Table of Contents July 2006

FEATURES

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  Customer surveys can provide remodelers with valuable information

  Bowers Construction, McLean, Va., has been conducting post-job customer surveys since it was incorporated 15 years ago. Co-owner Wilma Bowers says that due to the remodeling industry's poor reputation, homeowners are predisposed to thinking they will have a terrible experience. “We want to prove...

   
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  Proper employee placement is key to success

  Jody Kenote took up framing at the age of 14, sharpened his carpentry skills in vo-tech school, and worked for a handful of companies before joining DG Liu Contractor, Dickerson, Md., in 1997. He was 31 and “a framing Yoda,” says his boss Jerry Liu, who quickly promoted him to lead carpenter.

   

Before and After

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  Before + After: Wooded Bliss

  Views, views, and more views topped the clients' wish list. And views — of towering oak and cherry trees; of wildlife including deer and the occasional great horned owl; and, in winter, of the twinkling lights of town, six miles away — were what Rochman Design-Build, Ann Arbor, Mich., delivered...

   

Reader Panel

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  Statistics on customer surveys

  Surveying customers is the best way to collect direct feedback. The information you gather can help you improve your service. That improved service, in turn, translates to repeat business and referrals. We found that 92% of Reader Panel members follow up with their clients — and that approximately...

   

VIEW POINT

FIRST WORD

• Creating a successful work environment

  In 1987, John Abrams converted South Mountain Company, the small Martha's Vineyard construction company he co-founded in 1975, to a worker-owner cooperative corporation. He and two trusted company foreman became the original three owners, with eight employees in line for ownership; today, more than...

   

IN PERSON

• Kitchen and Bath Showcase coming to Remodeling Show in 2006

  The kitchen and bath tend to be the highest budget areas of a remodel, having huge profit potential, but they also can have potentially low profit margins due to inexperienced job planning and high materials costs.

   

News + Notes

• Senate Passes Immigration Bill

  While, as of mid-June, legislators were saying all the right things about working out their differences, “cautious optimism” is probably the most accurate description of the mood toward the bill being passed, and anyone giving odds better than a coin flip is probably being overly confident.

   
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  Market Still in Good Shape

  In its annual “State of the Nation's Housing” report, the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University (JCHS) affirmed that, while there are more reasons to be concerned than in the past, the outlook for the near future is still relatively bright.

   

MARKET WATCH

• Local Forecast: Broader Range

  Much has been written about joining industry associations, but Neal Hendy, president of Neal's Design-Build, says that the businesspeople you consult with don't have to be remodelers to make picking their brains worthwhile.

   
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  RMI says remodeling market started 2006 strongly

  The remodeling market started 2006 strongly, according to the latest release of the Remodeling Market Index (RMI). The current market conditions portion of the index — released by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) — rose from 46.6 in the final quarter of 2005 to 48.1 in the first...

   

COMMENTARY

GUEST COLUMNIST

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  Women outnumbered in remodeling profession

  Our industry is predominantly composed of men. Although an increasing number of women are entering the profession in various capacities, they are significantly outnumbered. And just as Peter comes to rely on Wendy for stability and nurturing, many remodelers have a Wendy on staff who holds things...

   

LINDA CASE

• Best practices in the remodeling industry

  Research in our industry is scarce and should be taken seriously — especially when it reveals how super-successful remodelers use certain business practices to achieve dramatic results.

   

MARK RICHARDSON

• Using Effective Communication Techniques

  When it comes to communication, becoming more efficient may mean becoming less effective. This is more than a clever play on words; it's an important issue that every business owner must address.

   

SHAWN MCCADDEN

• Life After Remodeling

  Retirement. Most remodelers are too busy running jobs to even think about it. Or they love their work so much that they can't imagine a time when work might be replaced by leisure activities. Either way, your body may not allow you to work forever. The smart thing to do is to plan for a life after...

   

YOUR BUSINESS

Sales and Marketing

• Getting past client hurdles

  Some clients are motivated by their dreams, and others are constricted by their budget.

   

• Host Open Houses for Referrals

  Engagement is a hot business buzzword, according to marketing consultant Adrienne Zoble. She says that one way to engage your referral base is by hosting open houses at recently completed projects.

   

• Expanding to minority markets

  More than ever, remodeling and the American Dream go hand in hand.

   
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  Getting Children Involved With Remodeling

  Proving that great publicity comes in all shapes and sizes, Fannin Remodeling targeted a dozen first and second graders in March, and hit the bull's-eye.

   

BOTTOM LINE

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  Small-Business Retirement Savings Adviser

  This retirement adviser from the U.S. Department of Labor businesses with fewer than 100 employees.

   

BY DESIGN

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  Higher ceilings are the norm in new homes

  Recent trends indicate that higher ceilings — 9 and 10 feet — are the norm in new homes. While many remodeling clients are looking for increased ceiling height, they are also interested in the ceiling as a design element.

   

FIELD NOTES

• Tips for job descriptions

  When finding carpenters gets tough, tough remodelers get creative. In his help-wanted ads, Gary Potter of Potter Construction, Seattle, uses the words that his own carpenters selected to describe themselves in their DISC profiles.

   

• Summer Jobsite Safety

  Education is the key to conquering any kind of jobsite safety risk, and the summer heat is no exception. We take heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and other heat-related threats very seriously, and as the temperatures climb, we discuss their warning signs and remedies at our biweekly meetings of...

   

GOOD FORM

• Employment Essentials

  The I-9 form (also known as the Employment Eligibility Verification form), is one that every business owner should be familiar with — you're required to fill it out for all your employees. But construction attorney D.S. Berenson of Johanson Berenson LLP says that the biggest problem he encounters...

