dream

How to Build the Construction Company of Your Dreams

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It’s Like Building Anything…You Need a Plan and the Right Tools

Labor Day is coming up on Monday. It’s the only Monday holiday that I don’t work. Actually, there are only three holidays each year that I don’t work. Those being Christmas, New Years Day and Labor Day.

I celebrate Christmas because it is the day we honor our Savior’s birth. The other two are days that our family has celebrated together as far back as I can remember.

This sounds like I’m a workaholic. And yes, I’m a recovering workaholic, but…

It’s easy to be a workaholic when you love the work you do.

On the other hand, working a lot of long hours and not having anything to show for it can feel like drudgery. It’s like being stuck in a rut without a way out. I’ve heard it said that “A rut is just a grave with both ends kicked out.”

Owning and operating a construction company can feel this way. We get in a rut and don’t even realize where we are. Plodding back and forth going through the daily routines of operating the business, never looking up to see where we are or where we’re going. If we’re not careful the rut will get so deep that we’ll never get out.

Change can be scary; it might not work. We know our rut, and we like it. “We’ve always done it this way”, isn’t a very good plan for building a better business. Too many construction companies find themselves in ruts, and “rut thinking” doesn’t allow for building your dream business.

So how do you get out of that rut and build the business you always dreamed of?

When you started your construction business you had this vision of how things would be, and I’ll bet that it hasn’t turned out at all like what you expected. This is something that I’ve seen way too many construction companies struggle with.

I know what it feels like because I went through it too.

That’s why early on in my business when I became aware of these issues, I decided to do something about it. I wanted to get out of the rut.

I began researching the problems and studying alternatives. Then I began to understand what was needed to get out of the rut. This is when I started building and designing business building tools that I could use to build the business of my dreams.

If you’re like I was and started your construction company with a dream and no plan, you probably find yourself stuck in a rut. Building a business is like building anything…if you don’t have a plan, it probably won’t turn out well.

After I understood what was needed, I designed and built business tools to help me build that business that I had dreamed of.

If you would like to build the construction business of your dreams but don’t want to spend the time and energy making your own tools…I have good news. At Solution Building we’re going to be offering our Business BUILDing tools and training to help you get out of the rut quicker and easier.

If you’d like to get out of your rut, check out our tools and systems to help you build the business of your dreams. complete with the 5-step business BUILDing process for implementing and learning to use them.

Becoming aware of the rut you’re stuck in is the first step to building the construction company of your dreams.

Having the Right Builder Can Help Protect Your Home Investment

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The Question is, How Do You Know If You Have the Right One or Not?

In our last post we discussed how expensive home construction can be and the importance of knowing your builder.

If you’re not careful, building the home of your dreams can become a nightmare.

The number of times I’ve heard people say that building their new home was the worst experience of their life is too many. This is not how construction projects should be remembered.

So, as a construction customer, how can you avoid this from happening to you?

I recommend using the 5-step BUILD process.

This simple system will help you avoid construction catastrophes.

  • Being aware that there are problems when it comes to construction. If you’ve never been involved in a construction project, they can look pretty smooth from the outside. Not so much. Part of the problem is that the professionals that do this every day know this and are prepared for it. Construction customers on the other hand can be surprised when this happens.
  • Understanding what the problems are and what to do about them. If you know about the problems and are prepared it makes the process much easier to handle. There’s nothing quite so upsetting as when you’re expecting one thing and it’s not what you get.
  • Information and Instruction. This step requires some research or guidance from someone who knows construction. This Information includes things like knowing what the processes and procedures of construction are or simply knowing what questions to ask. You can search the internet for the basic information but if you don’t know construction, it can be hard to tell what you can trust and what you can’t. This is where it is helpful to find a trusted professional.  
  • Learning can give the inexperienced construction customer confidence to ask questions of a professional builder. Being Informed and Instructed will help you Learn about the construction process so that you won’t be afraid to ask your builder questions.

A big part of the problem is that most builders either don’t realize customers are intimidated by them or they don’t care.

