The Building Code

Episode 164: On this episode of “The Building Code,” Zach and Charley are chatting with Courtney Baxter-Marsh, co-owner of DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen in northwest Arkansas. Courtney is the marketing manager as well as the office manager who handles all the business financials. She works alongside her mom, Mary, who does project design and her dad, Scott, their general manager. Listen to the full episode to hear more about what it’s like starting a remodeling business in a booming construction industry and how tech is making growth possible.   What was it like starting a business in 2020? “We've had to figure out some processes with COVID being a real thing, but luckily not as bad as in 2020. When we entered in 2021, it was actually an incredible year to enter the remodeling industry because it was so lit. Honestly, there's no other way to put it. Remodeling was lit in 2021. Everyone was spending extended amounts of times in their homes, unable to get out. They then realized, ‘I am so sick and tired of looking at my cabinets. I hate my bathroom.’ Or ‘There is no place for my kids to do homeschool or homework.’ So, then they were turning to us, which was so crazy because no market analysis could ever project what happened in 2021. And then throw in the supply chain and labor shortage. It was a good thing, but also there were some headaches.”   What has been one of the biggest benefits of using Buildertrend? “The coolest part about Buildertrend is that we do our own estimating. We do our own change orders. We do our own purchase orders within. But I think the really cool part about Buildertrend is the unlimited storage space that it has for holding our photos – not only for the home site visits, but also the finished photos. Then you also have your legal documents, everything you need. I can access it on my laptop, on my cell phone. If I'm on vacation and didn't take my laptop, I can log into my husband's and all I need is my username and password. Immediately I can see the same exact thing I see when I'm at home.”     LINKS AND MORE   Related content: Listen to the last episode (link last episode when live) of “The Building Code” to hear more about Color Homes’ decade-long journey of renovating historic homes and how Buildertrend Takeoff helps them simplify their processes and scale their business. Subscribe here, and never miss an episode. Got podcast topic suggestions? Reach out to us at podcast@buildertrend.com. The Better Way, a podcast by Buildertrend: Looking to improve how your team plans projects with the top residential construction management platform this year? Pick up Buildertrend project planning pro tips on the newest season of “The Better Way, a podcast by Buildertrend.” Subscribe and stream all five bingeable episodes on your favorite listening app now. Follow us on social: Instagram Facebook Listen to “The Building Code” on YouTube! And be sure to head over to Facebook to join The Building Code Crew fan page for some fun discussions with fellow listeners.

On this episode of “The Building Code,” Zach and Charley are chatting with Eric Pierce, co-owner of Color Houses in Houston, Texas. The Color Houses team has been renovating historic homes for the past ten years and share their passion for restoring a home’s original beauty and character. Tune in to the full episode to hear more about their decade-long journey of renovating historic homes and how Buildertrend Takeoff helps them simplify their processes and scale their business. Read the shownotes for this episode here: (add page link here)   Join “The Building Code” Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebuildingcodecrew/   Follow us on social: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildertrend/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/buildertrend/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/buildertrend LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/buildertrend/  

