Three years ago, Kelvin and Susan Pierce (Big50 1993), owners of Commonwealth Home Remodelers, in Vienna, Va., decided to hire a full-time estimator for the company. More
You knock. No answer. You ring the doorbell. No response. You call. The machine takes it. You've been stood up.Do you reset the appointment? More
An estimator anticipates the cost to produce a job, and a carpenter tries to complete that job within the estimate. If owners ask carpenters to turn in timecards on a daily basis, the hours associated with doing specific tasks will be more accurate. More
Remodeling magazine staff picks the best new high-tech tools products for the field. More
It takes humor to tell the boss he or she is micromanaging. Yes, humor. Production manager Andy Hannan and estimator Kirk Van Kamp of Mark IV Builders in Bethesda, Md., found a non-threatening way to approach the difficult task. More
Sound estimating is the backbone of any remodeling business, whether you bid competitively or negotiate a design/build contract. We spend a lot of time benchmarking financial standards and processes; estimating deserves equal attention. More
Winans Construction takes extra care to make sure everything is as it should be every time they do a proposal.Estimator Bret Winans, who uses the form the most and who wasn't working with his parents when they used it before, says the form has been helpful to him. More
Mark Scott's crew has found a humorous way to help face difficult tasks. Scott says his estimator, Kirk Van Camp, and his production manager, Andrew Hannan, took Tracy's advice to heart. More
The crew reroofed the first house, finishing the job at 3 p.m. Then, the estimator waited four long hours for the homeowner to return from work.He was shocked, but the next day the homeowner agreed to sign a liability waiver, refusing to pay anything toward the roof, which Waller estimates at $15,000, between hard costs, project manager time, and attorney fees. More
Resale values for the 2001 Cost vs. Value Report were estimated by the following real estate professionals. More