  • Delivery of the DREAM is the final step of this process. This should be the goal of both the customer and the builder. It’s where all the scary, hard work and time pays off. The customer gets the home of their Dreams and the contractor makes a profit.

To achieve that dream it’s important to have a builder you can trust.

Bridging this gap between construction companies and customers is why here at Solution Building we’ve developed the 5-step BUILD process. This will help construction companies Be aware, Understand, get Information and Learn. Implementing this process pays off for both the customer and the builder when the Dream is Delivered.

This system includes a Business BUILDing Toolbox for Construction Companies full of document templates and instructions for things like:

  • Proposals
  • Contracts
  • Change Orders
  • Payment Applications
  • Profit Comparisons
  • Job Costs
  • Saving Account Transfers
  • OneNote systems and processes

There are also individual and group training courses available as well as custom designing and building of business systems for individual companies.

If you know of a builder or construction company that you think could benefit from this 5-step BUILD system, have them contact us for a free 30-minute construction company consultation.

Your Home is One of Your Biggest Investments

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That’s Why it’s Important to Know Who Your Builder Is

Building a new home is expensive, but the same is true for remodeling.

Let’s face it…construction of any kind costs a lot.

Currently the average cost to build a new house is around $300,000.00 not including the land. Like anything, this price will vary depending on what you want in your dream home. There’s a wide range of materials and workmanship that will affect the final price. The size of the home and location are also determining factors.

The national average price per square foot is $150.00. This means that a $300,000.00 price would get you a 2,000 square foot home.

The final price comes down to what you want in your home. It’s like looking at a bag of groceries – until you know what’s in it, you can’t know what it’s going to cost.

It makes a difference whether that bag is full of tissue paper or steak.

Most people don’t realize how much these choices can affect the price. Some of the things that have the biggest impact are –

  • Construction style – This could be a simple ranch style on a concrete slab or a multi-level house on a finished basement with high ceilings, a complicated roof and wrap around porches or somewhere in between.
  • Windows – These can be simple single hung vinyl windows all the way to custom triple pane wood windows with window treatments between the panes.
  • Cabinets –This is another place where there is a big difference in quality and styles. You could use simple basic lumberyard cabinets with veneered manufactured wood, or you might choose custom made real wood cabinets with specialty options.
  • Countertops – Can be pre-manufactured plastic laminate going all the way to custom solid surface or marble.
  • Flooring – There are a lot of flooring options, both solid surface and carpet. Sheet vinyl flooring is much less expensive the ceramic tile, and, in the middle, there’s a range of luxury vinyl. Carpeting can be a lightweight inexpensive product or a very expensive wool.
  • Plumbing fixtures – Even the lower priced plumbing fixtures aren’t cheap, and higher priced ones can be scary expensive.
  • Electrical fixtures – It’s amazing how many different styles and qualities of electrical fixtures there are, not to mention the number of cool new electrical gadgets that are out there.
  • Woodwork – You can choose to have simple basic base and casing installed or you can have multipiece custom made woodwork done. Not to mention that there is an enormous number of woodwork things like stairways, mantels, post and beams that can be done.
  • Finishes and features – Painting and staining are one of those things that most people see as a simple process that shouldn’t cost that much. What they don’t realize is that there is a lot more to it than simply brushing on a coat of paint. Preparation is the part that makes a huge difference to the finished product. The same is true for staining and applying the clear finish. This isn’t even taking into account custom paints and finishes.

These things are just a small part of what needs to be considered when building your dream home, and this is just the financial part.

In addition to the dollars and cents, there’s an emotional cost that comes with a home construction project. The emotional part can be a lot more expensive and is harder to measure. Most of the time this part of the construction process isn’t given much though.

That’s why it’s important when considering a construction project to know how to BUILD.

This doesn’t mean knowing everything about construction, rather it means knowing how to navigate the process so you can avoid the overwhelm that happens too often.

This is where having the right builder comes in. In our next post we’ll explore what you should look for in a builder and how rare it is to find a good one.

