his mind's eye, Joe can easily can identify the possible obstacles, gauge the time needed for each task, choose the best materials, and, most importantly, avoid the snafus that tend to plague many remodeling jobs. This ability has helped Joe become an excellent problem solver who can think on his feet and plan projects that are as hassle-free as possible.

Joe's ability to visualize in this way helps him communicate clearly with each client about what the work will entail, which helps ease the difficulties that living in the midst of a remodel might otherwise create. Joe knows what it's like to live in the middle of a construction project, and he is very conscientious about keeping the noise and debris confined and manageable. He also makes sure that at the end of each work day, the entire house is organized and ready for the clients to have a peaceful evening. "It takes a lot of time to train workers to take the extra ten minutes to close all the gates and doors, make sure the pets are where they should be and organize all the tools," Joe says, "but it's what makes all the difference. It's not so much what you do as how you do it. You want to always make things easy and comfortable for the client."

As he looks to the future, Joe wants to increase his business to make room for his own son, James, who works with him and is studying construction management at Sacramento State University and Diablo Valley College. James is now the fourth generation Ward builder to carry on the family tradition of quality work.

The philosophy of Joseph Ward Contracting is simple; it's about quality work, caring, respect and communication. Joe connects with his clients, provides excellent service, cares for their property and respects their privacy. His reward is that clients call him back, time and time again, to create new projects.

---Karla Rutherford
Staff Writer
The Prime Buyer's Report