Episode 162: On this episode of “The Building Code,” Zach and Charley are chatting with Matt Hoots, owner of SawHorse design-build in Atlanta, Georgia. Matt has over 20 years of experience in green building and dedicates a lot of his time to educating fellow builders and clients on the importance of using sustainable methods. Tune in to the full episode to hear more about what it means to be a green builder and how to implement these building standards into your business.   What is something that’s becoming more popular in the realm of green technology? “Because of COVID-19, I think people realize we do need filtration, we do need fresh air. And finally, that's come to the forefront again, and we can do this not only in commercial spaces but in your own home. You can go into a house, and I tell you the indoor air quality is much worse than it is outside even if you're in a city, ironically. So, that's the challenge because we spend most of our time inside. I think the health aspect is something I've always been aware of because I have allergies, but a lot of people just don't realize that you don't have to have allergies, especially if you're inside all the time, and you're sneezing. Well, there's something that's triggering and creating those reactions. So, what can we do to that environment to keep that from happening?”   Where should builders start if they’re looking to get started in green building? “Green building is just one of those tools that allow you to offer better services or just better understand how things are installed. I would start by just looking at what certifications are offered for you. Take a class on that. Maybe even take a class on something that's not even offered in your area and see how different building programs are put together. The building science physics and principles are pretty much the same across all different areas. Just come up with what you’re going to make standard in your business. I think once builders see some of these things, and they see how their risk can go down when they build a certain way, more people will want to do this.”     LINKS AND MORE   Related content: Follow along with the SawHorse team’s #1920sMakeoverATL showcase project where learning, green building and luxury design come together. Follow SawHorse on their YouTube channel and their blog for more educational content. Listen to the last episode of “The Building Code” to hear more about Buildertrend’s new, simplified process for paying subs and vendors digitally. Subscribe here, and never miss an episode. Got podcast topic suggestions? Reach out to us at podcast@buildertrend.com.   The Better Way, a podcast by Buildertrend: Looking to improve how your team plans projects with the top residential construction management platform this year? Pick up Buildertrend project planning pro tips on the newest season of “The Better Way, a podcast by Buildertrend.” Subscribe and stream all five bingeable episodes on your favorite listening app now. Follow us on social: Instagram Facebook Listen to “The Building Code” on YouTube! And be sure to head over to Facebook to join The Building Code Crew fan page for some fun discussions with fellow listeners.

Episode 161:   On this episode of “The Building Code,” Zach and Charley are chatting with returning guest Emma Dickinson, a senior product manager here at Buildertrend. Emma and her team work on improving the financial features we offer on our platform. Tune in to the full episode to hear more about Buildertrend’s new, simplified process for paying subs and vendors digitally.   What are the biggest differences with the new process for sending payments?  “The big difference is now builders can pay any of their subs and vendors through the system. Subs don't need to be active in Buildertrend, which is huge. Then the other big difference is it's a lot easier for the subs to receive their money. Before there was a pretty extensive signup process on the subcontractor side, and now they can decide if they want to print a check. It takes two clicks, and they can have a physical check in front of them. So, a lot easier for both sides of the equation.”   What is the initial feedback from subcontractors using the new process?  “I’ve actually talked to a few subs. Just by luck, some of the early adopters’ subs had questions, and I was like, ‘Oh, let me just talk to them directly.’ They literally were bragging about how easy it was. They were like, ‘I just have to open my email, that's it. That's all I have to do. I don't have to drive somewhere to pick up a check. I don't have to do anything.’ That's what we were hoping for. We want to meet you where you're at and have it be a five-second process to get your payment. And now it is.”   LINKS AND MORE   Related content: Register now to join over 200 other builders at Buildertrend on the Road in Denver, Colorado on Tues., Oct. 4. Use promo code pod100 for $100 off. Registrations close Fri., Sept. 30. Listen to the last episode of “The Building Code” to hear more about building homes that withstand hurricanes and how project management software helps make it possible. Subscribe here, and never miss an episode. Got podcast topic suggestions? Reach out to us at podcast@buildertrend.com. The Better Way, a podcast by Buildertrend: Looking to improve how your team plans projects with the top residential construction management platform this year? Pick up Buildertrend project planning pro tips on the newest season of “The Better Way, a podcast by Buildertrend.” Subscribe and stream all five bingeable episodes on your favorite listening app now. Follow us on social: Instagram Facebook Listen to “The Building Code” on YouTube! And be sure to head over to Facebook to join The Building Code Crew fan page for some fun discussions with fellow listeners.

