Construction Informer

There don’t seem to be too many reasons not to use advanced framing techniques. The more technical name for this is Optimum Value Engineering (OVE) and while not a radical departure from typical framing it can take some special focus to pull it off. Framing crews who work while they sleep will have to wake [...]

History so far has shown that if there is anything you an depend upon it is that costs of things will always go up. Lately it seems fuel is leading the charge and of course that affects almost everything since fuel is so deeply imbedded in the economics of supply and demand.
Normally prices of [...]

With the recent announcement by the New York City district attorney that a contractor is being charged with manslaughter in relationship to the death of a worker it is a grim reminder of not only the dangerous activities associated with construction but also the enormous responsibility imposed on those who undertake to manage these activities.  [...]

Sub contractors are taking to the streets- well not literally, but they are kind of rankled- out in California because of indemnity clauses in contracts with GCs. They don’t think it’s fair that contracts are written to pass costs of building failures along to them, almost exclusively. So they are behind legislation that will lower [...]

I’m still trying to get my mind around this one so if any of you have thoughts that might bring this into focus please feel encouraged to leave comments.
According to the Triangle Business Journal, and company press releases, the North Carolina-based utility company Progress Energy wants to pay builders and developers to build residences that [...]

Reputable contractors who remodel and offer home improvements can have an uphill battle dealing with consumers’ perceptions of their professionalism and abilities. Unlike their efforts at keeping other professions and businesses honest states like to parade their records relating to actions taken against contractors on the behalf of consumers.
California claims it investigates more than 20,000 [...]

Pakistan To Start Major Construction Efforts: The Prime Minister of Pakistan announced his country will be undertaking a project that will build a million houses for government retirees. Construction is expected to start soon. Yusaf Raza Gilani also said the government will be rebuilding prime tourist areas that were damaged by a 2005 earthquake. He [...]

For small contractors it’s sometimes tough to get bonded for public projects so the Small Business Administration is stepping up to help out a bit. For projects up to $2 million the agency is working with surety bond companies by guaranteeing a percentage of potential losses if the contractor defaults.
Wading through the standards, research, advice [...]

For everyone in the construction business risk is like a hot potato and it’s handled that way – it’s passed around because nobody wants to take the heat, regardless of their responsibility.
Originally insurance companies recognized they were in the business of insuring against risk and understood that. Today insurance companies are in the business of [...]

As the sub-prime debacle goes through its process we see credit tightening and even people with very good credit are having difficulties getting mortgages. As more people are forced to stay in the home they have they will be spending money to maintain and upgrade those homes.
Interestingly, prior to 1999 and the beginning of the [...]