Business Resources for Builders, Remodelers, & Contractors

Recommended Trade Magazines, Blogs, Websites, Forums, and FaceBook Groups

Industry Business Information


• The Building & Remodeling Business & Project Management Wiki
TheBuildingAndRemodelingWiki.com is a collection of Project Management definitions and terminology with an emphasis and interest in the Theory of Constraints, Lean, TQM and Six Sigma methodologies.

http://thebuildingandremodelingwiki.com

• The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University
The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University is another great source for research and articles effecting the building and remodeling industries. Most noticbly the The State of the Nation’s Housing 2016 came out back in June of ’16 and the is just a ton of information in other reports on the Working Papers & Reports page.

http://www.jchs.harvard.edu

Industry Trade Magazines


• Remodeling Magazine
Remodeling Magazine was amongst the first industry trade magazines I began with decades ago  (along with New England Builder which became The Journal Of Light Construction). It is well known for its yearly Cost vs. Value Reports as well as a great collection of Business, Product, How-To, Benchmark related articles.

http://www.remodeling.hw.net

• The Journal Of Light Construction
The Journal Of Light Construction was the other industry trade magazines I began with decades ago (along with New England Builder which became The Journal Of Light Construction). Some Recommended Reading:

http://www.jlconline.com

• Professional Remodeler Magazine
Professional Remodeler magazine is an industry trade magazine targeted at the small to medium business remodeling contractor and residential and commercial professionals. It has a good collection of great business articles. Some recommended reading:

http://www.proremodeler.com/

• Qualified Remodeler Magazine
QualifiedRemodeler.com – The website for Qualified Remodeler magazine. Good article content. Notably with Michael Gerber author of the E-Myth Contractor as one of their contributors.

http://www.qualifiedremodeler.com/

• Woodworking Network - FDMC
Woodworking Network brings you the latest custom wood products, cabinetry and manufacturing news and trends for commercial and residential woodworkers and publishes FDMC Magazine. (FaceBook | Twitter | Pinterest | LinkedIn | YouTube)

http://www.woodworkingnetwork.com

• Contractor Magazine
 Contractor Magazine -While my own personal concentration and interests were centered on architectural woodwork and metals and I have little trade technique understanding or knowledge of HVAC I read Contractor Magazine- The Newsmagazine Of Mechanical Contracting and visit their site pretty often. I like to read the columnists there especially on business and management. I think good business and management advice is good business and management advice no matter where you read it. (FaceBook |  LinkedIn | YouTube)

http://www.contractormag.com/

• Electrical Contractor Magazine
Electrical Contractor Magazine -My feelings for Electrical Contractor magazine ditto those of Contractor Magazine. Most of my interest here resides in the Business Articles, (Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube)

http://www.ecmag.com/

• inPAINT Magazine
inPAINT – The Magazine for Professionals is not just tools and technique for painting contractors but full of good business advice articles too. (Twitter | FaceBook)

http://inpaintmag.com

• Walls & Ceilings Magazine
Walls & Ceilings Magazine reports on drywall, plaster, ceilings, steel framing, fireproofing, insulation, EIFS/stucco, ICFs/SIPs, the building envelope & more.

Walls & Ceilings | Drywall, plaster, stucco, steel framing & more

Walls & Ceilings reports on drywall, plaster, ceilings, steel framing, fireproofing, insulation, EIFS/stucco, ICFs/SIPs, the building envelope & more.

 

• Kitchen & Bath Business Magazine
KBB-Official KBIS Publication | Kitchen & Bath Business is the official KBIS (The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show) publication. They provide design professionals in the kitchen & bath industry with news & trends.

https://www.kbbonline.com

• Green Industry Pros
GreenIndustryPros.com is the online source for lawn mower comparisons, reviews, professional landscape contractors and lawn equipment dealers who want to learn about landscape trends and business strategies with a great collection of articles on business you can find in their Contractor Success Guide. (Facebook | Twitter | YouTube )

http://www.greenindustrypros.com

Online Communities


• The Building Knowledge FaceBook Group
About the Building Knowledge FaceBook Group:

  • To provide an inviting, yet moderated environment conducive to the free exchange of information, opinions, & techniques related to residential & light construction building practices, principles, methods, materials, & standards.
  • To provide an outlet for professional trades people, building product manufacturers, architects, designers, & those deriving their income from the construction industry, both here & abroad, a platform on which to share knowledge & resources among their peers.
  • To promote professionalism within all areas of the construction industry.
  • Please be mindful & respectful of all present & refrain from discussions having to do with race, politics, religion, or otherwise divisive issues. Please do NOT post promotional material for your company or organization. Such material will be immediately removed and the member blocked.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/204659739677684/

