FEATURES

  • Web Extra: Would You Like Insurance With That?

    It's inherent in the concept of total compensation that the cost of employee benefits will limit employee wages. Health insurance, in particular, is so expensive that the hourly cost to most remodelers is equal to as much as $4 per hour. So what do you do if an employee declines coverage and then...

     
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    Employees or subcontractors

    In recent years, many remodelers have taken up the subcontractor mantle -- for trades in particular. But many feel just as strongly that having employees is the model to follow. There is, of course, no right or wrong way to run your business -- just considerations of the strengths and challenges of...

     

  • Maintaining strong relationships with trade partners

    Working efficiently with trade partners means identifying companies that have values and goals that mirror your own.

     

  • Computing total compensation

    Do you know how much you really spend on your employees? More importantly, do they know? In the final installment of our benefit series, REMODELING explores the idea of total compensation -- the true cost (and value) of employment at your company.

     

Before and After

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    Graceful truss completes homeowner's vision

    Before the three massive beams were welded onto steel columns; before the 11 steel boots were welded to the I-beam; before the 33 tapered rafters were slipped into the boots, stretched upward like the wings of a butterfly, connected to the high beams, and tensioned by the steel cables; before any...

     

Reader Panel

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    Getting the Job Done

    Although there has long been debate among remodelers over whether it is more advantageous to build projects using independent trade contractors or in-house employees, statistics show that most contractors find it necessary to use subcontractors in at least some capacity during production.

     

SPECIAL SECTION

Green Remodeling

  • Recycling opportunities are growing

    After a recent demolition, though, the remodeler found himself with huge steel girders and other scrap metal that he knew he had no use for. He called 20 different people to offer it for free, before he found someone willing to salvage it.

     

  • Getting green into the field

    Change is never easy, especially when employees feel they're suddenly being asked to turn away from familiar practices.

     

  • Spread the green word

    Once you've challenged yourself to be the greenest remodeler you can be, the next challenge is: How do you sell efficient, sustainable projects to customers? To remodelers making a foray into this niche, we advise leaving the green-wash mentality at the door.

     

  • Green remodeling is going mainstream

    As This Old House producer Deborah Hood says, people no longer need view green as experimental or expensive. "We're learning that green is basically just good planning and smart building." And green remodelers echo that sentiment. They're as likely to use words such as "high-performance" when...

     

  • Sustainable building products and practices are becoming mainstream

    Introduction to REMODELING's special Green supplement.

     

VIEW POINT

FIRST WORD

  • Industry growth projected in Harvard report

    In January (News+Notes), we previewed some of the conclusions of "Foundations for Future Growth in the Remodeling Industry," a report produced by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University (JCHS) about the remodeling industry. The full report, released last month, draws some...

     

News + Notes

  • Effects of housing slowdown on remodeling varies

    The consensus among remodelers and industry analysts is that remodeling isn't expected to fall nearly as hard as home building. However, the overall slumping of the housing market has implications beyond the public's attitude toward investing in their homes.

     

MARKET WATCH

COMMENTARY

GUEST COLUMNIST

  • How homeowners select remodeling contractors

    Remodeling contractors spend a lot of time and money trying to win jobs. The Farnsworth Group, a market research company specializing in the construction industry, recently spoke with 184 homeowners involved in remodeling projects to determine how they located a contractor, which household member...

     

LINDA CASE

  • Fielding your remodeling team

    Most of us aspire to have one distinguished career. Few of us dream of having more than one. Julius Lowenberg was a stunningly successful coach before he started to build his equally impressive remodeling company in 1979. Today, even after selling his company, the Texas businessman can't seem to...

     

MARK RICHARDSON

  • Habits that breed success

    There are many factors that help define success--but there is one common denominator: successful remodelers develop habits that breed success.

     

SHAWN MCCADDEN

  • Don't ignore employee, customer insights

    A remodeler also needs to be alerted to threats to the health of his business. But unlike a canary, which croaks to signal danger, you need monitoring tools that you can use over and over again, and that are sensitive enough to give you enough time to resuscitate your operation.

     

YOUR BUSINESS

Sales and Marketing

  • Don't assume female client's marital status

    Assumptions are dangerous, especially when it comes to sizing up prospective remodeling clients. If you habitually assume that the woman on the line is a Mrs., you could be missing out on an enormous slice of the market.

     
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    Hot-air balloon lifts marketing

    We've heard of all kinds of warm-weather excuses for getting together with clients and trade partners. Last year in New Jersey, Bryhn Construction's summer bash involved 135 friends of the company, a tent full of food and drink, and lots of hot air.

     
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    Attitudes and behaviors on display at show booth

    The right attitudes and behaviors can pay off for remodeling companies of any size,

     

BOTTOM LINE

  • A suitable retirement plan for small businesses

    If you're considering a retirement plan for yourself and your employees, you might want to review the advantages of a SIMPLE-IRA (Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees). Remodelers who have set one up say it is suitable for small businesses and relatively easy to administer.

