In a recent article, "How Builders Deal with the Rising Lumber Prices," Paul Emrath summarizes the results of an NAHB/Wells Fargo study to see what, if anything, big builders are doing to try to cope with the recent challenges presented by skyrocketing lumber costs and extended wait times for a range of building materials.
The solutions for production builders offer good food for thought, but they miss a critical ingredient central to the work of custom builders and remodelers: direct interaction with the client. Yes, there are always ways to shield a company from financial losses, but that doesn't mean that rapidly escalating costs and a backlog of jobs isn't creating discord between contractors and their clients, and otherwise impacting the one-on-one relationships that define the work of small construction firms.
This got us thinking about a survey of our own. To help us get a handle on how you might be handling these challenges differently, please click below to respond to the survey. We will share the collective insights with the JLC community in an upcoming article.
