Table of Contents May 2005

Features

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  Engineering the Client Experience

  Self-described remodeling neophytes Susan Parker and Ed Hynes “lived to rue the day” they almost hired another contractor instead of Greg Antonioli. The Boston-area couple, a college professor and a library director, had a substantial project in mind when they interviewed a remodeler we'll call...

   

• Six Little Ways to Lose a Sale

   

• Sweat the Small Stuff

  On the one hand it seems that sales call etiquette is merely common sense. On the other, it seems that sales calls can be pretty easy to mess up.

   

Before + After

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  Before+After: Mind the Gap

  Desireé MacSorley purchased two adjacent 1930s houses in an up-and-coming commercial neighborhood as an investment.

   

Other Articles

• 

  Engineering the Client Experience

  Self-described remodeling neophytes Susan Parker and Ed Hynes “lived to rue the day” they almost hired another contractor instead of Greg Antonioli. The Boston-area couple, a college professor and a library director, had a substantial project in mind when they interviewed a remodeler we'll call...

   

• Six Little Ways to Lose a Sale

   

• Sweat the Small Stuff

  On the one hand it seems that sales call etiquette is merely common sense. On the other, it seems that sales calls can be pretty easy to mess up.

   

View Point

• Shoe-in Candidates

  A contest run by the Red Wing Shoe Co. will honor one of this country's most overlooked assets: craftsmen.

   
• 

  Getting Green

  Starting this past January, contractors on the Eastern seaboard had to adjust to new products, or new versions of old products, thanks to regulations that reduced the allowable limits of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

   

• Gassed!

  According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average price for a gallon of gasoline this month will be $2.35. That's an increase of 37 cents from over a year ago, and up 6 cents from mid-April. And as pump prices have been gradually climbing over the past few months, remodelers...

   

• Big Deal

  This is the twentieth year REMODELING has devoted its May issue to honoring the incoming class of the Big50.

   

Commentary

Linda Case

• On Budgets

  We're now five months into the year and if you don't have a Plan for Profit (less glamorously known as a budget), let's get it done. If you do have a budget, you may be able to take it to the next level and find it even more useful. A budget is not just a piece of paper to develop, check off that...

   

Mark Richardson

• People Are Your Greatest Assets

  How much time and energy are you spending to help your employees do a better job? How much inconvenience are you willing to tolerate for the sake of employee betterment? The most likely answer is: "Not enough."

   

Walt Stoeppelwerth

• Sweet Deal

  Home improvement financing in the remodeling market is starting to gain momentum, but it's still a small part of the overall picture. Some of the most recent numbers I've seen show that two-thirds of full-scale remodeling projects are paid for in cash or with credit cards, while less than 30% are...

   

Guest Columnist

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  Get a Grip on Tools

  As a woman in our industry, I share with many of my male colleagues the pleasure of a job well done using power tools.

   

Your Business

Ways + Means

• Holding Employees Accountable

  A common desire among company owners is to “hold their employees accountable.” Typically this means making sure that each person is doing their job well and taking responsibility when the results are not met.

   

• By Law: Avoiding Fines and Penalties

  One of my clients framed his company's first contract: “We will wire your house for $125.00.” In today's legal environment, that note would subject him to criminal penalties. Most lawmakers have concluded that homeowners need protection from contractors. Check to see if these commonly “prohibited...

   

• Take Note

  Something as simple as a low-tech note can often save a lot of trouble.

   

• Break It Down to Build It Up

  It didn't make sense to Craig Durosko of Sun Design Remodeling Specialists in Northern Virginia to do an “autopsy only on a job on which something went wrong.” His company does a “job debrief” on every job, 30 days after it's been paid in full.

   
• 

  Decisions, Decisions

  Suppose your client at the last minute asks your painter to use different paint. Does the painter have to call the office, or have you empowered him or her to make that decision?

   

Bottom Line

• Group Mentality

  The MaxEquity buying group negotiates with manufacturers and retailers to provide rebates to remodelers based on their purchases. President Bob Sayre is a remodeler who decided to do something about the difficulty contractors have in competing with big box chains.

   

• Taking Care of Business

  When Candi and Troy Hilton closed their remodeling company to move to another state, they wanted to make sure clients from their eight years in business were protected. Candi talked to their insurance agent and found out about discontinued-operation insurance.

   

Sales + Marketing

• News They Can Use

  Newsletters are a friendly and cost-effective way to keep your company in the forefront of clients' and prospects' minds. What's not so easy is finding the time or expertise to write, design, print, and mail a newsletter. Here's a snapshot of three companies that can do the job for you — in part or...

   

• Communicate!