Learn How to BUILD the Construction Business of Your Dreams

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The Final Building Blocks in the 5-Step Foundation of Your Business

Dreaming big has always been my nature. Early in my life I had some really big dreams. The problem arose when these dreams didn’t come true. That’s when disappointment and a sense of failure set in.

This discouragement is why over 60% of US construction companies fail within the first five years. People’s business dreams aren’t going according to plan, and they don’t know what else to do but quit.

When I found myself struggling with feelings of failure, I concluded that my dreams must have been wrong. That’s when God got my attention with a smack upside the head…literally.

God wants us to dream big. Mark 11:23-24

The thing that I realized after this wakeup call was…God wasn’t going to do this for me…He was going to do it with me. And I had to get off my “but” and stop making excuses. If I wanted to BUILD this dream business, I needed to get to work.

BEING aware of the problems and UNDERSTANDING them is where the turnaround for your business starts.

BEING aware and UNDERSTANDING are the first two steps in the 5-step process for BUILDing a better business. The next step is receiving the INFORMATION needed and getting INSTRUCTIONS about IMPLEMENTING this INFORMATION into your business. The I in BUILD is hard because it requires asking for help, and most construction guys don’t like to ask for help.

B = Being aware of problems

U = Understanding problems and how to fix them

I = Instruction and Implementation of systems and processes

This brings us to the L in BUILD…LEARNING.

LEARNING is the step that will take the longest and can be the hardest, but it’s also the most important. It is the one that leads to the biggest change. It’s a change from the way you have always done it. Most of us don’t like change. We’re comfortable wallowing here, doing things the way we always have.

Change will go faster if you have someone help you through the process.

LEARNING to build a building isn’t instantaneous. You don’t show up on a job site your first day knowing everything about building. You come back the second day and LEARN more and the third and the fourth. And years later you have LEARNED how to build.

Just like pouring concrete, framing a wall, pulling wire, soldering copper, shingling a roof, or installing flooring…after repeating the process over and over it becomes a part of who you are…you could do it in your sleep.

Building a business is the same. You can’t just wave a magic wand and have your business running like a well-oiled machine. It takes time and effort just like building a building does. This also becomes a part of who you are.

One of the greatest feelings ever is to step back and see a finished building project knowing that you did that. You built that.

You can get that same feeling about your business. If you put in the effort to learn the systems and processes, you will be able to step back and know that you built that business of your DREAMS.

This is the D in 5-step BUILD process. The DELIVERY of the DREAM. This is where all the hard work pays off.

If you would like some help BUILDing your DREAM business and receive a free 30-minute consultation of your construction company, simply take this short survey.

You Need the Right INFORMATION to BUILD the Construction Company of Your Dreams

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Next, You’ll Need Some INSTRUCTION on How to IMPLEMENT This INFORMATION

Most of us in the construction business started out with a vision in our minds of what our dream company would be like. We see those successful companies out there and there’s no reason we can’t do the same thing. After all, we’re really good at building things.

The problem is more times than not…those companies are struggling with the same kind of things that you are. Everything always looks better from the outside.

Dreams usually aren’t founded in reality; it is after all…a dream.

Without knowing the struggles inside those other companies, we begin to doubt that we have what it takes to run a successful business. Then the dream turns into a nightmare. Maybe we’re just kidding ourselves. What made us think we could do this anyway?

This is where a lot of companies give up, close the doors and go back to working for someone else feeling like a failure.

In that time of doubt, you know something is wrong, but you just don’t know what. BEING AWARE that there is a problem is the first building block in BUILDing your dream business.

You don’t need anyone’s help with BECOMING AWARE there’s a problem.

This is where the next block in the foundation of a successful construction company needs laid. The second building block is UNDERSTANDING those problems. It would be nice to have some help with this block.

This is the realization that building a successful construction business includes more than just construction. It requires a plan for the business. In time you can figure out what you need to build a successful business, but it can take a long time and can be expensive. What you need is INSTRUCTION from someone who’s graduated with a master’s degree from the ‘school of hard knocks’.