Episode 160:   Today on “The Building Code,” Zach and Charley are chatting with Paul Ledet, owner of CLH Build in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Paul took over the now 40-year-old company from his father and works hard to maintain their exceptional reputation. Replacing their paper processes with Buildertrend has really helped streamline processes during difficult times.   Listen to the full episode to hear more about how to build homes that withstand hurricanes and how project management software helps make it possible.   What are some of the materials you use to mitigate the impacts of hurricanes? “Basically, you think of it as a system from the slab. Most of our slabs are slabs-on-grade, and everything's anchor bolted, but there's continuous either, plywood around the entire perimeter or half inch oriented strand board. It's going to be certain nail patterns, and the criteria is pretty much the same across the board as a nation. But we just have these extra straps that'll help tie in the bottom plate to the top plate, to the rafters and all the way through and through. Down in Grand Aisle, which is on the coast, we use a lot of all threaded rods that go from the slab through the bottom plate, through the top plate and it all connects to the roof system. It's just one continuous founded entity.”   What is one of your favorite Buildertrend features? “We use the selection process. We got that pretty much down pat, especially for these custom jobs. I mean, there's so much that goes into just window selections, and they can get so convoluted just from emails and texts. Having a clear and visible ‘This is approved, this is a purchase order for the approved one.’ Even though we gave you 10 different quotes, the window company knows that this is final. Just not having those kinds of little mistakes, it's nice.”     LINKS AND MORE   Related content: CLH Build needed a way to modernize and revolutionize the client experience. Buildertrend’s Customer Portal was just what they needed. Read their case study to learn more about their success. Register now to join Paul and over 200 other builders at Buildertrend on the Road in Denver, Colorado. Use promo code pod100 for $100 off. Listen to the last episode of “The Building Code” to hear more about what it means to build net-zero homes and how to educate homeowners on the benefits. Subscribe here, and never miss an episode. Got podcast topic suggestions? Reach out to us at podcast@buildertrend.com. The Better Way, a podcast by Buildertrend: Looking to improve how your team plans projects with the top residential construction management platform this year? Pick up Buildertrend project planning pro tips on the newest season of “The Better Way, a podcast by Buildertrend.” Subscribe and stream all five bingeable episodes on your favorite listening app now. Follow us on social: Instagram Facebook Listen to “The Building Code” on YouTube! And be sure to head over to Facebook to join The Building Code Crew fan page for some fun discussions with fellow listeners.

On today’s episode of “The Building Code,” Zach and Charley are talking to Casey Grey, founder and CEO of The Conscious Builder, a custom home and renovation company in Ontario, Canada. Casey took an early interest in the construction industry starting his career in renovations at the age of 17 before starting his own company at 24. His focus then became building net-zero homes and educating others on the importance of creating healthy living environments.   Listen to the full episode to hear more about what it means to build net-zero homes and how to educate homeowners on the benefits.   The idea of net-zero homes is still fairly new. How does your process work with educating clients on the benefits and choosing the options that work best for them? “We put out so much content to help educate people. It's up to us to give the clients the options so that they can make a decision that's best for them because there are so many factors. There are all sorts of products out there that are better for the environment. But usually, those products are a lot more expensive, too. So, what's most important to that individual, to the person that we're building for? Based on what's important to them, we'll make recommendations for the wall assembly or what products to use and so forth. But at the end of the day, it's not up to us. And we're not building for everybody, but we're using the experience and the knowledge that we have to help teach other people so that they can ask better questions when they go to buy their house. They can go to their builder and ask for specific things. A lot of people who reach out to us have watched a lot of our videos.”   What is your focus when building a net-zero home? “Where we really focus on is really for the house itself and the health, the comfort, the benefits to the homeowner. Because at the end of the day, you still want to build a healthy indoor air quality, like a healthy environment for people living in the house because we spend like 90% of our time inside. Depending on where you live, could be more, could be less. But most of our time is spent indoors. Obviously, we live at home, and now most of us are working at home. So, we really focus on, "Okay, what do we have to do?" By default, when you build a healthy and comfortable home, you build a more efficient home, which in turn helps everything else that people say it's affecting the climate. That’s where we’re at.”     LINKS AND MORE   Related content: The Conscious Builder resources: Visit The Conscious Builder Academy and use code BT15 to get 15% off any course. Blog Podcast YouTube Listen to the last episode of “The Building Code” to hear Bill Smithers’s insights on inflation and how it will continue to affect the construction industry. Subscribe here, and never miss an episode. Got podcast topic suggestions? Reach out to us at podcast@buildertrend.com. The Better Way, a podcast by Buildertrend: Looking to improve how your team plans projects with the top residential construction management platform this year? Pick up Buildertrend project planning pro tips on the newest season of “The Better Way, a podcast by Buildertrend.” Subscribe and stream all five bingeable episodes on your favorite listening app now. Follow us on social: Instagram Facebook Listen to “The Building Code” on YouTube! And be sure to head over to Facebook to join The Building Code Crew fan page for some fun discussions with fellow listeners.

