The last few years have been anything but kind to the commercial construction industry, especially the Specialty Contractors they employ. Specialty Contractors are being forced to re-evaluate and modify everyday operations to adjust to the volatile economic market that is threatening their demand.
Opportunities are few and far between these days, and every opportunity, big or small must be considered. For the majority of commercial Subcontractor Rights To Payment companies, their futures appear murky, at best. Businesses that have been opened decades long are most concerned of the looming future of the employment of Specialty Workers.
Through desperate efforts to stay in business, contractors are forced to take uncharacteristic jobs and must now scramble to stay competitive and profitable. Plenty of contractors have to cut their staff in half, or more, to merely survive. Even worse, several sectors of commercial industries are still in the midst of a downward spiral. A commercial construction stand still is often the best case scenario for some struggling businesses.
Timelines, deadlines, and budgets are all shrinking. Stress is more palpable, the workload is more demanding, and the competition more fierce than ever. Like all industries, success is measured by supply and demand. Right now there is just no demand for specialty contractors in commercial construction.
For example, Las Vegas and its commercial Northern Construction Palmer Ma commitments in the last few years have been severely affected by the commercial construction drought. At one point they were building as far as the eye could see, littering the strip with hotels, shops, restaurants, casinos.
With the huge lack of demand and vulnerable economy, the projects have only created thousands of square feet of vacant space. Commercial vacancies which include office space, retail space, etc., are all experiencing record highs. Las Vegas’ surplus of commercial space is so large that some predict the next project won’t take place for another decade.
Credit issues are another factor endangering specialty contractors. The criteria necessary for approval for large credit lines has become much more stringent and has proven to be a huge obstacle. Less credit approvals contribute to the decline in commercial construction and payment for work is significantly more challenging to collect. Combine the lack of demand with a volatile economy, and then compound that with the mounting credit issues. Most will be confronted with the grim reality of the challenges the industry will face to recover for years to come.
Many specialty contractors are coping by trying to be more aggressive and pursuing every possible lead or bid. Now their goals are just trying to maintain a workload to keep employees busy.
If anything positive emerged from the declining commercial construction industry, it yielded plenty of experienced, qualified specialty contractors enthusiastic to work. The few that are afforded the luxury should take advantage of each opportunity and maximize efforts by creating a strong sustainable team for success.
The decline in commercial construction is seriously endangering specialty contractors and their livelihood. With each project that launches, it is …
contractors
Four Construction Apps That Will Make Any Contractor’s Life Easier
Being a lead contractor means that you often have to wear many different hats when it comes to dealing with the different aspects of construction projects. Below are four awesome apps for your iPhone and iPad that can be taken on the go. The apps listed below help contractors streamline four areas that need to be addressed in almost any construction project; performing advanced calculations, cost estimating, drawing up designs, and managing forms and reports.
Build Calc – Advanced Construction
Build Calc was designed with one goal; to fix everything that was wrong with all other construction calculators and create one comprehensive calculator that would help streamline calculations for contractors. Build Calc has streamlined all of the advanced functions and eliminated the need to go through many steps to get the calculation that you are looking for. When using any advanced functions you can get the results of your calculation within one to two presses of buttons. A few of the advanced functions that are included in this app are the advanced baluster function, the advanced stair function, fence function, interactive functions and much more. 42Nd Parallel is the developer of this app and they take pride in continuously updating the calculator with more advanced functions. This app is available in the Apple store for both the iPhone and iPad and also available in the Android Market and retails for $19.99.
iEstimate
This is app is a must for any contractor or cost estimator. This app has so many awesome features and what I am listing here is just the tip of the iceberg. There are built in project templates for the most typical construction jobs to use as baseline for creating project estimates. The app has a bar code scanner feature that works with all of the products in any Home Depot store. That’s right you can create an entire list of materials needed for a project and then go to Home Depot and scan in the items to total up the exact cost of materials needed. The app goes as far as having the ability to email estimates right to your customers so you don’t even need to pick up the phone. There are also many built in calculator functions and a whole lot more. This app is currently only available on the iPhone and retails in Apple’s app store for $19.99.
Construction Superintendent – Journeyman
This app created by Best Landscape Architects In The World Centrics LLC, is fairly new to the Apple app store and is currently only available for the iPad. The goal of this app is to create an efficient system of report sharing of the many different areas of a construction site. This app provides a complete set of reporting forms that are tailored for the construction management team to use to effectively monitor an entire construction project, share information and ensure that it is staying on schedule. This app retails for $99.99.
cadTouch Construction Electrician Navy
This app was created by Martin …
Home Improvement Contractors – Get More Referrals With These Customer Care Tips
Complaints against home improvement contractors and Contractors Definition contractors regularly rank in the top five complaint categories of annual consumer affairs surveys, reports the Consumer Federation of America National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators. The most complaints received from customers involve poor construction contractor work quality, and inaccurate completion estimates. Ensuring a positive home improvement experience for your customer leads to future referrals.