   

Tech at Work

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  Paying overtime may be worth it

  Who has the higher labor burden rate — one of your higher- or lower-paid employees? Would it be smarter to hire a new employee or to pay overtime to an existing employee? The answers may surprise you, says Diane Gilson, CPA and president of Info Plus Accounting.

   

Ways + Means

• Customer Service Training

  Although a company's field staff has a huge influence on a customer's ultimate satisfaction, few companies provide customer service training to this critical group of employees. For David Merrill, president of Merrill Contracting, Arlington, Va., customer service is one of the most important...

   

• Defining the scope work on a project

  Perhaps the single largest source of disputes between contractors and owners during the course of remodeling projects stems from failure to clearly define the scope of work.

   

• Knowing your competition

  It's good to know your competition —their weaknesses and best practices — so you can improve your own business. But should you be friendly with your competitors? Yes, says Victoria Downing, consultant to the remodeling industry, author, and REMODELING contributor.

   

• Incorporating your business

  The Internet makes it possible to do nearly everything online, including incorporate your business. Type the words “business formation services” into a search engine and you'll be offered more than 10,000 results. Although it might seem easier and less expensive to go this route — rather than see a...

   

BIG50

CLOSE UP

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  Big50 winners creating a diverse workplace

  Many companies talk about diversity, but Everett Collier and David Ostrom live it. They have to: Their San Francisco company, Collier Ostrom (Big50 2000), has experienced a major demographic shift that is having an impact on remodelers everywhere. In short, the largely white, male industry is...

   

FACE OFF

• Big50 dicuss contracting outside of their company

  Do you allow homeowners to contract out certain parts of their remodel?

   

SECOND LOOK

• Big50 Ted Brown sells business

  Two years ago in August, Ted Brown (Big50 1991) sold his design/build company, Traditional Concepts, after 20 years in business. “I was ready to do something else,” Brown says. As of this writing Brown is acting as a consultant for his former company and is engaged to consult with a large national...

   

SOLUTIONS

• Big50 discuss battling burnout

  How do you help employees bounce back in the face of burnout?

   

KITCHEN AND BATH

DESIGN CLINIC

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  Creating a uniform appearance for pony wall countertops

  There are many ways to place nontraditional countertops in 20-20 software. This month we focus on scaling a pony wall using a method that involves fewer steps and does not require a corner miter.

   

SPEC BOOK

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  Cabinetry for the Kitchen and Bath

  Many different styles and options for cabinetry in the kitchen or bathroom.

   

Management

• Survey pegs women as decision makers for the home

  Both homeowners and residential contractors agree that women are the primary decision makers for home improvement projects, according to an online survey by ServiceMagic, an Internet service that connects homeowners with pre-screened and customer-rated home service professionals.

   

• Broan-NuTone announces its fourth annual The Best Kitchen Design Competition

  Broan-NuTone announces its fourth annual The Best Kitchen Design Competition. Kitchen designers, student designers, and NKBA student members are eligible to enter.

   

• Business and Design Books for Industry Professionals

  The National Kitchen & Bath Association now offers a Professional Resource Library — a series of business and design books for industry professionals. The series includes nine volumes that cover design, products, residential construction, mechanical systems, business practices, drawing...

   

REPLACEMENT

DECKS

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  Solutions for deck collapse

  For the last seven years, professor Frank Woeste has been studying deck failures at Virginia Tech. He and his colleagues, Joe Loferski and Cheryl Anderson, point to two critical points of failure for decks and balconies — ledger board attachments and railing systems. Both these connections are...

   

ROOFING

• Having effective sales meetings

  The purpose of your sales meeting should be to help salespeople sell more products. I like to hold sales meetings at 9 a.m. on Mondays. Attendance is mandatory for all sales-people and anyone else involved in sales management — and the meetings should last no longer than one hour.

   

• Useful roof stripping tools

  Speaking about roof tear-offs, roofer Pat Green of Columbia, Mo., says, “There's no replacement for plain old hard work.” Power spudders and wheeled tear-off bars are designed for flat, commercial roofs, he explains. “In residential work, there is no secret weapon.” Still, he concedes, good tools...

   

PRODUCTS

IN FOCUS

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  Staff picks for tool storage products

  Remodeling Magazine staff picks the best new tools and tool products.

   
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  Lighting options for the home

  A variety of lighting options for the home.

   
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  Uniquely Detailed Siding Options

  Since curb appeal is as much about keeping up with the Joneses as it is about having an inviting home exterior, providing homeowners with uniquely detailed siding options is essential. Whether your clients want to flaunt their new siding's color, texture, or style to their neighbors, industry...

   

TRENDS

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  Changing Trends in Power Generators

  The word “gridlock” has a whole new meaning these days, with the U.S. power grid serving a growing number of homes. Increased demand combined with power outages caused by severe weather have increased momentum in the whole-house standby power market. “Ten years ago, this market was nonexistent. But...

   

• Knob are important in cooktop design

  When shopping for a cell phone, do you put display models to your ear or pretend to dial? It may seem silly, but everyone's done it and appliance manufacturers believe there's more to these actions than you might realize.

   
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  Growing trend to have multi-functional rooms

  Gone are the days of naming rooms for their purposes. Laundry rooms, studies, living rooms, and kitchens are all giving way to multiuse spaces, and while no one's showering in the kitchen quite yet, the boundaries continue to blur between other rooms in the home. Industry suppliers are...

   

LAST WORD

Bench Mark

• Predicting loss or gain

  Last month we looked at labor productivity through the lens of the project schedule. By looking at how much time we took to complete a project, we could predict loss or gain to margin.