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Checking weekly that actual expenses are in line with the estimate alerts you to overruns

Getting Paid for Preconstruction Advice

Use a "professional services agreement" to get compensated for consulting time
Assisted Living in Your Own Backyard

Prefab builders look to extend the backyard “granny flat” concept to seniors with special medical needs, but local zoning requirements are...
What's the Payback for Becoming a Home Performance Contractor?

A successful drywall installer explores the pros and cons of adding home performance contracting to his business

Using XactRemodel to Increase Profitability (Subscriber content)

The best part of this estimating software is its extensive database of item costs, says the author
A Punch List That Doesn't Knock You Out (Subscriber content)

Define the problems you will be responsible for and set clear procedures for final payment
Fixing Chinese Drywall: A Tampa Builder Hits Top Gear

Carelessness helped create Florida’s Chinese drywall disaster. Cleaning it up is a job for a very careful builder.

Using XactRemodel to Increase Profitability (Subscriber content)

The best part of this estimating software is its extensive database of item costs, says the author
Anticipating Price Fluctuations (Subscriber content)

Contractors need to allow for material and labor price increases that may occur after they submit a quote
A Tale of Two Estimates

The methods insurance estimators use are a far cry from the way most contractors estimate.

North Carolina Grapples With Local Design Restrictions

The North Carolina House of Representatives has approved a bill that would prohibit local governments from using zoning ordinances to regulate building-design elements for single-family homes or duplexes
BP Oil Spill Effects Linger in the Gulf

The oil stopped flowing two years ago. Much of the money hasn’t started flowing yet. And the Gulf Coast, some reports say, is still hurting from the effects of BP’s disastrous Deepwater Horizon oil drilling platform blowout.
Dispute Drags On Over Hard-To-Heat Energy-Star Houses

Homeowners at “Somerset Run” in Franklin Township, New Jersey, have been complaining since 2003 that their Energy Star rated houses are drafty and expensive to heat. And they’re still not happy.

Investors Start Snapping Up New Houses for Rentals, Not Just Foreclosures

Big private equity firms that started out buying up foreclosures as investment properties are now moving into the new home market.
California Builders Say Help is Getting Harder to Find

Economic health is returning to the California homebuilding industry. What’s not returning? The skilled workers.
Social Skills (Subscriber content)

The hottest marketing tools out there are in social media. Think of it as word-of-mouth on steroids.

Investors Start Snapping Up New Houses for Rentals, Not Just Foreclosures

Big private equity firms that started out buying up foreclosures as investment properties are now moving into the new home market.
California Builders Say Help is Getting Harder to Find

Economic health is returning to the California homebuilding industry. What’s not returning? The skilled workers.
Appraisal Catch-22 Hampers Detroit Housing Recovery

Civic groups and non-profits trying to turn Detroit’s dismal housing market around have a relentless enemy: the appraisal process.

Preventing Handoff Errors (Subscriber content)

Putting all the paperwork for a project in a single notebook ensures details don't get lost during the transition from sales to production
Breaking Through the Language Barrier

Going back to school to learn Spanish can pay big dividends in the field
Active vs. Passive Fall Protection

Either guardrails or safety harness systems can be used to proect workers from falls