Construction-specific search engines like BuildingOnline (www.buildingonline.com) and AEC InfoCenter (www.aecinfo.com) have been around almost since the beginning of the Internet. Recently, however, the scope of what's available online has moved beyond the basic search engine or discussion group to include contractor services — online solutions to the real-world problems builders face every day. Technology that used to be available only to mega-dollar commercial construction companies is now becoming accessible for small to midsize contractors as well. Online builder services, whether regional or national in scope, now include everything from referral and collection services to online project management. Contractor screening. Capitalizing on the fact that construction fraud and poor workmanship result in twice the number of dissatisfied customers than in any other industry, California-based ImproveNet (www. improvenet.com) matches
