With new home construction in flux, now is a great time for builders to focus on doing business smarter. Whether shoring up irresponsible spending, mismanaging project timelines or, as we’ll focus on today, creating inaccurate estimates, there’s much a builder can do to protect the bottom line even while the market is slow. According to [...]

Writing for FineHomebuilding.com, blogger and licensed contractor Kia Ricchi shares her thoughts on the importance of creating a sufficiently detailed scope of work for any construction or remodeling project. A well-written scope of work ensures the service provider and the client — and even any specified subcontractors — are all on the same page, she [...]

Times are hard and, in order to stand out in this economy, builders and remodelers have to innovate. But how? There’s a lot to learn from non-building businesses! The Daily 5 Remodel posted a great video from Fast Company that shares some techniques and strategies of companies that have managed to survive and thrive. Take [...]

We caught up with remodeler David West of Meadowview Construction in Massachusetts for a chat about how he markets his business, what social media tools have done for him, and the changes he’s seen in the industry over the past few years. For more about David, find him on Twitter @remodeling_dude or on his blog. [...]

Happy Window Safety Week! Did you know that this exists? It’s “celebrated” yearly during the first full week of April and is sponsored by the Window Safety Task Force. There are two main parts to window safety: falls and escapes. Improperly secured windows and children can be a dangerous combination. Additionally, windows can also be [...]

It’s an online world. More and more, people are using the Internet for information from the most basic (where is this business?) to more complex (what business has this company been involved in in the past?). If you don’t have a website — no, make that a good website — you stand the very good [...]

Green Building Goes on a Budget Wall Street Journal “Casa Feliz is one of a growing number of affordable-housing projects nationwide that have been built “green”—that is, with nontoxic materials, highly energy-efficient appliances, and features such as green roofs and solar panels. Thanks to tax credits designed to attract private capital and aggressive cost-cutting on [...]

Remodeling Magazine asks this provocative question: Are you a professional? Here’s a snippet of their argument: “These remodelers may earn a wage for what they do, but is there any profit earned to compensate them for the risks they take in owning and running a company? If the business is not earning a profit the [...]

EPA’s Paint Law Frustrates Hardworking Contactors Home Construction Improvement “Here on our Home Improvement site we’ve been covering the EPA’s new Lead Paint Law closely since early spring when it went into effect. We’ve written lots of articles on the new law, training, fines and cost implications. So far we’ve met very few people that [...]

This week’s Builder Blog post examines what the next ten years will bring for building trends, practices and products. New ideas and technologies will be shaped by consumer needs and wants for the home, builder preferences and societal trends. The environment will have a say, as well; as our growing population requires more resources and [...]