This spring, we at Buildertrend held our very first Building Better Summit. This was an inspiring virtual conference filled with insights shared by some of the top names in the industry. House building contractors, remodelers and construction pros from every corner of the field attended. Those who didn’t miss this one-of-kind event walked away ready to make their best business practices even better.
But some also walked away with a few unanswered questions. The Buildertrend way isn’t to leave our customers hanging. We work to provide any and every resource that’ll take our customers to the next level.
That’s why we collected those attendee questions then ran them by our expert speakers from Building Better Summit. You asked, they answered – and we’re sharing it all right here.
Matt Risinger | Risinger Build
Session topic: Homes that last: How to talk to clients about high performance houses
Q: How do you use Buildertrend to track revenue earned?
A: For cost-plus house building contractors, our revenue is based on the ability to track project budget to actual, combined with entering and retaining all invoices, receipts and other project costs (for example, hourly billable services by our project managers and labor pool). The information is entered into Buildertrend construction software and subsequently synced with QuickBooks. This combined system gives us the ability to provide our clients a monthly draw report. We also have instituted audits and appropriate checks and balances to provide assurances that all charges associated with each unique project under construction are accounted for. Via the draw process, we are reimbursed for same.
Q: What is the biggest piece of advice you have for a person soon to be graduating or getting into the industry?
A: I would recommend two things for you people getting into the industry. First, work hard. Do your best every day, and build the best homes you can within whatever constraints you are given. Don’t worry too much if your boss isn’t great or the homes are basic. Just give it your all every day. Build every home as if it were for your mom. Second, educate yourself on the industry after hours. Subscribe to “Fine Homebuilding” and “The Journal of Light Construction.” Watch all my older “Build Show” episodes and get on BuildShowNetwork.com to see how other smart builders work on their jobs. If you work hard and educate yourself on the industry, you will have a very bright future.
Q: Do you have a process for evaluating errors at the end of each build or the end of each year?
A: We do a good job of talking through errors and being sure we don’t make them again. My team meets weekly over lunch to review progress and talk over issues. This is usually when we are sharing mistakes or pain points on jobs. Then, we can eliminate them from our processes. I think the regular meetings combined with a spirit of humility leads to a culture of striving for excellence.
Brad Leavitt | AFT Construction
Session topic: Understanding your building environment
Q: What is the biggest piece of advice you have for a person soon to be graduating or getting into the industry?
A: Go after experience, not money. Intern or work for as many different companies as you can. Understand if you like life as a general contractor or subcontractor. Work both commercial and residential. Once you understand the scope of work you like, it is easier to pursue that specific career. No matter what you choose, show your value. Research the company to clearly understand what they do and how you can be an asset to them.
Q: How do you typically charge for pre-construction services? Is it a flat fee, percentage of contract or cost plus?
A: For us, we always bill a flat fee. This is the easiest to track and manage with the customer. We then apply that reconstruction fee to the cost of the home when we break ground. This confirms that the client has skin in the game.
Melissa Hryszko | Veranda Estate Homes
Session topic: Return on relationship: How investing in human connection pays off
Q: Should house building contractors look for multiple tradespeople from the same field or stick with one for all their projects?
A: We stick to the same tradespeople from project to project. It’s what creates consistency, and they know our standard in every home and what we expect. We are not the type to shop around for the cheapest tradespeople, but we do have backups should anything happen. It’s all about consistency.
Q: Which team member is usually the main point of contact as far as client relations is concerned? And how much do you rely on team members in the field to help with that as well?
A: That would be me! I deal with our clients from when they are ready to get into the design phase, and we are with them through that entire process. And then through the entire build, I am the one who is doing all of the design selections; meeting them onsite; answering questions via construction software, email, text or phone. Our office admin and project manager have contact with our clients too, but I am the main point of contact.
Q: Are you seeing any new trends in client expectations, and how do you manage those?
A: We tend to exceed client expectations with communication and service. We are just going to keep doing what we’re doing – that’s using Buildertrend to document everything. Then, the clients know what is happening and when, how they are doing with the final budget and what is coming up.
Nick Schiffer | NS Builders
Session topic: How to foster your team’s creativity and craftsmanship
Q: Should house building contractors look for multiple tradespeople from the same field or stick with one for all their projects?
A: We aim to build strong relationships with multiple teams within the same trade and remain open about that when we’re discussing new projects.
Q: What is the best way to learn and address each employee based on their personalities?
A: Can I be honest? I struggle with this as well. I recently started having my team take the DISC survey, a personality assessment tool. It opened my eyes on peoples’ strengths and weaknesses, which allowed us to begin putting employees in positions they will be successful at.
Q: One of the trends we’re seeing in our industry is younger people expecting to start at the top. They’re being hired with little-to-no experience in the trade and expecting wages of someone experienced. How can we take them under our wing, share the passion of construction and encourage them to put in the work? We’re seeing a ton of turnover.
A: We’ve been there – time and time again. I’m really focused on creating a great culture in hopes to outweigh this need to make $100,000 right out of the gate. As I navigate this, I focus on making sure the business can afford higher wages, and we set clear expectations and key performance indicators. These serve as basically a score card to make sure employees are upholding their end of the bargain. It’s way easier to have the tough conversations later when they know what they’re being scored on.
Did you miss the Better Building Summit but still want to check it out?
You’re in luck! Even if you couldn’t attend this game-changing event, you don’t have to miss out. All sessions and panels are available online to view from wherever, whenever.
If you’re a house building contractor, remodeler or anybody who works in residential construction, you don’t want to miss the insights shared here. It’s just what you need to get inspired to make the next best move for your construction business.
