How to Strengthen Your Resume

July 7, 2010 – 6:00 am

Unlike many professions, estimating is not a career you learn from a four year degree.  Some colleges do offer classes for estimating, but it’s mainly a hands-on learning occupation.  Many estimators I know refer to their alma mater as the school of hard knocks.

There are several things an estimator can do to strengthen their resume to help sell their employer (or for job searching).

It’s not unusual to see estimators being LEED certified.  To help even the playing field with your competitors, I would suggest having at least one person going through the certification as a marketing/sales tool at the very least.

Another option to help sell the company to potential clients is having their estimators belong to a profession organization like the American Society of Professional Estimators (ASPE).  Not only does this look very good on the estimator’s resume, but it’s also a learning opportunity.  Monthly meetings typically cover some aspect of the business and are also a great way to make a more “personal connection” with contractors, subcontractors, vendors and yes even competitors.  Knowing your competitor can help in deciding what bids to bid and what type of approach to take to be successful.  For more information on ASPE, you can visit their website at www.aspenational.org.

Being active in the community can also be very beneficial.  Belonging to non-work related organizations can bring in leads that are not out on the streets.  Examples of these organizations includes religious groups, city based organizations and business groups.

The more you apply yourself both in your professional and personal life, the more successful you will be.

By markmentele | Posted in Construction | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

July 4th Independence Day

July 2, 2010 – 6:00 am

July 4th Independence Day – is absolutely my favorite holiday.  It is a day that I love to celebrate our freedoms.  I am looking forward to the grilling with friends and family then some nighttime fireworks as a tribute.  I hope you will enjoy the holiday also.

By Don Short | Posted in Friday Tips | Tags: , | Leave a Comment

What’s All the Fuss About This BIM Thing?

June 30, 2010 – 6:00 am

I keep hearing and reading about all of this fuss and hullabaloo about this BIM thing – Building Information Modeling (or Management).  Architects, engineers, and owners are singing the praises of information in 3D, 4D, or even 5D!  So what is the fuss?  BIM hasn’t even caught up with estimators and the estimating profession.

Architects and engineers tout the benefits of being able to see the project in 3-D.  Estimators have to do this and have been doing this for centuries.  They use the 2D plans to visualize how they fit in 3D so they can reliably estimate the costs.

The architects and engineers proclaim BIM will let them see the project in real time 4D to spot problems.  Again estimators have been doing this for centuries.  They have to determine the means and methods of the project in order to correctly estimate the costs.

When was the last time that an architect or engineer had a design that was complete?  Not just 60% or 70%, but lets say 95% to 98% for a Design-Bid-Build project?  Not in a long time!  Estimators have been filling in the blanks before architecture became a profession.

The architects, engineers, owners and others are touting BIM as a great means to share information and improve the construction process.  This could be considered the “I” in BIM.  The trouble is this system relies upon the architects and engineers putting in the correct information in the first place. Big mistake!  One way to correct this is to provide some training and education for architects and engineers. Ask any contractor for a course of study!

Oh, By the Way… My take on the BIM is:  Bim! Bam! Boom! It is just another attempt to curtail a major crisis in construction due to a lack of “How To” knowledge in the design professions.  It does accelerate communications but it is still GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out) only faster without trained and educated personnel.

By Don Short | Posted in Construction | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Safety at Home

June 28, 2010 – 6:00 am

I have heard people state that 100% of accidents could/can be avoided.  I don’t believe this one bit!  I think this is another example of how schooling does not reflect the real world.  In theory and hind sight a person could eliminate all accidents but in reality accidents will happen.

My brother-in-law recently received 6 staples in his head for a head wound.  While working in his yard he stumbled while walking.  Normally this would be no big deal and he would have gone on his business like nothing had happened.  Unfortunately for him, he happened to be right next to the latching system for the gate in his fence.  That little stumble caused his head to unpleasantly meet the latching system.  He didn’t even realize he was cut until he went to wipe the sweat off is forehead and noticed it was blood red.  In hind sight he could have prevented this accident by stepping around the unknown hole or moving the latch to the other side of the gate but in reality it was a classic “accident”.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary one definition of an accident is:  “an unexpected happening causing loss or injury which is not due to any fault or misconduct on the part of the person injured but for which legal relief may be sought”.

Based on this definition, I would like someone to explain to me how they think every accident is preventable?  I’m sorry but “stuff” (or your own word) happens.  My belief is not every accident is avoidable and that makes it all the more important to prevent the avoidable ones!

