We ask the Remodeling Big50: Do you run background checks on your clients? More
Hiring full-time designers can not only improve the client experience but give a boost to your bottom line as well. During the last decade, especially as public awareness of the design/build model has continued to grow, many remodelers have decided to make design a major part of their company's service offering. More
As these remodelers show, shifting focus away from the business for a time to deal with traumatic personal events doesn't have to derail your company. More
Years in the planning, the nearly 6,000-square-foot, copper-clad, one-of-a-kind modern home had months to go before completion when architect and general contractor Travis Price learned that the clients planned to host their daughter's wedding reception there. More
With the start of every new year, your P&L goes back to zero. January 1 is always a clean slate, but 2008 looms as a particularly powerful incentive for reviewing your business practices, rethinking your assumptions, and evaluating your personnel. Here's how some remodelers I know plan to confront their biggest business challenges in '08. More
What's the payback for remodeling? Our annual report compares construction cost with resale value in 60 markets. More
This is a story about the accelerating nature of change, the middle-Americanization of luxe living, and the opportunities that lie in understanding not only what really makes homeowners happy ó but also knowing whether what they More
When Denny Conner wants to impress his customers, he uses an LCD projector to project slide show images onto a screen. When he really wants to wow them, he projects the images onto an interactive whiteboard. But there's more to this electronic toy than just impressing a client. Using TeamBoard Suite software, the whiteboard is connected to a computer, and everything Conner projects and annotates can be stored as data. More
Before any work begins, clients sign off on language stipulating that every small change they request will cost them a $75 administrative fee, a flat labor rate of $55 per hour, plus the cost of materials and subcontractors, with a 25% markup on all but the $75 fee. More