     

BY DESIGN

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    A usable space doesn't have to be big

    In her book The Not So Big House, architect and author Sarah Susanka talks about favoring “the quality of space over the quantity.” A nook can be a sheltered, private retreat that has space enough for one.

     

FIELD NOTES

  • Simple measures against theft

    Thieves have always targeted vulnerable jobsites, but the problem has worsened as the prices of copper and other metals have soared. To guard against loss, take these simple measures.

     

  • Help your business by learning Spanish

    These construction-specific Spanish-language CDs won't make you fluent in Spanish, but they'll help you learn enough of the basic concepts, expressions, and pronunciations to improve jobsite communications, productivity, and safety.

     
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    Bonus program rewards the entire team

    Everybody is accountable for project performance at Gavin Remodeling, Brookline, N.H., thanks to a bonus program that rewards the entire team for working together to complete jobs on budget, on time, and to the satisfaction of clients.

     

GOOD FORM

Tech at Work

  • An approach for evaluating technology

    Many remodelers choose their technology solutions from the "bottom up," looking first at particular products or features and then thinking about how those features might be able to help them. A more effective approach is "top-down," which requires that you first establish what exactly you want to...

     

  • Portable fax pays its way

    Ten years ago Medina Construction Co. started using fax machines that operate over cell phone lines to stay connected to the office from even the remotest of jobsites. For a company whose operation covers so much ground, the system has been invaluable.

     

Ways + Means

  • Employee goal planning goes beyond work

    Tim Shigley, president of Shigley Construction Co., in Wichita, Kan., believes that positive things in our lives don't just happen. We have to plan for them. He helps his employees reach their goals by asking each to complete a goal-planning form at the beginning of each year.

     

  • Be careful with sweepstakes

    If you are considering running a sweepstakes to offset declining lead generation, the good news is that a sweepstakes can be run by even a smaller contractor. The bad news is that you still need to be careful.

     

  • Take the office out on a field trip

    Sometimes, your employees never get to fully appreciate their hard work because they don't get the chance to go out to the jobsites. The solution: take the office out on a field trip.

     
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    Setting up an office at each jobsite

    When Audino Construction, in Austin, Texas, worked on large projects where the homeowners weren't living in the home, project managers would set up an office in an empty room. Now they try to create an office at every jobsite.

     

  • Benefits of office space outweigh extra overhead

    Although it can be difficult to fit into the budget at first, the benefits of having office space outweigh the extra overhead.

     

BIG50

CLOSE UP

SECOND LOOK

SOLUTIONS

KITCHEN AND BATH

DESIGN CLINIC

  • Metal-fleck paint creates unique finish

    Garett Radke, of Radke Construction in DeWitt, Mich., likes to experiment with finishes in his cabinet shop. He has perfected a high-gloss finish by using products normally associated with auto-body work. In his most recent project, he used this technique to create a variegated copper veneer for a...

     
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    Custom finishes create one-of-a-kind kitchens

    Designers and remodelers with cabinet shops can use custom finishes to create a one-of-a-kind kitchens for their clients.

     
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    Kitchen islands reflect personal style

    Homeowners often use islands to reflect their personal style, with colors or materials that contrast with the kitchen cabinets.

     
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    Design Expansion

    As kitchen and bath designers, you are likely focused on the primary business of designing kitchens and baths. However, if you view yourself as a salesperson first and a designer second, you will have a broader outlook of the market and can extend your products and services to other areas of the...

     

SPEC BOOK

REPLACEMENT

SIDING

PRODUCTS

FIRST LOOK

IN FOCUS

TRENDS

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    Mix of traditional materials adds interest to home

    Every house needs a little jewelry

     
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    Keeping the swimming pool safe

    As the weather warms, many families whose remodeling plans include adding a swimming pool, will be interested in new technologies to help keep these summer sanctuaries safe and convenient.

     
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    plastic-based building products gain favor

    The casual jobsite observer could easily believe that wood is the primary component in constructing a home. In many cases, that remains true; however, a quick look around the industry reveals that plastic is fast becoming the building material of choice for many professionals.

     

LAST WORD

Bench Mark

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    Judge new opportunities carefully

    Now and then, a great new opportunity appears on the horizon. Maybe it's a piece of property you've dreamed of developing as your office space; perhaps it's a great deal on a second home in the mountains; or maybe it's the presidency of the local industry association. Whatever it is, it almost...

     

OTHER ARTICLES

  • NARI Announces New Benefits

    The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) has announced new alliances that are intended to strengthen the value of its services to members. The alliances are with a local-market consumer magazine and a provider of business development education for small businesses.