To present your company as honest and well run, you’ll want to ensure you’re providing your potential customers the following information when you have your first formal meeting.
• Copies of your state license and registration
• Correct and current contact information for at least three references in your customers area
• Proof of contractor’s insurance
• Copies of any professional certifications you earned
Explain the significance of each item so your customers feel engaged in the construction process and don’t feel like you’re unnecessarily increasing costs. For example, if presenting a copy of your professional certification from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), explain to the customer that NARI only awards s certificate to established, professional contractors with a clean background checks who’ve passed a written comprehension examination.
Providing yours customer with the above items upfront says:
• You and your company are organized and proactive in attitude.
• You and your business are transparent and in compliance with the necessary regulations.
Pricing Transparency
Low-ball price estimates might attract initial interest, but they won’t boost your client referral rate in the long-term. Customers are less likely to feel cheated if they understand the pricing details before you begin the project. Review the price estimate with your customers and explain why a specific brand or material type is necessary for the project. Always provide a print-out of your comprehensive estimate along with a basic contract that includes the following information.
• A fully itemized list of estimated required materials including the brand and quantity.
• Estimated hours
• Total anticipated cost
• Also include possible scenarios that may increase costs such as discovering mold or unexpected rotten boards.
During Construction
• Check in with your customers frequently throughout the project. Inform them immediately Construction Management Fees Percentage 2019 of any unexpected obstacles and explain how this will affect the project price or timeline.
• Contain your construction-related mess whenever possible. A simple tarp or clear panel over the doorway keeps your customers from inhaling dust and residue. Always ask the customers’ permission before moving furniture or altering the home beyond the scope of the project.
After Construction
• A construction contractor with integrity will call customers within a few weeks of completing the project to answer any questions or concerns they have and address them as necessary.
• Provide extra business cards to make referring your services easy.
Distinguishing yourself professionally as one of the best home improvement contractors through superior customer service will ensure future business opportunities.…
6 Questions Construction Contractors Must Answer to Manage Delay and Disruption Claims
In a construction delay and disruption dispute, the judge or adjudicator will usually base judgement on a key overriding factor: how the decisions that the project administrator or project manager should have taken at the time the delay happened compared with the actions that were actually taken.
The examination of a delay and disruption claim will often call into question the promises that were made at the outset of the programme, the quality of the project planning, the methods and validity of communication between contractor and employer, the competencies of individuals involved in project planning and the contrator’s administrative procedures.
The granularity of the information required to fulfill these information needs and the scrutiny under which information is placed can come as a shock to many facing a delay and disruption proceeding for the first time.
There are many aspects of a programme that will be analysed during a delay claim and the contractor must be in a position to have answers to those questions that will fall under the scrutiny of a delay and disruption adjudicator or judge. Following are six of the most poignant questions that will require explanation:
1. Is the contract programme which has been signed off by the client the same programme that the contractor has been following?
2. Has the contractor been officially recording all strategic assumptions associated with the programme, Adair Homes Floor Plans like the duration of key activities, the requirements of third-party involvement, and so on?
3. Has all project progress been entered and updated accurately and in a timely fashion into an accessible repository, and are any remaining durations accurate?
4. Do the records show clearly the resources that were planned against those that were deployed? List Of Building Materials For A House Is there clear evidence of the activities that each of the resources was engaged upon?
5. Can the contractor produce sufficient and specific evidence to support each change event?
These are not the only questions and there is perhaps one further, crucial, question:
6. Do the available records match those of the other parties?
They are ‘scary’ questions and it’s tough to provide concrete evidence on all of the above unless you have ensured from day one that you have the capability to capture that information. Reputations are at stake during delay and disruption disputes. Spreadsheet project management templates are simply not enough. Having professional construction project management tools in place to manage every programme, and learning how to use them to support project time management, project communications with the customer and good collaboration is one of the only ways to mitigate the risk.…
Home Contractors – What You Need to Know When Starting Your Next Project
There are many home projects that need a professional’s touch, for New Construction Enterprise, Al many of these you can use the services of home contractors.
IF you have a major project that needs to be completed, a contractor is the best way to go.
What To Look For
So what do you look for from home contractors?
The first thing you will want to look for is the reputation of the company, followed by their policies (i.e.: warranties etc), their prices (are they the highest, lowest or in the middle) as well as testimonials from other customers.
Also you will want to know if they are licensed and bonded.
What Jobs Can a Home Contractor Manage?
Any good home contractor or otherwise will be able to handle just about any job you might have around your house.
As a home contractor the understanding is that they can handle just about any type of job.
This would include roofing, exteriors, remodeling, windows and siding.
Their knowledge should extend into all of these areas.
Your contractor should be insured and fully licensed.
It is important that they have the coverage needed in case there are any mistakes make in the project.