Having been in construction for more than forty years I have just such a degree.

The third BUILDing block is INSTRUCTION. Just like going to school to learn from teachers is helpful, having someone with more experience in business operations to INSTRUCT you is also helpful. It’s important that you are INTRUCTED with the right INFORMATION. You need the right INFORMATION to help you solve the problems specific to your business.

Asking for help can be a hard thing to do, but it’s easier and faster than trying to do it alone.

The amount of information it takes to run a successful construction business can be overwhelming. Asking someone for help can be scary, not to mention time-consuming. Ultimately, it comes down to you making a decision. You can decide to keep doing things the way you’ve always done them or…

You can decide to do something different and change things.

After being INSTRUCTED and INFORMED you need to LEARN how to use the INFORMATION you’ve received. LEARNING is the block we’ll lay in the next post.

I don’t think your dream was to start a company and have it fail.

It’s up to you to keep that from happening.

If you’d like some help with finding solutions to the problems your company is facing, you can get a free 30-minute construction company consultation with me by filling out this survey.

What Happens When There’s a Change to a Construction Dream?

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It Just Gets Better If It’s Done Right

It had been four weeks since Jane had been at Lucy’s for book club. Lucy had said she would have Jane over to discuss her construction project in a few weeks when it was finished. “It’s been a month…that’s more than a few weeks.”, thought Jane

Jane was convinced that Lucy’s project had gone bad like Connie’s.

The next book club meeting was scheduled for later this week. If she hadn’t heard from Lucy before then, she would talk to her at the meeting.

Jane was hosting book club and as she was finishing the preparations the doorbell rang, thirty minutes before the meeting was scheduled to start. When she answered the door, it was Lucy.

Jane prepared to hear about Lucy’s nightmare.

“Sorry I’m early”, Lucy said, “but I wanted to talk with you about my construction project before the rest of the group gets here. I know I told you the project was scheduled to be done before now and that’s part of what I wanted to talk with you about.”

“Let me help you finish getting ready and I’ll bring you up to date on the project.” As the ladies worked to get ready, Lucy began.

“I hadn’t called yet because I wanted the project finished before we talked and they’re not done yet.”

“I knew that your project had been going too well.”, said Jane. “What happened?”

“Nothing bad,” said Lucy. “A few days after you were there, we had an idea to turn the existing small bedroom that was next to the new Master Bedroom into a walk-in closet. So consequently, the project took a little longer.”

“That sounds like handing the contractor a blank check.”, said Jane.

Lucy smiled at Jane, “Not at all. We got a proposed change order from the contractor before any additional work was done. It was similar to the original proposal for the project. It gave us a description of what the additional work consisted of, how much additional time it would take and what the price for the work would be.”

“The contractor made guy’s doing the work aware of the changes and they didn’t miss a beat. If they stay on schedule, like they have so far, they should be finished with everything, week after next.”

After a short pause with a glint in her eye, Lucy said,

“I’m so excited, this project is turning out better than I could have imagined.”

“I can’t wait to see your new bedroom and closet, said Jane, and find out more about XYZ Construction Co.”

“As soon as they’re finished, I’ll have you over and walk you through the whole amazing experience from beginning to end.”, said Lucy.

Mile Markers on the Way to Your Destination

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It’s Important to Measure Your Progress as You Go

If you aren’t intentional about your actions, you will find yourself being distracted by shinny objects. This doesn’t mean that shiny things aren’t worth the distraction. What it does mean is…you lost your focus. Unless your mission for achieving your vision involves finding shiny objects…ignore it and focus on your destination.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve discussed how a Goal Prioritization System is similar to a GPS in your vehicle. If you put in the right information, it will help you reach your destination. How to determine your destination by opening your mind to big dreams and discovering what your purpose is. And then how to turn your dream into a clear vision.

Setting goals and taking action is the best way to reach your destination.

