In most cities and districts, the permitting process can be time-consuming, with contractors or their employees spending hours in municipal buildings awaiting confirmation. Hiring an expediter can be a cost-effective way to process a permit and free up staff for more skilled work. More
For Steve Tinter, president of Cook Bros., a design/build remodeling company in Arlington, Va., “Good communication begins with setting realistic expectations.” More
As his business grew, Marty Hogan, owner of Martin E. Hogan Corp., in Pittsford, N.Y., began to realize that there were only so many things he could keep in his head at once. “Even a trip to the store with more than three items required a written list,” he says More
Like many across the country, the once-booming Northern Virginia remodeling market has hit a rough patch. And though Bob Benedict, president of Northwood Construction, in Sterling, says he hasn't had any potential clients back out of their scheduled projects, he has noticed that they seem to be in less of a hurry to break ground. More
Are you looking for a better billing method? Billing against a schedule of values (SOV) is standard procedure for large, commercial contractors, but is often misunderstood and infrequently used by residential remodelers. Many small businesses fail, often from a lack of cash flow. Implementing an SOV as a contractual and management tool can help. 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
Mission control at Mark IV Builders is the production board, a visual representation of all current projects, their supervisors, their schedules and status, and their current to-do items. More
Projects often last months at Acorn Design/Build, of Denver, but there's rarely confusion over who agreed to what when, or which products should go where, or when that trade contractor is on the schedule. More
When I was in commercial construction, I used formal scheduling procedures on all... More
Big50 professionals answer a question about managing client expectations on project delays. More