  Effective communication is your single best means of getting referrals and repeat business. These five common courtesies are easy and will gain you priceless good will:

   

• Wish You Were Our Client

  Home Equity Builders (HEB) maintains a constant and upbeat presence in the minds of homeowners in affluent Great Falls and McLean, Va. Thanks to the postcards in their mailboxes, residents know HEB is local, wins awards, and does high-end remodeling as well as handyman work.

   

Field Notes

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  Tim Faller: Lead Carpenter Planning Time

  After the transfer of information from sales to production, the lead carpenter should spend time setting up the job, both in his mind and on paper.

   
• 

  Setting the Stage

  We were faced with the challenge of accessing 30-foot walls for an exterior restoration of a seacoast village home built in the late 1800s. The daredevil method would have been to to use pump jacks on the first two floors and stand in the wood gutters to access the mansard roof.

   

By Design

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  Can't Touch That

  Michael Cavanaugh's client wanted access to the garage from her house via a covered walkway. This seems simple on the surface, except zoning requirements stipulate the garage is a non-conforming structure that can't be enlarged, altered, or have anything attached to it.

   

• Drawing a Fee

  When you first begin charging for design, the fee is often seen as more of a client's commitment than a profit maker. “When you look at your efficiency in doing the design and moving the client through effectively,” says Mark Richard-son of Case Design Build, Bethesda, Md., “that's an indicator...

   

Tech@Work

• An Integrated Front End

  I recently took an in-depth look at Compu-Tool, one of the most focused “front-end” systems — not surprising, because it was developed largely for Alure (www.alure.com), one of the largest remodelers in the United States.

   

• Transfer Able

  The idea of losing data has probably kept some people from contemplating a new computer. Fear not; it isn't that difficult to transfer files.

   

Big50

Other Articles

• Big50 Class of 2005

  Every year we search the country for remodelers who distinguish themselves by outperforming their best competitors. We look for firms with top-notch business acumen, outstanding customer service, a financially strong foundation, and exciting systems. We are proud to introduce you to the Big50 Class...

   

K+B

Management

• 

  Going Green

  Hank Kasindorf, president of Eco Finishes, a distributor of green flooring in Virginia, shares his expertise on the two most popular green flooring materials in his area: bamboo and cork.

   
• 

  Bath Stone

  Designer Julie Palmacci of Macci Design came up with the idea for this rustic bath vanity for a client, and remodeler Scott McCollum of McCollum & Associates in Dallas executed the design.

   

• Show and Sell

  A few years ago, Robbinsville, N.J.-based Jon Vogel was selling about $1.5 million in projects and working 75 hours a week. He wanted to expand New Outlooks Construction but knew he couldn't do it with just himself as the only salesperson. From talking to other remodelers, he knew a full-time...

   

Spec Book

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  Sinks

  The Lancelot stainless steel sink is now offered in a double equal D shape. The satin-finish bowls are 10 inches deep to accommodate large pots and pans, and the sink is offered in both undermount and drop-in styles.

   

Replacement

Decks

• Critical Connections

  Each summer party season brings a fresh crop of news about deck failures, some of which have ended in severe injury or even death. “These reports send a chill down my spine,” says deck builder Dennis McCurdy, of Littleton, Colo. “What if that had been one of my jobs?”

   

Siding

• Three's A Crowd

  Why do people feel they have to get three bids, and should I attempt to talk the customer out of that?

   

• Replacing the Slab

  Wallace claims that what matters more than product pricing, however, is having good labor to install a house full of doors. Wallace typically buys blanks, and his crew cuts the hinge mortises and bores for the passage set on site with a Porter-Cable hinge template and lock mortiser. For this work...

   

Products

Trends

• Going Once

  Long the hot spot for discontinued Hummel figurines and lost childhood toys, eBay, the online auction site, is now positioning itself as a source for remodelers to find everything from vintage wood flooring to Viking ranges.

   
• 

  Copper Tops

  Copper is in vogue again, appearing in everything from back-splashes and countertops to air vents and downspouts. Its unique properties, such as the patina it takes on as it ages, make it a striking architectural choice, and nowhere is that more remarkable than in roofing.

   

• Forms With Function

  What if you could build a safe room or other addition that snaps together like Legos and has built-in soundproofing and insulation?

   

In Focus

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  High-Tech Tools: Scanners, Lasers, Range Meters, and more

  CenterVision technology finds the stud in just one pass with the ProScanner OneStep. The floating scanner head features a bright backlit LCD display and locks into fully articulating arms that connect to the handle.

   
• 

  Insulation

   
• 

  Garage Doors and Openers

  Garage door manufacturers are coming up with new ways to create authentic wood looks with more reliable materials. Amarr has abandoned overlays with its Classica Collection, opting instead to press patterns directly into the steel.

   

Other Articles

• Top Performers

  Big50 companies complete a questionnaire that includes basic data about their financial performance and company structure. We've compiled the data and computed the averages, then selected the most interesting results to present here. Compare your numbers to see how you stack up against some of the...