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Cost increases are on builders’ minds right now. It seems like prices for materials and labor are going up on every new bid. It’s across the board on building materials, with lumber prices being particularly volatile in response to the recent tariff on Canadian lumber.

Too many builders determine the sales price of their homes based on direct construction cost and land. They come up with a plan, establish the standard specifications, go out to bid, add up the costs, and put a markup on the costs to determine the sales price.

Most builders are eager to reduce the time it takes to build a home and hunt for tips on ways to make the hard cycle go more quickly. This is a worthy pursuit, as most builders intuitively understand that tightening the production schedule allows them to build more homes in a year without adding operating cost. Assuming a fixed number of superintendents, along with a fixed average number of homes that any one super can carry at a time, the most cost effective way to increase their production is to add more turns in a year.

Industry leaders offer insights and recommendations for growth and profitability in the coming months "With escalating construction costs, a shortage of skilled labor, and the increase in technology, it looks like the era for industrialization is upon us. It will change the industry as we know it. Builders will become assemblers of components that are built in factories.

Few resources are more valuable or cost-effective for home builders than the MarkSystems™ program from ECi Software Solutions.

What does it take to become the #1 ranked house wrap brand in the industry? Why do builders rate DuPont™ Tyvek® HomeWrap® as #1 in quality and the brand they use the most when purchasing a house wrap?

Trying to decide between new dECOLeather™ recycled leather veneer, faux leather, or 100% leather? dECOLeather™ has many attributes that make it a great choice for leather surfacing. Take a look at these pros and cons and make an educated decision about this unique new product by Formica Corporation.

Most manufacturers, especially in the building products industry, are highly competitive. They love to bring in athletes to give the keynote address for their annual sales meetings and customer events. Everyone loves — and can relate to — a good motivational speech about working hard, setting goals, overcoming obstacles to become champions, and setting aside personal ambitions to do what’s best for the team.

Housing closed out 2017 very strong. In fact, 2017 is tracking to be the strongest year in the housing recovery. Demand remains high, and most builders will start the year with a strong backlog. Inventory is low for both new and existing homes, and interest rates are still helping with affordability, although that bears watching as the Fed is predicted to raise interest rates three more times in 2018.

Builders are always looking for extra upgrade opportunities to maximize profits and ensure complete buyer satisfaction. Closet upgrades are exactly what your home buyers are looking for to improve the value of their new home and quality of their life; walk-in closets rank second on home buyers’ list of desired amenities, according to a survey by Zillow.

A woman home from military duty in the Middle East and now living in Atlanta met with the warranty manager and a manufacturer rep. She had a pistol in the back pocket of her jeans the entire time they inspected issues with her home’s siding. In Edmonton, a receptionist answered a call to hear a home owner say that he was on his “way to your main office with a bomb.”

Every year in late September, these decadently sweet, unhealthy treats appear in the stores in all kinds of varieties: traditional candy corn, Indian corn, mellow creme pumpkins, autumn mix, and assorted mellow cremes with different flavors and Halloween shapes.

If you ask 10 builders about their greatest struggle right now, nine will tell you it’s the production schedule. They see cycle times extending weeks longer than what was on the initial schedule at the time of release. This time drift doesn’t happen because framers now swing hammers slower than before. It is because the homes are sitting empty.

The home builder community has once again shown its heart for those in need of a helping hand. In late August, Chuck and Emma Shinn asked Builder Partnerships members and their friends in residential construction to consider supporting their annual involvement in Driving for Kids.

Glass — a material with origins that date back to several thousand years ago — is resurfacing in new, innovative ways throughout today’s residential and commercial spaces. From storefronts with all-glass windows to coffee tables with shadow boxes, glass reflects your personal style as well as a transparent design theme.