With such a conscious presence of safety in the workplace today I’m always shocked to see how all the knowledge seems to stay at work when employees go home!

Now that it’s warm out and people are working out in their yards it’s easy to spot how unsafe people are at home.  One example I seem to notice quite a bit is with weed whacking.  Weed whackers have approximately 3,000 at idle to 12,000 at full throttle rpm’s yet homeowners are out in their sandals and no safety glasses trimming their yard.  Of course they are also using a lawn mower while in their sandals also.  (I also hear the occasional injuries like someone that decided to try and be safe by securing their ladder to the large limb that they are trimming but that is a whole different issue!)

Safety in the workplace can not be stressed enough and it should be the same while at home also!  Your own house should be treated like a construction site.  A little common sense and approaching home projects with safety in mind can help you avoid a trip to the emergency room.

By markmentele | Posted in Construction | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Is it time?

June 25, 2010 – 6:00 am

Is it time for a few of the lower end contractors to fold up shop? I think the resounding answer to the question is YES. I have heard horror stories from all over the country about how the low bidder is taking the job for less that the material and subcontract costs!  Also there is the contractor that is 3 guys and a truck, bidding the waste water treatment plant and they think they are qualified and capable to do the work because they drove by a waste water treatment plant once.

Sometimes the best course of action is to fold up and not try to get a job at or below cost.  When a project is awarded to the low bidder that is at or below cost the entire construction industry is hurt.  Quality of work goes down because the contractor will try and do short cuts to make money.  The responsible contractor is left out and is left looking for the next job.

By Justin Short | Posted in Friday Tips | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Payment & Performance Bond… are YOU Protected?

June 23, 2010 – 6:00 am

Are you protected if the contractor has a payment and performance bond?

I would be willing to bet a majority of people in the construction industry would answer yes without a single hesitation.  Owners are willing to bet their own money on these bonds under the assumption it guarantee’s the protection of their project!

I had the same train of thought for years, but now I’m looking at it a bit differently.  I still believe it’s a wise idea to require the bonds on the project but that can not be the end of the story.  You can not be satisfied with just proof that the contractor has the bonds.

In Nebraska, just like virtually everywhere else, the state requires insurance and bonding companies to be licensed with the state.  Unfortunately, the dishonest companies that don’t follow the law have a higher probability of insuring a contractor with a questionable financial situation.  One analogy would be how people without car insurance seem to be the ones that cause most of the accidents.  Now, if a contractor is having financial problems (also more likely to go out of business), who would possibly sell them the bond?  The answer, the “fly by night” bond company that doesn’t care because they will be long gone before anyone realizes what happened.  The stakeholders (owners, subcontractors and vendors for example) of the project are then left high and dry.

Even if the contractor is using a legit bonding company, this doesn’t mean it’s a sure thing either. The bonding companies, just like any business, can also go under from having more claims than they can handle financially.

The first step in protecting the project is to have a well written specification that states the bonding company needs to be licensed with the state AND have an acceptable rating (“A” for example).  When the contractor submits the bid and/or payment & performance bonds the owner has to spend a little extra time and verify the bond is by a reputable company with an acceptable rating per the specifications.  Do not sign a contract with them until they have proven they can meet the specifications in regards to the bonds.

If the contractor is unable to meet the bond requirements, then I would strongly suggest walking away immediately.  The possible savings by using this contractor is pocket change compared to the financial risk you are assuming.

By markmentele | Posted in Friday Tips | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

I Wish I Were a Weather Forecaster, Not an Estimator!

June 21, 2010 – 6:00 am

Every estimator I know would rather be a weather forecaster than an estimator.  True!  Weather forecasters are paid a handsome amount of money.  They get all of the attention with headlines when right and little when wrong.  They are not expected to be right all of the time.  If they were right most of the time, people would be amazed, if not astounded!  Weather forecasters are rarely fired for being wrong.

Good and great estimators are the reason companies stay in business!  Companies can recover from bad project management, but it is rare to survive bad estimating! With a construction company, a poor superintendent can be replaced but the bid estimate cannot.  It is something that cannot be changed.  An inaccurate estimate for the owner or developer may postpone or kill a “worthwhile” project while a “marginal” project proceeds.

The estimator is supposed to be right, not just some of the time but all of the time.  If something is wrong with the job costs, it was the estimator.  If the job is profitable, it is thanks to the project manager. If the estimator was “only” as accurate as a weather forecaster, they would be unemployable.