• WoodWeb
WoodWeb -There are a bunch of great forums over on WoodWeb along with a pile of information in what they call their KnowledgeBase and it’s all searchable. There are forums there for Adhesives, Architectural Woodworking, Business and Management, Cabinet and Millwork Installation, Cabinetmaking, CAD, CNC, Dust Collection, Safety Equipment, and Plant Operation, Professional Finishing, Forestry, Professional Furniture Making, Laminating and Solid Surfacing, Sawing and Drying, Solid Wood Machining, Value Added Wood Processing Forum, and Veneers. The topics there get pretty industry, craft, and technique specific but if that’s what you need it’s a great place. It’s also a great place to go to start to find industrial woodworking machinery.

http://www.woodweb.com/

Building & Remodeling Business Podcasts


• The Contractor Fight with Tom Reber
The Contractor Fight with Tom ReberThe Contractor Fight Podcast challenges contractors to live unafraid & motor against mediocrity. It’s time to pick a fight and take back our dignity. It’s time to wage war on the mindsets that hold us back from business and personal success.

Facebook | Twitter | Google+Instagram | YouTube | Podcast )

https://thecontractorfight.com/tag/the-contractor-fight/

• The Construction Leading Edge Podcast By Todd Dawalt

The Construction Leading Edge Podcast By Todd DawaltThe Construction Leading Edge is a one stop shop for contracting professionals who want to be more effective entrepreneurs and leaders. Business owners, managers, project executives, project managers, and field leaders will all benefit from the interviews, resources, tools, and tips offered.

Facebook | Twitter | Podcast )

https://thecontractorfight.com/tag/the-contractor-fight/

Building & Remodeling Business Blogs


• For Construction Pros
ForConstructionPros.com is a resource really geared for the commercial construction industry including news, articles, equipment and product reviews for the commercial construction industry. (Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube)

http://www.forconstructionpros.com

• AEC Business
AEC Business – For Game Changers and Innovators in Construction AEC industry is a blog and podcast.

https://aec-business.com/

• Construction Dive: Construction News and Trends
Construction Dive: Construction News and Trends provides news and analysis for construction industry executives covering commercial and residential construction and focusing on topics like technology, design, regulation, legal issues and more. (FaceBook | Twitter | LinkedIn )

http://www.constructiondive.com

• Michael Stone: Markup and Profit Blog
Michael Stone’s blog and book (Markup & Profit A Contractor Guide) I think are good valuable resources full of good general information for small building and remodeling contractors except for what he writes about determining and working with markup which I have some incredibly strong disagreement with (see my articles: One of the Potential Problems in Using a Traditional Volume Based Markup and  Comparing Markup Methodologies In Real Some World Pricing Scenarios) still I find his writing very valuable and worthwhile.

Michael Stone’s: Markup and Profit Blog:

Markup and Profit Blog

I just attended your 2 day class in Omaha and I wanted to tell you Thank you again for everything you guys do! The class was very good with a lot of ideas and ways to make my business better. I really appreciate you guys!!!

 

 

• Mark Paskell - The Contractor Coaching Partnership
From the About The Contractor Coaching Partnership page:

The Contractor Coaching Partnership, Inc was founded to educate and train the contractor servicing the residential homeowner market. Many contractors are very good at what they do but have challenges managing and running their companies. Often times they are busy working in their business and have no time or desire to work on company system development.

The Contractor Coaching Partnership Blog:

https://www.thecontractorcoachingpartnership.com/blog-contractor-coaching-construction-business-coach-epa-rrp-lead-rule

•Clem Lebine’s Traditional Building Magazine website

Clem Lebine’s Traditional Building Magazine website – A great place to research the more classic and elegant building materials and techniques that can realy set you building and/or remodeling efforts apart from the crowd. (FaceBook | Twitter | Pinterest)

• Professional Painting Contractor

Professional Painting Contractor (PPC) magazine is published by Northbrook Publishing on behalf of the Sherwin-Williams Company for owners and managers of commercial and residential painting companies.

• The Painters Chatroom

The Painters Chatroom For painters there is also The Painters Chatroom which is really a set of DCForum message boards and not chat rooms as the name may imply.

• INC & FastCompany Magazines

While not construction and remodeling per se I like INC Magazine & FastCompany– For general reading about modern business ideas and issues I like Inc & Fast Company Magazines. A great sites for entrepreneurial businesses. Tons of information and business tools.

• Winning Workplaces

Winning Workplaces, a not-for-profit organization in Evanston, Ill., that helps small businesses adopt successful workforce practices,

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