Episode 158:   Today on “The Building Code,” Zach and Charley are chatting with Bill Smithers, president of CBUSA and returning guest on the podcast. As a veteran in the construction industry, Bill had years of experience in both production and custom home building before starting CBUSA, a group purchasing network for professional builders.   Tune in to the full episode to hear his insights on inflation and how it will continue to affect the construction industry.   Read the show notes for this episode here: (add page link here)   Join “The Building Code” Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebuildingcodecrew/   Follow us on social: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildertrend/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/buildertrend/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/buildertrend LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/buildertrend/  

Episode 157:   On today’s episode of “The Building Code,” Zach and Charley are chatting with Ernie Goss, Ph.D., principal investigator, professor of economics and holder of the Jack MacAllister Chair at Creighton University. Ernie is world-renowned for his economic expertise and has published more than 100 research studies focusing primarily on economic forecasting.   Listen to the full episode to hear his insight on when the economy will turn around and where it’s heading next.   Will the pricing of the homes need to adjust to keep the demand of the construction market a bit higher? Will that make building more affordable, too, as a result?   “Well, I'll just tell you what I told my niece. She lives in Atlanta. She said she's been having a difficult time buying a house. And I just told her availability's going to be higher. There will be more choices. Supply will increase. Now, as far as the price, we're going to see it moving sideways, but a significant downturn like we saw in 2008 and 2009, we’re not going to see it this time. And this is my experience from the construction industry. As long as there's lending, contractors will keep building."   What signals are you watching to predict possible changes in the economy?   “The signals that I see, and I'm not always right in looking at signals, but watch what the federal governors or the Federal Reserves say. The governors of the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee, watch them, listen to them, what they're saying, because they're telling you where they're going. And one thing that really affects building that we haven't heard any noise about is the balance sheet of the Federal Reserve.”     LINKS AND MORE   Related content: Check out the Goss & Associates website to subscribe to the “Economic Trends Newsletter.” Listen to the last episode of “The Building Code” to hear about the top five areas you should be focusing on for continued success in project management and business growth. Subscribe here, and never miss an episode. Got podcast topic suggestions? Reach out to us at podcast@buildertrend.com. The Better Way, a podcast by Buildertrend: Looking to improve how your team plans projects with the top residential construction management platform this year? Pick up Buildertrend project planning pro tips on the newest season of “The Better Way, a podcast by Buildertrend.” Subscribe and stream all five bingeable episodes on your favorite listening app now. Follow us on social: Instagram and Facebook: @Buildertrend Listen to “The Building Code” on YouTube! And be sure to head over to Facebook to join The Building Code Crew fan page for some fun discussions with fellow listeners.

