Search results for ""BuilderBooks""

This resource is the latest in NAHB's long commitment to home buyer preferences research. It provides the most current and accurate information on buyer preferences so that you can deliver the home (and community) that today's buyers want and are willing to pay for. In this latest study, the analysis shows not only what the typical, average buyer wants in terms of features, layout, technology or community amenities, but also how those preferences differ based on demographic factors, such as age, race/ethnicity, geographic location, income or price point.

Read more less

More than a few residential builders and remodelers have walked away from closings with less money than they deserve. Performed correctly, estimating is your key to keeping more of your hard-earned profit. Master builder and business expert Bill Asdal shows builders and remodelers how to estimate based on fiscal goals and protecting the company's bottom line. His unique approach to estimating gives readers user-friendly systems to improve the process and provides hundreds of ideas and simple suggestions. Asdal takes the magic and science of estimating and turns it into an art. This book shows builders and remodelers how to: Examine their business processes and modify them to meet financial goals; Create profits unendangered by carelessness or short vision; Defend each estimate line so that the system of planned profit is consistent and bankable.

Read more less

Prevent trenching accidents! This handbook explains in simple language how to comply with OSHA excavation standards on residential jobsites. In an easy-to-use English-Spanish format, it provides guidelines for conducting safe trenching and excavation operations and identifies safe work practices that can prevent serious accidents and injuries. It includes clear text and photographs with captions of the following: trenching and excavation hazards; competent-person responsibilities; soil type and testing; protective systems usage; house foundations/basement excavations; employee training; hazardous atmospheres; entry and egress into trenches and excavations; inspections. This is a must have for your company's safety program. Use with this handbook with the Trenching and Excavation Safety Video to provide the most effective training possible.

Read more less

Custom builder Jerry Householder can help you improve your estimating abilities and discover better ways to do a quantity takeoff, whether you prefer to use pen and paper or estimating software. He teams up with builder Emile Marchive III to show you: types of estimates and when to use them; tips and formulas for figuring quantities easily and accurately; procedures for integrating estimating with cost control, purchasing, and scheduling; how computer estimating can enhance your work; how establishing and maintaining a database facilitates your future estimates.This second edition provides a new, larger sample floor plan and new elevations, work sheets, checklists, a comprehensive glossary, plus a list of resources and recommended reading. It has all you need to quickly come up to speed with the concepts and terms necessary to ensure that your next estimate is easier to understand and more accurate. Bring your houses in under budget and make your construction process more efficient by developing complete and accurate estimates. The closer you come to completing a job within budget, the less likely you are to waste time and money-and that means more profit!

Read more less

If you are a builder or builder's representative, you have an uphill road with many obstacles when it comes to working with brokers. This book will give you hard-won, practical suggestions to help your company create long-term, powerful, and productive relationships with your local real estate brokers. Partnering with Brokers to Win More Sales is the first book in the industry dedicated to educating builders and new home salespeople on how to work effectively with real estate brokers to increase new home sales.

Read more less

Salary, Bonus, and Benefit Data for 39 Jobs Across the Industry.The Single-Family Builder Compensation Study, 2017 Edition was conducted in July 2017 by the NAHB Housing Policy and Economics Group. It collected data on compensation and benefits for 39 common positions at single-family home building companies. The data were analyzed by region of the country, 2017 expected dollar volume, number of expected starts in 2017, and number of employees on payroll. Findings are presented from two different perspectives: Compensations and Benefits across 39 Positions; a broad view of the full-time positions that currently exist at single-family building companies as well as a comparison of average total compensation and benefits across positions. Compensation and Benefits by Position a detailed view of each position's average compensation and benefits. Results from this survey provide single-family builders with current information that can be used to benchmark their employees level of compensation and benefits.

Read more less

Use 7 Key Numbers to help you earn greater profits with less time and energy Many builders and contractors struggle to get a clear picture of where their business is at the moment and where it's headed financially. By the time you compare your accounting reports with your job costing, estimating and change orders, and pipeline, it's too late to make adjustments to guarantee profit. This book will help you see where you stand every day, with every job, by monitoring just 7 Key Numbers that drive all profits and cash flow, including; Number of leads; Sales conversion rate; Customer retention rate. Stay on top of every job! Follow the steps in this book to create a process that will let you know when costs or scheduling deviate from the estimate in time to respond before those changes cost you money.Managing Your Business with 7 Key Numbers is exceptionally well written, organized, and presented. Specifically directed at professionals engaged in construction, Managing Your Business with 7 Key Numbers is as thoroughly 'user friendly' as it is informative, making it very highly recommended.

Read more less

4 out of 5 businesses fail due to cash problems needlessly. Every business owner has the tools to accurately forecast cash flow, they just don't know it. Financial Forecasting in Microsoft® Excel shows small- to medium-sized businesses how to achieve the same forecasting power as larger companies. Filled with a wealth of illustrations and how-to templates, the book is written to help you make better, more educated decisions that result in more stable, enduring companies. Author Jeff Prager shows you how to use Excel to run "if/then" scenarios, calculate cash flow projections, structure partnerships and financing, and test how changes in the market or pricing will affect the bottom line.Financial Forecasting in Microsoft Excel provides step-by-step instructions for creating financial forecasts with Microsoft Excel 2010 so you can: Assess project feasibility; Fund company cash needs; Determine financial feasibility of a project before committing; Identify problems before they become major. By following the guidelines presented in this book, you will give a potential funding source the necessary information to make an investment decision. And when they see the information they want to see, you'll hear the words you want to hear: "Here's your check." Forecasts must be meaningful and explainable. Jeff Prager's financial mastery has allowed my companies to make profitable decisions, change course when necessary and maintain relevance in our industry for more than 20 years.

Read more less

A practical, how-to guide for developing the self-awareness, knowledge, and skills needed to succeed in the competitive field of new home sales. This book teaches readers how to: approach sales, and life, from a position of optimism that will create successful outcomes; set personal and professional goals and provides tools for reaching them; communicate effectively with various types of buyers and adjust communication strategies to increase rapport and alignment with buyers' motives Prospecting, greeting, qualifying, presenting, demonstrating, and closing are discussed in detail. Tammy Lynch explains how to overcome customers' objections and provides specific examples of how to explain the benefits of new home features in customer-friendly language. Other chapters discuss new home financing and how to size up the home builder competition. Think Sold! includes tools to help new home sales professionals practice and polish their presentations and demonstrations. No matter where you are in your career, regardless of whether the housing market is at a peak or in a trough, this book can help you close the deal with more buyers.

Read more less

A concise guide to current best practices for designing, constructing, testing, and ensuring longevity for new high-performance homes, Green Building Strategies explains in plain language what's happening in the rapidly evolving field of building science. Green Building Strategies has condensed current information about green building from credible sources in a format you can easily digest. With this book you'll learn how to: Comply with new energy code requirements; Understand green building standards; Sort out product manufacturers claims; Answer buyers' questions about high performance homes; Build high-performance energy-efficient green homes to satisfy buyers and stay ahead of your competitors.Green Building Strategies takes you step-by-step from design through site development and construction, quality assurance, marketing, and customer service. It provides the information you need to systematically create green projects with a price tag both you and your buyers can accept.This comprehensive resource includes URLs for essential online green building resources, illustrations, and a glossary.

Read more less

Will Nowell has revolutionised the sales process with ValueMatch: Selling for Home Builders. Proven, powerful, and effective, ValueMatch listening skills will help you open the door to your prospective home buyers' emotional need to buy a new home. These skills, the core of the ValueMatch sales process, will help you match what your homes have to offer with what prospects value most in a new home -- and it usually has nothing to do with granite countertops or number of bedrooms. ValueMatch Selling for Home Builders will teach you how to: build rapport within the first 60 seconds; sell yourself to establish a relationship; convey the builder's concept or vision; make a dynamic presentation that includes asking for the close three times; put yourself and your prospect in a closing posture; complete the sale; launch a new after-closing relationship that brings in referrals. This is your guide for selling what matters most.

Read more less

What home and community features influence consumers when they are considering buying a home? Energy efficient or high efficiency: Which description resonates more with home buyers? Typical home buyers often don't understand the language building professionals use to market green homes. We can meet this challenge by rethinking how we talk to our customers. In the Spring of 2015, the NAHB Sustainability Green Building and the Economics Housing Policy Groups partnered to conduct a study of consumer preferences focusing exclusively on green/high-performance features in the home and the community. What Green Means to Home Buyers: Perceptions and Preferences discusses the latest data on the green and performance-related messages consumers respond to and what they are willing to pay for.

Read more less

This insider's guide to residential green building leads you through the actual residential construction process and details how you can apply green building techniques that will benefit your business, your relationships with your customers, your reputation, and your bottom line. Matthew Belcher shares his 30+ years of experience as a successful green builder to help you on your way to: Identifying and selecting green building materials; Implementing green construction techniques; Explaining the benefits of green housing to your customers; Offering affordable green building solutions to your customers; Creating healthier homes; Marketing your environmentally sound practices. Future generations of builders and home buyers are counting on the builders of today to use the planet's natural resources wisely. This book is your first step towards securing an environmentally sound future for generations to come.

Read more less

Written by a woman for women, this practical, insightful guide demystifies the home buying and remodeling process and empowers the reader to work confidently with architects, interior designers, and contractors to strategically craft a home that complements her unique lifestyle and personality needs. Packed with trillion dollar tips, worksheets, and life-clarifying exercises and quizzes, you won't want to visit a building or remodeling professional without this book. After reading Trillion Dollar Women, you will have: a clear understanding of how your personality coincides with your housing needs; the ability to communicate confidently and effectively with real estate professionals; a sense of control over your building and remodeling process; the skills to be an active participant in creating your dream home; an understanding on how to create an eco-friendly, green home. Are you a trillion dollar woman?

Read more less

This book will help you determine the right designs, home features, and amenities to attract the boomer buyers in your market. Discover: preferences for location, home site, and community type; community amenities that will help sell your homes; how to meet or exceed 45+ consumer expectations. With keen insight honed by over 20 years of experience studying home buyer decisions and preferences, Margaret A Wylde reveals precisely what the 45+ buyer wants. This thorough analysis of her latest survey findings clearly defines and explains the purchasing and lifestyle preferences these buyers and details how builders and developers can position themselves to meet the needs of this growing market segment.

Read more less

Building Your Home provides home buyers with firsthand, up-to-date information about what to expect, who's responsible for what tasks, the questions they need to ask, and the opportunities and options available at each stage of the building process. Carol Smith shares her expertise to help you provide the utmost in customer satisfaction. Help educate your customers about the home building process by providing them with a copy of Building Your Home.

Read more less

NAHB Business Management & Information Technology Committee Profits are increasing! How does your business measure up?NAHB's economics and business management experts collected and analyzed 2017 financial statements from builders across the country. They reported average revenue of $16.4 million, slightly over 2014's average of $16.2 million but 20% higher than in 2012. The Cost of Doing Business Study, 2019 Edition provides statistics and analysis so you can see how you compare to other builders, whether you build two homes a year or 2,000. This one-of-a-kind resource discusses financial performance according to builder type and size, as well as industry-wide averages using these key indicators: Gross margins; Net profits; Cost of sales; Operating expenses; Financial ratios.

Read more less

If you are a great craftsman and project manager but not good at numbers or paperwork, then you need to learn how. Finding Hidden Profits: A Guide for Custom Builders, Remodelers, and Architects shows you step-by-step how to position your business to make more money through these five key elements: Allowances; Change orders; Draw schedules; Detailed specifications. Comprehensive contracts with more than 30 years of experience working on 300 projects, from high-end custom homes to remodeling, smoke and fire damage, and annual property maintenance, Dennis Dixon knows how important it is to provide quality work on time and on budget. From choosing the right clients to setting expectations through clear communications and a comprehensive contract, Finding Hidden Profits provides practical advice, simple formulas, and useful tips you can use to start finding the profits hidden in your business today!

Read more less

The expanded third edition of this popular book covers the major steps involved in successful new home sales. Learn the ins and outs of the comprehensive contract, the move-in, warranty service, referrals, and a great close. Get the best results from your sales and marketing program by learning how to: create a marketing plan; budget for marketing; develop an effective website; conduct local marketing research; manage salespeople; manage prospects; run a public relations campaign; conduct promotional events; use virtual models. This third edition includes a new chapter on using social media in your marketing, a more extensive chapter on multicultural sales, and online access to all checklists included in the book!

Read more less

Are you ready to make your business work for you? The path to a thriving business starts with a map that puts you in control. If you don't plot your course to success, you'll just end up spinning your wheels. The Paper Trail: Systems and Forms for a Well-Run Remodeling Company, Second Edition, explains the difference between busyness and business success. It's your map to creating a profitable business that will help you fulfill your dreams! These 160 customisable letters, checklists, forms, contracts, spreadsheets, budgets, and other tools will help you; establish goals and monitor progress; market your company; sell more profitable jobs; communicate with clients; protect your business assets; manage construction efficiently. Save time and earn more by applying the lessons you will learn in The Paper Trail.

Read more less

Learn essentials of managing projects well and within budget, from scheduling and jobsite safety to quality and customer service in this long-anticipated revision of Basic Construction Management. Leon Rogers, an experienced builder, author, and educator, offers proven practices for: recruiting and keeping the best trade contractors; scheduling that makes sense; developing and implementing quality practices This book guides you step-by-step from construction planning through warranty work, blending proven practices with the experiences of builders in the field. It offers a roadmap to excellence for new construction superintendents and for veterans who want to brush up their skills for managing people and projects. A companion Web page includes updated quality checklists and other customizable tools to help you manage your construction projects.

Read more less

Business owners often learn how to run a successful company the hard way - through trial and error. You don't have to rely on this haphazard approach to entrepreneurship. As a home builder, you can have the wisdom and experience of NAHB members who have weathered the ups and downs of the housing cycle behind you and avoid reinventing the wheel. Survive and Thrive in Building: Fundamentals of Business Management covers basic but essential knowledge for running a successful company, whether you're a veteran builder or new to residential construction. You'll learn how to: Find a sustainable market niche; Get financing for your projects; Market your homes; Achieve an optimal balance between sales volume and profit margin; Understand financial reports; Organize and insure your company to minimize risk; Find and keep the best employees and trade contractors.This comprehensive resource will help you to become informed about the details of marketing, estimating, contracts, purchasing, and accounting, which are as important to the potential success of your business as knowing your construction guidelines. You will also understand the knowledge, skills, and strategies you can apply to foster lasting success in the home building industry. Survive and Thrive in Building includes a list of resources, illustrations, and a glossary.

Read more less

Building suppliers, manufacturers, trade contractors, real estate brokers-if you sell products or services to home builders, this book will increase your success rate and business savvy. Learn the types of builders and what will get you in the door and writing orders. Steve Monroe draws on over 30 years of sales wisdom to provide proven tools that assess where you stack up as a sales or service professional, motivate you, and polish your performance, whether you aim to serve small-volume, custom, or large production builders. This second edition includes a companion CD with exercises that help you evaluate your current business practices and guide you to become an even more successful salesperson. The CD also has easy-to-use business forms that will bolster the amount of business you are doing with builders.

Read more less

Land developers know that success hinges on knowledge, planning, and experience. Whether you are new to the field or are looking to brush up your knowledge, Land Development is your comprehensive resource to this demanding and exciting industry. Packed with photos, illustrations, checklists, and practical guidance, the 10th edition is an indispensable reference for any developer or builder wanting to understand the essentials of residential land development.You will acquire extensive knowledge of the interrelated factors that contribute to a successful land development project, including: Market analysis; Financing strategies; Site selection and analysis; Master plan conceptualization; Environmental regulations; Site engineering and storm water management; Design of neighborhoods and streets; Innovations in housing types.The 10th edition of Land Development provides you with the latest details concerning major environmental regulations that affect land development, emerging demographics for targeted marketing, and new innovations in housing types. With land becoming an ever more precious resource in the midst of unprecedented population growth, the reliable information in Land Development will give you the edge that seasoned professionals use to acquire the most desirable tracts of land.Clearly written and logically organized, this classic text is used extensively in land development college curricula. This new edition also includes eight pages of full-color photographs of the nation's leading developments.

Read more less

Employees are the foundation of a home building business. And, as small-business owners, many homebuilders often handle multiple internal functions, including human resources management. Managing Your Employees is designed to help builders manage the 'people paperwork' of their businesses easily and productively. This book covers the three key areas for creating a successful HR program: A model personnel policies and employee handbook for users to customize; A section on legal and regulatory authorities that affect personnel; And suggested systems and processes. Because good employees are a builder's best resource, the success of your company is directly tied to how well your work force is managed. Create a strong foundation of talented, successful employees. Your business is built on it! CD Included.

Read more less

Reduce or eliminate litigation costs by learning how to write better contracts from the start. With illustrative cases, sample language, and current guidelines for potential clauses of a contract between a builder and buyer or remodeler and homeowner. This edition also covers warranties and disclaimers, environmental issues, inspections, and trade contracts with other team members. Includes sections on mold, arsenic, and notices.

Read more less

Improve communication on your jobsite with this great phrasebook. It's filled with Spanish translations and pronunciations for common jobsite phrases in the construction fields most heavily populated by Spanish-Speaking workers: insulation, concrete, framing, drywall, and roofing.

Read more less

Answers to common code questions at your fingertips This handy jobsite tool will become as indispensable to you as your cell phone, tape measure, and level. This pocket-friendly companion to the International Residential Code discusses the impact of 2015 code changes to common walls separating townhouses, remodeling of an existing basement, and more. 2015 Home Builders' Jobsite Codes also details ramps that do not serve the required egress door and common monoxide alarms. It includes more than 100 detailed illustrations and useful tables and discussion, among other areas, of Foundations; Fire safety; Energy efficiency; Mechanical systems; Safe and healthy living environments. 2015 Home Builders Jobsite Codes is meant to be of practical use on the jobsite, not as a substitute for the IRC.

Read more less

It is plain old common sense: you want your home to look great, feel great, and perform great. Is it even possible to do all three-without breaking the bank? Yes! In Living Green Effortlessly: Simple Choices for a Better Home, Marla Esser Cloos shows you how to make your home green - whether you live in a small apartment in the big city or a brand new single-family home in the suburbs. From integrating smart technology into your home (it's easier than you think!) to planting a rain garden, there are all kinds of ways to live greener. The book covers these topics: Home systems; windows, appliances; Household products-from cleaning products to paper goods; Smart technology; Landscaping; Documentation; Home maintenance-including a checklist for every season Living Green Effortlessly gives you simple steps that can save money now, increase your home's value, and make your home healthier for you, your family and the environment.

Read more less

Make peace, not war, with your home!Aching from another weekend playing home repair warrior? Tired of spending precious vacation time performing home maintenance heroics that you put off all year? Whether you love your home or hate it, spending a few minutes each week caring for it is essential to ensuring its livability and value now and the best sales price later.This book provides a sensible approach to regular home maintenance. It's a small commitment with a big payoff: spending a few minutes each week helps you avoid long-term preventable problems such as water damage, pests, and air infiltration that can cost you money now and even more money in the future.This book will actually save you cash by teaching you how easily you can prioritize and perform common maintenance tasks quickly and what to know before you call in a pro. You'll learn the latest energy saving products, tips, and techniques to put money in your pocket right now. And you'll be able to spend the money you save on that coveted man cave, kitchen remodel, or a brand new home.Home Maintenance Made Easy will help you: Manage tasks with handy month-by-month checklists; Organize records of parts, repairs, warranties, replacements, and phone numbers/contact information in one place; Troubleshoot problems step-by-step; Learn when to "do it yourself" and when to call in a pro. Assemble an inexpensive home maintenance toolbox; Preserve your investment and keep your home looking like new; Avoid costly mistakes. The tips in this book have been tested, used, and are recommended by professional builders and remodelers.

Read more less

Your company's ability to complete a high quality home on time and within budget is your most important asset. Don't let scheduling problems destroy it. Master project scheduling and you'll lower overhead and boost profits. Create efficient schedules to monitor and control construction progress using Microsoft® Project 2010. You'll produce more projects with the same management staff and fewer headaches in the field and the back office. This book will help you schedule your next project with confidence and ease.Learn how to: record and communicate progress; control financial, human, and physical resources; record expenditures and analyze cost details; manage cash flow and tasks; create a baseline schedule and updates.Don't let sloppy scheduling eat up the time and money you need to build your business and move on to your next profitable project.You must have Microsoft® Project 2010 installed on your computer to access the practice files. There are two versions of Microsoft Project - standard and professional. The standard version costs less because it is designed for a single user, whereas the professional version is designed to be used on a server and accessed by multiple users.*Sample schedules are available online. Web address provided in the book. A formalized scheduling procedure is one of the most powerful tools a builder can use. Scheduling with Microsoft Project illustrates best practices for keeping your projects on time and on budget. - John Barrows, CGB, GMB, CGP, President, J. Barrows Inc., Wainscott, NY

Read more less

If you think your customer's home buying experience ends with the signing of the sales contract -- think again... To be a successful full-service home builder in today's market you must offer more than just a well-built home -- you must give your customers the opportunity to design a home that suits their individual tastes and lifestyles. By offering a range of options and upgrades, you can do just that. The design phase is your best opportunity to make a lasting impression and ensure that your buyers will favorably remember their experience with your company. In Option Selling for Profit, authors Gullo and Rinaldi share their hands-on understanding of high-powered selling in the ever-expanding market of options for new homes. With this book you will learn how to: create an option sales program that motivates customers to buy; capitalise on your options and upgrades program to increase your bottom line; empower your sales team with the tools they need to succeed; cultivate loyal customers; deliver outstanding customer service; implement a profitable design program no matter the size of your company. The book gives you access to a Web page with 19 downloadable tools that you can customize to suit your specific needs.

Read more less

Bill Webb shares his secrets of success in this book--so you can win big with them. This book focuses on increasing market share, profit margins, and personal incomes in "lean" times. Builders: Grab this book. Lead your sales team to capture the sweet profits you deserve. Selling your homes for premium prices will reward you. Salespersons: Earn the big bucks you have always wanted. Show your builder you can really persuade customers to buy, and you'll be set for life. Sales Managers: Learn how to build profit margins and sales velocity at the same time. You'll be a hero in your company, and your career will soar. Realtors: Secure an unfair advantage for yourself. Show builders you sell more homes for higher prices, and you'll win more listings.

Read more less

Book & CD. It's a proven fact -- maintaining positive relationships with homeowners after move-in increases sales. Savvy builders are putting this potent marketing force to work by ensuring that their after move-in services gives them the competitive edge. Whether your goal is to establish first-class warranty service or to go beyond warranty service with maintenance menus, educational programs, and social events, this book will teach you how to: align buyer's expectations with the service they receive; create a limited warranty document; develop and use warranty and maintenance guidelines effectively; structure warranty service procedures especially for your market; create an efficient repair process; make service a positive experience for home-owners. If you want to go beyond warranty to WOW your home owners, then this book is for you! The accompanying CD includes checklists, forms, sample letters, and other documents that will start you on your way today. The CD contains Microsoft Word and PDF documents. Windows Vista/Office 2007 compatible.

Read more less

Scaffold-related accidents result in injuries and deaths and continue to occur despite updated standards from OSHA. Make sure your employees are safe and comply with these standards by providing this illustrated English-Spanish handbook. Includes clear explanations and photos for using fabricated frame, pump jack, mobile, and many other scaffold types and aerial lifts. Learn about proper assembly, use, and disassembly of common residential construction scaffolding. Find OSHA regulations fast! Order your copy of the 29CFR 1926 OSHA Construction Industry Regulations today.

Read more less

The path to a highly productive and smoothly running sales program starts with creating an organised onsite sales centre. At the heart of the sales center lies a set of systems and forms that make it easy for you to win over even the toughest customer. This book covers prospect follow-up; selections, options, and upgrades; finance forms and procedures; competitive sites; and closing procedures. Includes forms. Recommended reading for CSP and Master CSP.

Read more less