Kelowna, British Columbia
I live in the Okanagan and build all over BC.
I'm James Zago, a professional engineer and the owner of Zago Contracting in Kelowna. I spend my days delivering projects, building better ways to execute, and enjoying life.
Three fronts
The firm, the platform, the field notes.
Three connected efforts with one goal: efficiently deliver high quality projects, build better tools, and pass on the lessons learned.
Zago Contracting
General Contracting, Construction Management, Project Management Consulting, and Owners Rep work across BC, from public infrastructure to commercial and residential. You imagine it. We build it.
zagocontracting.caGridWork In beta
End-to-end construction management software working for you to make data entry a thing of the past. Bid. Build. Close.
gridwork.caThe blog
Lessons from real projects, written for builders, owners, and anyone curious how construction actually gets done.
Latest writingSelected work
Construction Projects.
From a subtidal sheet pile wall on the Pacific Ocean to a hospital on Great Slave Lake and everything in between. Here is a selection of projects I have had the pleasure of being a part of.
Removal and replacement of the existing curtain wall system, structural wood upgrades to support the new assembly, and restoration of interior perimeter finishes.
East-side visitor facilities addition at Nat Bailey Stadium: new washroom, food prep, and laundry facilities.
86-unit, two-building mixed-use in the Lake Stone community overlooking Lake Okanagan: pool, hot tub, CRU spaces.
Full seismic upgrade, mechanical heating and domestic water upgrade, electrical and fire alarm, re-roof, new millwork and finishes.
121 residential units plus 37,000 sq ft of commercial space across four buildings over a shared parkade.
Ferry terminal subtidal concrete wall and riprap, recurve wave wall, drainage and pump station.
Six-storey build of 61 self-contained modular units atop a site-built concrete podium.
Five structural steel parkades at SkyTrain and West Coast Express stations.
110-bed hospital renewal: three state-of-the-art operating rooms, six dialysis stations, and biomass boilers as the main heat source.
Five-building bus facility renovation: envelopes, re-roofing, curtain wall replacement, and safe-use upgrades for natural gas buses.
From small interior shops to large commercial box stores, set to be a Signature BC Liquor, Saks Off 5th, and more.
2 km of Trans-Canada widening for dual left-turn lanes, with underground pipe work under live traffic.
1 km widened from two lanes to four: underground utilities, median with turning lanes, traffic lights, landscaping.
Blog
Lessons Learned, Opinions, and Knowledge shared.
Lessons from the field, opinions on where the industry is headed, and the details worth passing on. Browse by theme, or by CSI division.
Site Planning. What do you consider?
Space, traffic, safety, and buried utilities: the playbook for laying out a jobsite.
How Do You Write a Scope of Work?
Precise scopes, marked-up drawings, and superintendent buy-in.
Contracts! Design-Bid-Build Pros and Cons
CCDC 2 from both sides of the table, and how I run a stipulated price job.
Commissioning. What is it?
Testing a building like a child's toy: the process from plan to sign-off.
Creating a Safety Culture
Leadership commitment, positive reinforcement, and regular inspections.
Concrete - The World's Second Most Used Substance!
Mix designs decoded: cement, aggregates, air content, exposure classes.
Shotcrete Shoring
How soil anchors and shotcrete hold back an excavation.
Fire Alarm Verification; it shouldn't be a black box
What CAN/ULC-S537 verification actually involves.
Asphalt Shingle Roofs: What are they and what you should know.
Materials, installation, and maintenance, learned hands-on.
Let's Build a Pool
Watertight boxes and busy piping: building an aquatic centre pool.
BIM: The Game Changer in Cutting Construction Costs
How model-first coordination cuts cost, clashes, and rework.
Path to Project Management
Routes into construction management and the skills that matter.
The Value of Getting Your Hands Dirty
Why time spent on the tools makes a better project manager.
Let's start a company!
The first steps of building my own firm.
Path to Project Management
From Lego cranes to running projects: the routes into construction management and the skills that matter.
Read →Let's start a company!
The first steps of building my own firm: the name, the accountant, the lawyer, the logo.
Read →BIM: The Game Changer in Cutting Construction Costs
How model-first coordination cuts cost, clashes, and rework, and where AI takes it next.
Read →Creating a Safety Culture
Leadership commitment, positive reinforcement, and regular inspections: making safety a habit on site.
Read →The Value of Getting Your Hands Dirty
Why time spent on the tools makes a better project manager.
Read →Contracts! Design-Bid-Build Pros and Cons
CCDC 2 from both sides of the table, and how I run a stipulated price job.
Read →How Do You Write a Scope of Work?
Precise scopes, marked-up drawings, and superintendent buy-in: settling disputes before award, not after.
Read →Site Planning. What do you consider?
Space, traffic, safety, and buried utilities: the playbook for laying out a jobsite.
Read →Commissioning. What is it?
Testing a building like a child's toy: the commissioning process from plan to sign-off.
Read →Concrete - The World's Second Most Used Substance!
Mix designs decoded: cement, aggregates, air content, exposure classes, and what that F is for.
Read →Asphalt Shingle Roofs: What are they and what you should know.
Materials, installation technique, and maintenance, learned hands-on re-roofing my own house.
Read →Let's Build a Pool
Watertight boxes and busy piping: the fundamentals of building an aquatic centre pool.
Read →Fire Alarm Verification; it shouldn't be a black box
What CAN/ULC-S537 verification actually involves, and how a GC should prepare for it.
Read →Shotcrete Shoring
How soil anchors and shotcrete hold back an excavation, and when to pick a different system.
Read →Testimonials
What clients and colleagues say.
Zago Contracting, led by James Zago and his team, has been a reliable and professional construction management firm, successfully executing multiple projects for Smith Brothers & Wilson (BC) Ltd. Through clear communication and skilled management of scope, schedule, and cost control, Zago Contracting consistently ensures that projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the highest standards.
From a subtrades perspective, working with Zago Contracting has consistently been a positive experience. Their organization, communication, and overall construction knowledge set them apart within the industry. Horizon Contracting Group would confidently recommend Zago Contracting to clients, consultants, and industry partners seeking a capable and reliable construction team.
James' attention to detail and knowledge of the construction industry assisted us in executing a difficult project through a tight time constraint.
Our team had the privilege working alongside James on a major construction project throughout 2022-2024. His clear communication coupled with his extensive construction experience and adaptive leadership skills ensured a seamless project execution. James would be an asset in any major construction project.
James had an unwavering commitment to safety and continuously provided valuable input on safety initiatives for our Health & Safety program. His support was paramount for our 2+ year project to close out without a single lost time incident occurring.
James Zago and Kyle Casey from Bird were great team players and presented themselves in the highest professional manner. I would not hesitate to recommend Bird as a contractor.
James is one of the most on point people I know - very bright and always willing to help. This rare mix of leadership and selflessness sets a great example for the rest of the team.
James was very thorough, informative and organized. I would not hesitate to recommend Zago Contracting for your project.
Contact
Building something in BC?
Whether it's a project, the software, or just a conversation about how construction gets done, my inbox is open.