Episode 156: Today on “The Building Code,” Zach and Charley are joined by Paul Atherton, a business coach at Breakthrough Academy a company that provides smart and innovative solutions for contractors. Paul focuses on helping business owners develop the skills, systems and community necessary to set their companies up for success.   Tune in to the full episode to hear about the top five areas you should be focusing on for continued success in project management and business growth.   Why would a contractor come to Breakthrough Academy? “Well, generally I think businesses fall into basically two main categories. There's category one, where there's low net profit and some chaos happening in the company. They come and they're like, ‘I have no idea how to get myself out of this. Can you guys show me?’ Or they think, ‘Wow, this is going to take me 10 years to figure this out myself. Can you guys show me how to get there quicker?’ So, we're really good at helping those people, but then there are also the businesses that are already pretty good. Like they have strong systems in place. They're making good money. They have strong networks, and strong visibility in the marketplace. We also work on helping those organizations really polish everything that they do in the core areas businesses need to be strong in order to see success.”   What are some warning signs that would indicate that a business owner or company needs some additional coaching? “Well, the obvious ones are company owners working 12, 14 hours a day, and there's just a lot of chaos and a lot of fires that are coming up.  And they're like, ‘My business is controlling me. I'm not controlling it.’ So, that's a warning sign. Another warning sign is, that they're just not making as much money as they thought. Their net profit will be anywhere from zero to 5%. Generally, we can do something quickly to help in those areas. For the businesses that are already doing pretty good, usually those people, they just want to learn, and it's quite easy to gap them to say, ‘Okay, well, you're good in lots of areas, but here's how we can get you better.’”   LINKS AND MORE   Related content: Check out the blog series recap of our roundtable discussion for even more insights on how to grow a construction business. Listen to the last episode of “The Building Code” (link episode 155) to hear about what it takes to start a career in the construction industry, some of the latest evolving design trends and how Buildertrend helps curate the design process for clients. Subscribe here, and never miss an episode. Got podcast topic suggestions? Reach out to us at podcast@buildertrend.com. The Better Way, a podcast by Buildertrend: Looking to improve how your team plans projects with the top residential construction management platform this year? Pick up Buildertrend project planning pro tips on the newest season of “The Better Way, a podcast by Buildertrend.” Subscribe and stream all five bingeable episodes on your favorite listening app now. Follow us on social: Instagram and Facebook: @Buildertrend Listen to “The Building Code” on YouTube! And be sure to head over to Facebook to join The Building Code Crew fan page for some fun discussions with fellow listeners.

Episode 155: Today on “The Building Code,” Zach and Charley are joined by Piper Stromatt, director of interior design and partner at Boutique Living by Curate in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Piper was born into the construction industry and decided to take the route of design working for a residential construction company right out of school.   Listen to the full episode to hear about what it takes to start a career in the construction industry, some of the latest evolving design trends and how Buildertrend helps curate the design process for clients.   How has Buildertrend helped with your design process? “We can go as deep as somebody wants to or as minimal as somebody wants to. And that's also something that Buildertrend has allowed us to do – build our template to be able to do that. We've put almost nine years into our template. We're very strategic of what goes in there, all of our vendors can't live without it now, and our subs can't live without it. We can't live without it either. Even though we have a catalog that anybody can bring in, we're able to streamline that process for our homeowners to not get so overwhelmed when they do start getting down to the nitty-gritty.”   What are some of the design trends you’re seeing right now?   “I think you're going to start seeing a lot of the Scandinavian, which is like very simple, very eclectic, just very easy, very natural. Then you're going to start seeing a lot of the natural designs really start to trump the farmhouse. But what you'll start seeing, shiplap was always horizontal, now it's pulling vertical. You're starting to see a lot more sleek lines, colors, and a lot of light and brightness. You're not seeing the grays anymore or the gray tones, or anything like that. You're starting to see the simple whites, a lot of Ben Moore and Sherwin-Williams' light and bright, but also with the natural color tone.”     LINKS AND MORE   Related content: Check out Piper’s podcast, “The Building Blonde” on Spotify. Tune in to the last episode of “The Building Code” (link episode 154) to hear about how our Financial Services team is working to change the way the construction industry gets paid. Learn more about why the future of getting paid is digital. Subscribe here, and never miss an episode. Got podcast topic suggestions? Reach out to us at podcast@buildertrend.com. The Better Way, a podcast by Buildertrend: Looking to improve how your team plans projects with the top residential construction management platform this year? Pick up Buildertrend project planning pro tips on the newest season of “The Better Way, a podcast by Buildertrend.” Subscribe and stream all five bingeable episodes on your favorite listening app now. Follow us on social: Instagram and Facebook: @Buildertrend Listen to “The Building Code” on YouTube! And be sure to head over to Facebook to join The Building Code Crew fan page for some fun discussions with fellow listeners.