For 12 years, Ann Arbor, Mich., remodeler Gary Rochman expertly steered his company along on an even keel. Trained in both architecture and carpentry, he loved the flexibility and control of being able to execute every aspect of a job.
Kelvin Pierce of Commonwealth Home Remodelers in Vienna, Va., can give accurate ballpark estimates on design/build remodeling jobs in about 20 minutes. How accurate? “Although we tell clients [that we can estimate to within] 10% or 15% of the final selling price, we're usually within 5%,” he says.
Most remodelers use historical job costs as part of their estimating process. Maryland-based Brenneman & Pagenstecher goes a step further, calculating labor costs as a percentage of a job's direct costs.
Like other business owners in the wake of September 11, Skeeter Coleman watched his business revenues drop off this year, from $2.6 million in 2001 to less than $2 million. Coleman hired a marketing consultant to help him create a strong brand identity by tweaking the company logo and rethinking every piece of printed material.