Government work takes some special considerations when bidding the project. The drawings may show a “typical” office building but the productivity of the field workers can be significantly impacted depending on factors that are not shown on the plans or even in the specifications. It is important to read the specifications and understand what it [...]
At this time of Thanksgiving it seems more important than ever to count our blessings. Family and friendship. The freedom of this great country in which we live. It’s opportunities for achievement. The confidence and loyalty you have showed us in business. Our best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving.
The owners and developers I have spoken with on this road trip have many concerns with the state of the economy. They are concerned that their projects will not be able to generate the revenue required to make them successful. They see a decided lack of money being available to fund their construction needs. They [...]
While talking with clients around the country I am finding they are having second thoughts about being able to bid upcoming work with any level of profitably. This is due to two areas of concern. The amount of competition that is expected on the upcoming projects. The lack of experienced estimators and project personnel to [...]
Estimators need to compile all the data that they can about every job that they bid. This data needs to include the internal items such as: equipment labor subcontractors materials overhead profit You also need to track the external variables like: number of bidders who bid the project ranking of the bidders variances between the [...]
Social networking is not new, but it looks like it is gaining traction in the construction industry. There are social networking sites out there today for business like Linked In. At Linked In you can connect with business professionals that you have met or worked with all over the country and world. You can also [...]
My visiting with clients and friends this week is not bringing up any surprises. They are a tough, optimistic bunch that is interested in staying the course and surviving. Each of them has taken steps to keep their operations going. They are bidding more projects – when possible. Lay offs have been implemented for craft [...]
Addendums can severely impact the scope of a project prior to the bid. It is very important to check frequently if an addendum has been issued for a project you are estimating. Even if you are on the plan holder list, an estimator can’t rely on others to notify them of the changes. Whether you [...]
Society is killing the construction industry. There is so much emphasis and pressure placed on kids these days that in order to be successful, you need to go to college and “get that piece of paper”! Over the years society has painted a negative view of obtaining a skill in a trade. When I first [...]
This week marks the first week of a 3+ week road trip. This trip will wend through Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and then home in Nebraska. I will be observing construction project sites – by the road and visiting client offices. The first part of the [...]