Just like taking a trip in your vehicle, you should always be aware of where you are in relation to where you are coming from and going to. You need to constantly be paying attention to your fuel level, where the fuel stops are, how fast you’re going, where the rest stops are located, etc. The same is true for traveling through life heading to your destination.

In the last post I shared my dreams for the future and the vision of where I plan to be in seven years. I’ve always been a big dreamer, but big dreams don’t happen without action. For me the next step is the hardest to implement.

Dreaming is a lot easier than doing.

Everything I do should be advancing me toward my dream destination. If not, then I shouldn’t do it. This is critical, but hard for me. By nature, I want to do it all. I need to be intentional about not chasing shiny.

To reach my vision it is going to require a lot of different pieces and specific measurements. For today’s example we’ll look at expanding my customer base.

In my vision I state:

…“reaching hundreds of thousands of people around the world”…

How are we going to expand our customer base from 32 to “hundreds of thousands of people” by the end of 2027? To do this, we need a plan with some ways to track the progress.

If we can increase the number by 200% each year, this can be accomplished. That seems like a pretty big number…and it is.

  • 2020 – 32 x 200% = 64 + 32 = 96
  • 2021 – 96 x 200% = 192 + 96 = 288
  • 2022 – 288 x 200% = 576 + 288 = 864
  • 2023 – 864 x 200% = 1,728 + 864 = 2,592
  • 2024 – 2,592 x 200% = 5,184 + 2,592 = 7,776
  • 2025 – 7,776 x 200% = 15,552 + 7,776 = 23,328
  • 2026 – 23,328 x 200% = 46,656 + 23,328 = 69,984
  • 2027 – 69,984 x 200% = 139,968 + 69,984 = 209,952

At first this looks impossible. If you stop and think about it…all it takes is for everyone to just bring 2 new people to the group.

That doesn’t seem so impossible.

Let’s break this down some more. If we’re going expand our customer base by 64 people by the end of 2020, we need to add 8 new people each month from now to the end of the year. Up to this point this process is still fun…for me.

What really makes this process the most difficult is that the customer base is just one small piece of the overall vision. In addition to the customers we need to have something to sell that they want to buy. We need to balance the physical construction projects with the development of products and services. We need to keep the invoicing done and the bills paid. And on and on…

If one thing isn’t working, it’s time to try something new. Don’t give up. It is easy to be overwhelmed when looking at the big picture. It’s no different than taking a big trip. You have a dream, you determine the destination, you map out the route…

But if you don’t go by some mile markers, you’re never going to get there.

What is the Address of Your Vision?

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Clearing the Fog from Your Dream

You dream of your beautiful life out there in the future. You look around and see other people’s amazing lives. What are they doing that you aren’t? The dream that you have for life is so amazing that you question if it’s even a remote possibility.

When we have big dreams…I’m talking really, really big dreams, it’s easy to convince ourselves that they are unrealistic, and can never be achieved. God is a big God and He has big dreams. We’re made in His image…so wouldn’t we naturally have big dreams too?

If your dream is in alignment with God’s, then it definitely IS possible.

The first thing to remember is that everyone’s “amazing dream life” is different. Don’t try to be someone else. Your job is to be you, the best you, not them.

Last week I wrote about listening to God to determine your destination. Giving that dream an address is where the work begins. As long as it stays a dream, we don’t have to DO anything. We can just sit here and look at it, imagining how much fun it would be.

I have some pretty big dreams. Things that excite me when I think about them. Things that some people would see as frivolous, shallow or self-centered. Remember what I said earlier…everyone’s dream life is different.

My dreams for the future currently, in no particular order:

  • Be debt free
  • Add on and remodel our home
  • Travel
  • Own vacation homes
  • Own a NASCAR team
  • Own rental properties – houses, commercial, farmland
  • Build a lifted up 4-wheel drive truck for playing with
  • Have trailers, tractors, loaders, etc.
  • Keep Debby in an almost new vehicle of her choosing
  • Keep my truck maintained and repaired, in like new condition with a goal of putting a million miles on it
  • Build, repair and maintain our buildings, fences, yard, etc. at home
  • Own a plane with an office space and ability to haul my truck
  • Buy old commercial buildings and renovate them back to like new condition

I share these not in a braggadocious way, but to show you how to take the next step from these big dreams to a vision. Often the biggest accomplishments are not the dreams themselves, but the things learned as we work toward them.

My ultimate success is not determined by these dreams being achieved.

I need the address for a vision so that I can enter it into the Goal Prioritization System? I have to determine some specific things needed for these dreams to become a reality. Vision is the act or power of anticipating that which will be. It is something that is seen and perceived.

If I am going to turn my dreams into reality, I need to use my power and act in anticipation of what I perceive. I need to implement my vision.

My vision for 2027:

The business is reaching hundreds of thousands of people around the world helping them find solutions for building their dreams. The focus is on the construction industry and customers, but not limited to that. Solutions for building better businesses, dreams and lives are the same as constructing quality buildings and apply to everyone, everywhere.

The business is generating enough revenue to make it possible to do things that are changing the trajectory of my family, business associates, church, various ministries, worthwhile causes, organizations, the community, the country and the world. The eight-figure gross revenue is not spent or used in a flaunty flamboyant way or viewed as evil or wrong. It is used to enjoy life. It is managed in a way as to not spoil future generations, but rather to leave a responsible legacy. The revenue is not the goal, it is a tool being used.

These goals are achieved through construction, coaching, consulting and educating both in person and virtually. Making this size of impact requires the help of multiple people in a variety of ways. I am not able to do this alone and am blessed with an amazing team that helps carry the load.

My life is lived in abundance, not in scarcity thinking. I am blessed and generously share these blessing with family, friends, church, community and the world.

Now we have an address that we can enter into the Goal Prioritization System. This let’s us determine which direction to head. Next, we need to make sure we are ready to start the trip. Establish how far we can get on a tank of fuel, make sure we have a spare tire, find out where the fuel stops are and how far we can go on a tank of fuel.

Next week we’ll work to break the vision down into goals.

What is “Construction Clarity” and How Do I Find It?

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Lack of Understanding is a Sure Way to Ruin a Construction Dream

It was Saturday morning and Jane was cutting some cloth for the dress she was making for her niece, when there was a knock at the door. She was surprised to find her friend and neighbor Connie when she answered it.

Connie said, “I was just out for a walk and thought I would stop by to see how things were going.” Jane had just made a pot of coffee, so she invited Connie in for a cup and a visit.

She offered Connie a chair at the table as she moved the material out of the way. As she brought the coffee to the table she said, “I sure wish I had a better place to do my sewing. The way it is now, I do my measuring, cutting and pinning here at the dining table. Then I carry it all downstairs to the sewing machine.”

“It sure would be nice if I had a separate room here on the main floor where I could do it all. For years I’ve dreamed of having a sewing room added onto the house. I just don’t have a clue where to even start. Hey, you had a room added on a few years ago, maybe I should get your contactor’s info and check into it?”

“Oh”, Connie said, “I don’t know if having a room built on is such a good idea. That construction project was the worst experience of my life!”

“What do you mean,” asked Jane. “Like you”, said Connie, “We had this dream project in mind…it turned out to be a nightmare. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. The contractor we hired was the brother-in-law of someone my husband works with. I just wish we’d never done it.”

“What happened that made it so bad?”, Jane asked. Then Connie started in, “You name it, if it could go wrong, it did. We were excited when we first met with the contractor and discussed our ideas. We had this vision of our beautiful new master bathroom. Shortly after that the problems began.”

“It started with waiting and waiting to get a price. Then the bid we got was a short brief description with a price that seemed kind of high. My husband I talked it over, we really want this new bathroom, so we decided to go ahead. Then the real problems started.”

