You Gotta Make a Profit
I think profit is one of the most beautiful words in our language. It stands for growth, bank credit, bonding, better cars, sending our kids to good schools, bigger homes, travel and a secure retirement. Over the years I’ve heard contractors say they’ve taken jobs at cost to keep their crews busy. I think this […]
The Construction Schedule, Part 1
There is, or there should be, a direct correlation between the estimated labor and the construction schedule for every project. All the money you have allocated in your estimate for the different labor categories does relate to how much work your crews can perform within a given period of time. In advance […]
Loads, Water
As a plan checker for a city in California and with experience as a steel framer, I am quite interested in being able to check the ceiling loads imposed on walls to determine if the designer has done the math. Currently I have the SSMA information but do not know how to apply the information […]
Economic Experts Forecast a Positive Outlook for U.S. Commercial Construction in 2006–2007
U.S. construction will continue to grow at a steady 3 to 3.5 percent during 2006, according to the industry analysts and economists who gathered to present their forecasts for the next year and beyond at Reed Construction Data’s® BuildingTeam Summit held at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel on Oct. 27 and 28, 2005, in Washington, D.C. […]
2005 Forecast Finds Optimism Among Contractors
CIT Equipment Finance, a unit of CIT Group Inc., announced Dec. 8 the results of the 29th annual CIT Construction Industry Forecast. The 2005 outlook indicates that U.S. construction industry leaders are predicting a strong year ahead as their confidence hit an all-time high. Of nine U.S. regions surveyed, six showed an increase in optimism. […]
The Definition of Win
When you look into the eyes of a winner, what do you see? Perhaps you notice a fire of passion, determination, resilience and a sense of self confidence that screams, “I can do it! Nothing can stop me from winning!” We’ve all seen winners in our personal and -sional lives. They are the […]
What Will Be the Effect of the Election on the U.S.Construction Economy?
The 2004 presidential election was a cliffhanger. Everybody, especially the talking heads, said that no one could predict the outcome. In this, everybody predicted correctly. But everybody also said the results would be extremely close, and there was widespread concern that voting irregularities would keep lawyers on both sides very busy, and it might be […]
Writing a Better Proposal
Now that you have spent considerable time taking off the project and then turning that takeoff into an estimate, it is time to write the proposal. It doesn’t matter how good of a job you have done with preparation of the estimate, or how much time you’ve spent-it all comes down to the proposal. Can […]
Las Vegas in Oklahoma
The Cherokee Casino, located in Tulsa, Okla., is a seven-story hotel that includes 80,000 square feet of gaming space. The striking interior of the was designed to truly bring the look and feel of Las Vegas to Oklahoma. The interior design features traditional elements such as Cherokee symbols, while simulataneously incorporating the art […]