One of the biggest regrets that homeowners have with their projects is picking someone who was not insured and having problems that the contractor then cannot help with, leaving the customer holding the bag. You do not want this to happen to you.
Heaven forbid you have major roofing done and it collapses and you have to pay to replace it. Can you imagine?
Local or National?
It would be best if you dealt with someone local.
Dealing with home contractors that are close to where your project is will assure that you are dealing with someone who has some connections with the community and is more than likely interested in their community reputation.
Also it will be easier to find previous customers to talk to as well as previous jobs that you can drive by to see the quality of work.
A simple look at someone else’s window replacement job or roofing project can tell you much about your contactor.
Additionally, when hunting for your home contractor, you will want to be sure that they have a rating with the better business bureau as well as the local chamber of commerce if there is one in your town.
Reputation is everything when you are going to United Built Homes Aspen let someone work on your single biggest asset.
Get a Free Estimate
Lastly, pick a home contractor in Maryland that will offer you a free estimate.
There are plenty out there that want to earn your business and a free estimate is a great way for them to meet you as well as you to meet them.
Normally you only have to give them a small amount of information for them to at least get the process started.
You can then decide if you want them to work up …
How to Find Reputable Home Repair Contractors
Although there are some home maintenance repair projects around the house that you can do yourself, this isn’t always possible. Sometimes a repair project is too complicated or too dangerous for you to attempt on your own, and then you need to choose from among the many available home repair contractors in order to get the repair done safely. However, you want to make sure to hire someone who is reputable.
When you are looking into home repair contractors, you want to make sure to check out their reputation. You might want to start by asking your friends and neighbors if they would recommend anyone, and then look for online reviews of past customers as well as asking the contractors themselves for references you can call. You want to find out whether the contractor did a good job and whether or not they would hire him again. Make sure that they are registered, licensed and bonded.
Once you have some home repair contractors to choose from, you should get written bids from each of them that include what work is to be done, what materials are necessary, and how much they will charge to do the work. Check with each to see what sort of warranty or guarantees they offer on their Construction Business Ideas work. You want to avoid any offers that seem to be really low. These might be due to the contractor using cheap materials. Or the contractor might be bidding low – then after getting the job he can add more expenses to make up the difference between his cost and what he’s charging you.
After deciding between your choices for home repair contractors, you should get a very detailed written contract from the one you choose. This should include all the details that Commercial Building Contractors Near Me were in the original bid, but it is now more legally binding than it was in the bid. Make sure that the contract states who is responsible for cleaning up after the work is done.
You don’t want to find yourself with a home contractor that isn’t reputable and doesn’t do the work that you require, so do your research and make sure you get everything in writing.…
Attn: Contractors: Create a Stress-Free Experience For Homeowners Using These Five Simple Tips
Building or renovating a home can be stressful for your customers. That’s because having a contractor in is just another activity happening in an already busy household. Your customer may be juggling a stressful job, nightly little league practices, a sick pet, or a score of other issues. And now that they’ve decided to have work done to their home, they’ll have to add “inaccessible home” to their itinerary of things to deal with. It all can get very overwhelming for your customer.
Whether you’re a plumber, electrician, home builder or remodeler, it’s important to keep in mind that you do this kind of stuff everyday; for your customer, this may be a once-in-a-lifetime event. And they’re going to stress out about it. Here are five ways to show your customer a little TLC during a home renovation to keep them-and you-stress-free.
1. Educate them from the start
As a contractor, you’re used to the steps involved in a home renovation. They might include things like inspecting the home, pulling a permit, contacting the local code department, and ordering supplies from vendors. You have a system in place that allows you to get jobs done on time and within budget. Your homeowner customer, however, only knows that they want their bathroom remodeled. They may not know all the steps involved or how you get from A to B, so it’s important to educate them from the start. Advice? The minute they sign on the dotted line, hand them a checklist of all the steps you’ll be taking to renovate their home with a brief description of each step. Not only will it avoid confusion later, but allowing your customer to follow along and cross completed steps off the list will let them know that progress is being made. And of course, answer any and all questions they have.
2. Avoid industry lingo
As a contractor you’re used to throwing around words like “below grade,” “back nailing,” and “blind stop.” It’s easy to forget that the homeowner may have no idea what those terms mean. The best way to confuse them and make them stress out even more is to use industry lingo when describing their project without an explanation. Try to avoid slang around your customer, unless he is educated about your line of work. Describing each step and the parts needed for each step in a way they understand (without belittling their intelligence) goes a long way in maintaining a healthy working relationship with your customer.
3. Slow down and spend the time
When it comes to remodeling a home, things can move pretty quickly. You may have to wait for a permit to be accepted, for example, but once it is, it’s off to the races! As a contractor you’ll be ready to pick up the pace and get the project on its way. But slow down a minute. Now that you’re ready to move full-steam ahead, have you informed the homeowner? If not, take a step back …