Today, the estimator’s job has high expectations, minimal training and is with less than stellar pay.  It did not use to be this way.  The career path to the top of a company used to be through estimating, not today.  Companies used to be more profitable, not today.

Do you think there just might be a correlation?!

By Don Short | Posted in Construction | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Estimate Checklist

June 18, 2010 – 6:00 am

When starting an estimate you can make a checklist from the specification and go through the checklist while you are doing the takeoff. When you are done with the takeoff you can compare the items that you have checked off of the list with the estimate and see where any holes in the documents might be.  Also you can identify items that are on the drawings that might not be in the specifications.

This it just one easy way to reduce missed items or duplications in your estimate!

By Justin Short | Posted in Friday Tips | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

The Economic Rebound Is Here?!

June 16, 2010 – 6:00 am

The other day I was in a conversation with a friend that is involved in banking, he wondered how Tempest Company was doing.  I said it was tough but we were still in business.  He said we were better off than a lot of other companies that were out there.  Many were in the process of going out of business and others were lining up to join them.

Omaha, NE is supposedly one of the bright spots in the United States.  If that is the case, why is the level of unemployment in the construction trades at 40% or more?  I have been told by others in construction that their areas of the country have the same high level of unemployment.  So what areas of the country have such low unemployment that the national average is only 20%+ according to the feds?

Omaha, and other areas of the country, are seeing desperate contractors, subcontractors and vendors quoting work 30% to 40% below cost on all sizes of projects.  If the economy is on the rebound why can’t the contractors take work at reasonable prices? We are hearing about the manufacturers telling their distributors and wholesalers to watch their receivables.  They are warning them of contractors that are such poor business operators that they do not even know they are bankrupt yet.  Isn’t the Stimulus Spending bringing us back to prosperity?

I look around areas of the country and read reports to see there are companies earning profits.  I also see that they are not spending this money on additions, renovations or maintenance items – by choice.  I drive around the country and see that malls, shopping centers and other commercial establishments have few cars in their parking lots – at all hours of the day.  If the economy is getting better, why are they not spending the money?

I have spoke with people in the power generation sector.  They haven’t been able to build new plants, add to or significantly modify existing plants for several reasons.  A lot of the reasons involve federal regulations, among them the potential for the Cap & Trade (Cap & Tax) becoming law. With electricity demand down so much they have not had brownouts or resorted to rolling black outs.  I guess it’s a good thing we are in a recession!

Oh, By the Way… According to the federal government our economy is on the rebound.  Manufacturing is up.  Home sales are up.  The Consumer Confidence Index and other indicators are all up!  Unemployment is down.  I believe what they tell me!  Yeah, right!

By Don Short | Posted in Construction | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Cap and Trade – How Many Jobs Has it Cost? How Many More Will It Cost?

June 14, 2010 – 6:00 am

The proposed Cap and Trade legislation is costing jobs in the United States even before it gets approved. Yes, just the potential of it being enacted!  Why, because projects slated to start over a year ago to a few weeks ago have been postponed and shelved due to the proposed Cap and Trade on carbon dioxide.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is running amok trying to label carbon dioxide a pollutant.  They are attempting to enact legislation to cap the limits that can be emitted for this allegedly dangerous greenhouse gas.  Today, prior to enacting this legislation, companies are dealing with the uncertainties of Cap and Trade on carbon dioxide.  Projects, not just in the power and industrial sectors, have been cancelled or postponed.  Employees are being laid off or being asked to take early retirement.  Companies are preparing for more expenses that cannot be reduced and will only increase under the proposed Cap and Trade.

These companies ranging, from power producers to distilleries to little mom and pop operations, are going to be on the receiving end of large penalties.  These penalties will be for exceeding arbitrary determined limits of a gas that is necessary to all plant life on earth.  You can expect your utility costs to increase, not just by five or ten percent, think in the order of two to three times more than your current bills!

The cost of manufactured goods will increase substantially due to the manufacturers using the utilities that will double or triple in cost.  Manufacturers will also be creating their own “dangerous emissions” of carbon dioxide.  Every stage in the delivery of goods and services will have to pass on the increased costs of goods, services even if it is only the increased utilities.

When will the EPA start to penalize you for every breath you exhale? After all you are spewing carbon dioxide into the air.

Oh, By the Way…Plants turn carbon dioxide into oxygen.  Animals turn oxygen into carbon dioxide.  This has been going on for millennia.  What happens when we eliminate plants due to a lack of carbon dioxide?

By Don Short | Posted in Construction | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment