Today's residential construction business owners are discovering that to be successful, business training and education is essential. In the current marketplace the prospects of succeeding as a great craftsman doing superb work are diminishing. Now the craftsman must endeavor to become an astute business person learning and acquiring critical skills in marketing, finances, sales, management and systems to succeed.

As 2014 comes to a close are you thinking that your business model needs some remodeling to take advantage of a surging remodeling market in 2015? Some remodelers are booming while others are struggling to make it in a strong market.

OSHA recently published the top ten most cited violation list and fall protection violations lead the list once again. Also staying on the list are Scaffolding and Ladders. Failure to comply with these three standards, Subpart M, Subpart L, and Subpart X is rampant in the residential construction industry. Falls continue to be the number one cause of construction deaths and disabling injuries in the country. This continued trend is causing OSHA to focus much of their enforcement efforts on the residential construction industry.

I thought it might be helpful to outline the basic steps contractors need to take towards complying with OSHA Fall Protection protocol. 

In a recent Mass DLS RRP Training we had a contractor volunteer step up to don Personal Protective Equipment.  

Have you noticed that OSHA enforcement, citations and fines for fall protection is on steroids? One search on the OSHA Data and Statistics web page and you will see hundreds of contracting companies audited this year. 

You are a remodeler who just got a call from a consumer who wants a price on a kitchen, bathroom, addition or finished basement. You set the appointment and go on the call. You get through the small talk and start assessing the project. The consumer then expects you to whip up a price for a custom remodeling project with no design, no scope of work and no final selections.
The consumer thinks that their remodeling project is sitting on a shelf somewhere just waiting to be shipped to them. 
With little information can you give them a fixed price or do you give them a best guess estimate?

In our Hands on Workshop this week we will be teaching contractors to figure the cost of design and scope development into their pricing. After all don't you think that you should at least be compensated for your design and ideas? 
If you are experienced you know to figure a fixed price you need to have several items in place. The consumer often times tries to get you to give your ideas, solutions, design and scope development for free. The consumer wants you to be the unpaid consultant without committing to you.
One thing I have learned after running 6000 plus leads is that remodeling is not a commodity. Conversely home improvement projects like roofing, siding, windows, painting and gutters can be accurately priced after measuring and getting the homeowner to select a color and model.  

Remember the famous Arnold Schwarzenegger comment "I'll be back"?

Monday was an interesting day. Three contractors called me for some advice on; being cited and fined by OSHA, a revoked HIC registration from the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation and a Mass RRP Department of Labor Standards violation. Two shared some bad news about getting fined and said they don't have the money in their budget to pay them. The third is thinking from what he was told by a board of health inspector he will likely be cited and fined.