“There was little to no communication from the contractor, we never knew when or if he was going to be there working. We never knew what we were being billed for. He would ask us questions using terminology that we didn’t understand. There were tools and construction material scattered everywhere throughout the project. Sometimes he was gone for weeks and nothing was done. His last bill pushed the project over our planned budget by 30%”, he said “it was the additional work we had him do.”

“The worst part of the whole thing…the finished project wasn’t anything like what our dream had been.

Jane sat there for a few minutes with a puzzled look on her face. Then she looked up at Connie, “Wow, I never knew. Maybe you’re right. Maybe my sewing situation as it is, isn’t so bad after all.”

A few days later Jane went to a book club meeting at Lucy’s house. When she pulled up in the drive, she noticed the new addition to Lucy’s house. Jane immediately started feeling bad about what Lucy had to go through.

After Lucy invited her in, Jane said, “I’m sorry that you had to go through this terrible construction ordeal.” Lucy asked her what she was talking about. Jane replied, “I was visiting with a neighbor Saturday and she told me how terrible construction projects are.”

With a puzzled look on her face Lucy said,

“I’m not sure what hers was like, but this has been the best experience of my life!”

“It’s like watching my dream turn into reality. Would you like to see it?”, Lucy asked. “Sure,” said Jane. They went into the addition and Jane was amazed. From the outside she assumed it was finished, inside she could see that it wasn’t.

Jane asked, “I assume the construction crew has taken a break between processes and haven’t been here for a while?” “Why would you assume that?”, asked Lucy. Because, Jane said, “According to Connie, builder’s leave everything scattered around, and everything is clean and organized here.” Lucy said, “No, the crew was here today, and they’ll be back again tomorrow. It’s been like this every day.”

Now Jane was really confused. What was the difference between these two projects? Maybe this one would still turn out to be a bad experience before it’s finished.

“Who’s doing your project?”, asked Jane. Lucy answered, “Gene with XYZ Construction. He’s been great to work with.” Then Jane had an idea and thinking out loud, “I’ve been thinking about adding on a sewing room. Would you be willing to visit with me more about Gene and your project?”

“Sure”, answered Lucy, “They’re scheduled to be done in a few weeks. Let’s set a date and we can meet here. That will give you a chance to see the finished project.”

Jane was looking forward to meeting with Lucy and finding out more about Gene and XYZ Construction.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

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Little boy sitting on the ground surrounded by the question, "Why?"

 

 

 

 

If We Could Just Get Adults to Be More Curious Like Young People

 

 

Nine months ago, I met with a fine group of Scouts on a job site to answer their questions about construction and business. If adults would ask more questions like this…there would be less confusion between customer and contractor.


Too often as adults we don’t ask questions for fear that we will appear dumb. It’s like we think we should know everything about everything. As I answered their questions, I thought…


If more people asked questions like these , more dream projects would be a dream come true.


Here’s the questions they asked:

  • How much does building a new house cost?
  • How much wood does a new house take?
  • How long does it take to build a new house?
  • How many permits do you need to build a new house?
  • Do you build specially for earthquakes?
  • What equipment do you use most often?
  • How do you dig a foundation?
  • Did you go to college? Trade school?
  • What schooling do you need?
  • What made you want to start your business?
  • What was the first thing you built?
  • What was your first job ever?
  • How much steel goes into a house?
  • Have you ever built a tiny house?
  • Where are the dangerous places in a construction site?
  • Do you do more commercial or residential work?
  • Do you prefer/use more manual or electrical equipment?
  • Do you do more renovations or new building projects?
  • Have you ever broken a hard hat?
  • How often do injuries happen?
  • Do you hire out the electrical/plumbing or does the owner?

 


I thought I should share the answers to their questions with you. Due to the length of the list, I will it break down in future posts by category. Maybe these will inspire more questions to be asked. At the very least you will have these answers.


Check back next week to see the answers.


Communication is the biggest problem for construction customers and contractors. That’s why I have written extensively about it in the past. Here are links to some of those posts:

 

 

If you or someone you know have a construction question, please post it in the comments below and I will answer it too.