April 2004 Table of Contents

Features
Working in a Competitive Subcontractor Market

The subcontractor market is getting more competitive and more complicated. Remodelers are taking a new look at how they find, manage, and retain top-notch partners. Read more

Bath: Gray's Concrete Anatomy

Concrete is fluid and shapeable. Aesthetically, there are many ways to get different effects. Read more

Kitchen: Concrete Impressions

Few can resist the lure of smooth, wet concrete calling out for carved initials or a quick hand imprint while no one's looking. Read more

The Rain-Makers

While the five remodelers whose marketing campaigns are featured may not have national renown, they've earned recognition from a more important audience: prospective customers.He's found it takes homeowners five to seven years to sign up for another project. And so he stays in the back of their minds via direct mail and distinctive black-and-yellow trucks. Read more

Before+After: Crackerbox Becomes Craftsman

A pop-up Craftsman addition calculates all the right angles -- for homeowner, remodeler, and architect alike.Homeowners David Griffen and Kathy Moran had their own exacting demands: to reuse the existing house (forget about a teardown); to double its square footage; to retain the replacement windows and updated open kitchen Moore and Nassar put in five years ago as part of a more modest remodel; and, finally, to stay true to the Craftsman ideal. Read more

Reader Panel Reader Panel: Subcontractor Management

Most use fixed-price contracts, and to keep good subs happy, they pay in full, either immediately or within one week of job completion.We ask trade contractors to bid competitively on our projects and we use the low bidder 4% Read more

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