ConstructConnect Blog

Whether you’re a roofing or concrete contractor, your bidding process likely involves lots of moving parts. While you may already be using a digital takeoff tool to eliminate paper blueprints, your estimating workflow may still include a mixed bag of supplier and vendor spreadsheets. Inevitably, this can make bid day a mad scramble—especially if you’re juggling last-minute addenda and change orders.  

It’s safe to say that 2020 has pretty much been a dumpster fire of a year. The coronavirus pandemic and subsequent shelter-in-place and stay-at-home orders and other health precautions has significantly impacted how we work and live. This year I’ve found myself with, not necessarily more free time, but less things to do to occupy that time like going to the movies, traveling, attending sporting events and concerts, and hanging out with friends and family.

It’s time once again to unveil ConstructConnect’s Top 5 Coolest Buildings of the Year. Each year it gets harder and harder to narrow down our picks to just five buildings. In a normal year, we typically see a few of the projects we have in early consideration get delayed or postponed, and 2020 was no exception, thanks in no small part to the coronavirus pandemic. That being said, there were a number of great projects to come out of 2020 and this list could have easily been expanded to the Top 10 or Top 15 Coolest Buildings of the Year.

Not that long ago, general contractors who weren't using a subcontractor prequalification process were taking a huge risk. We were in the midst of the Great Recession and good contracting opportunities were becoming harder and harder to find. This led to more firms, both general contractors and subcontractors, bidding on projects they weren't equipped to handle. General contractors were focused more on getting the lowest bid from subcontractors rather than making sure they were capable of adequately performing the work.

When it comes to construction project management, project managers often need to deal with unexpected challenges. Though technology has come a long way in improving the process of workflow management and business efficiency, the only thing that defines success is identifying the right set of tools.

Many construction companies operate on razor thin margins and most are definitely not strangers to cash flow issues. Compound those with a crisis and things can get rocky fast. However, dealing with financial hardships and challenging stretches in business life have given contractors and other construction business owners the skills and steadfastness to withstand difficult times.

Construction project management is not a one-size-fits-all practice. Managers and supervisors will change their practices to suit a specific job site, but some approaches continue to be favorites regardless of time, distance or specific need. What are the most popular project management approaches in the construction industry, and why are they essential?

The year 2020 has been nothing short of a pandemic-sized surprise. “Normal” has been redefined to include mask apparel, social distancing, and a rewrite on what public life looks like. Despite limitations, there are organizations that continue to cross the divide and care for their own. Such is true for AIA Detroit, a chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

“Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother [and sister] in the field and serves, as he best can, the same cause.” - Abraham Lincoln

When interviewing and hiring new employees for your do you consider how the candidate will impact your construction company’s reputation? Your employees are the face of your company. Your company’s reputation is a direct reflection of the quality of the work they do and their professionalism on the jobsite. They can either help you build and maintain a strong reputation for your business or demolish it.