Thursday, May 25, 2006
Study Books and Guides Can Help You Pass with Flying Colors
If you're just entering the construction industry and you're looking to either become a contractor yourself or work for one, you know you won't get very far without the proper qualifications.
There are a number of good resources to jumpstart your knowledge and prepare you for the exams you will need to be certified to work in many different construction industries. The Electrician's Exam Guide will well anyone that is looking to enter this industry from an apprentice to a journeyman to a master electrician. This is a valuable guide to the knowledge you will need to pass the NEC (certification exam).
Another great help is the Quickpass CD-Rom for the General Building Examination. This guide is broken down by state to help anyone meet the requirements for passing the general building construction exam. Additional good information is found in the Quickpass CD-Rom for the Law and Business Examination and it is also broken down by state to help you know the laws you need to abide by to be a state contractor in your state. This helper book was originally created for the state of California exams and has expanded to cover all 50 states.
If you're looking for an all in one study guide, the Contractor's Exam Book will cover everything you need to know to pass the certification exam to be a General, Builder and Residential Contractor in your state.
Jump start your contracting career with these study guides and find the knowledge you need to pass the exams with flying colors!
posted by Contractor Guides
Know What the Public Works Inspector is Looking For
If you're a contractor that does a lot of public words construction, you know that everything you do has be inspected by the Public Works Inspector. Did you know there is a manual that shows what a public works inspector will be looking for when inspecting newly completed jobs; not only of repair, but also original construction as well.
The "Public Works Inspector's Manual" was written by a former public works inspector and will give you insider's knowledge on meeting and exceeding public works inspection standards.
The "Greenbook" is widely regarded as the single most important book for a contractor that handles public works construction. Another important book to help guide to meeting standards for inspections is found in the "Standard Plans for Public Works Construction". This book will help you maintain the quality and uniformity for all public works construction jobs.
As a public works contractor, you know that not only will you be hired to do construction for new facilities, a good deal of your contracts will include repair from storms and hail, winter storms, damage from water breaks, and more. Knowing how to make these repairs up to Building Code standards for the general public at large is very important.
If you want to know the factors a Public Works inspector is looking for when checking out your completed project - make sure you do it right the first time by having these informative books at your fingertips.
posted by Contractor Guides
More Study Books and Guides to Jump Start Your Contracting Career
If you have chosen the contracting and construction industry as your career, you've chosen the direction you want to go whether it is general, residential, or commercial contractor; you will want the best knowledge for passing your certification exams.
There are a lot of good books to help you learn what knowledge you need to have in order to pass the various certification exams in your state. There are a number of state specific guides available on CD-Rom as well as specialized study guides such as the HVAC Technician Certification Exam Guide. This valuable book was written by someone who works in the industry rather than a writer that simply did research on what a HVAC Technician should know. This book will give you a good overview of what you can expect in this industry and the knowledge you will need to pass the state exam.
Another valuable study guide is the Journeyman General Mechanical Examination that is for practicing A/C contractors as well as apprentices in the field. There is a large question and answer guide and many sections are city and state specific so you can be sure to be knowledgeable in the information you will need to pass your local state and municipal exams.
If you are considering taking overseas construction contracts, the International Residential Code Study Companion will be your new best friend. As you know, if you don't pass the IRC, your building won't pass inspection. Learn the how-to's and pitfalls that stop inspections from being passed and how to build to code on an international level.
Get the knowledge you need to boost your contracting career with these valuable study contractor and construction study guides.
posted by Contractor Guides
Building to Code - A Code Book is a Very Necessary Tool
As a contractor; you know the liabilities that come down on you if you fail to build a structure to code. Building to code means that you build structures that are built to provide the minimum standards of protection for both people and property.
The "Contractors Index to the Uniform Building Code "(UBC) is a great way to insure that you are meeting all the provisions to meet safety and structural specification and pass inspection. There is a newer edition out, "Contractor's Guide To The Building Code" this is a very helpful volume that was written in a collaborative effort between the International Conference of Building Officials who wrote the building code.
If you find that the codebooks are cumbersome to thumb through to find the section you need in a hurry, there is something just for you. "Contractor's Index to the UBC" is a helpful book that will allow you to just read through the common sense index and find the coding information you need. Additionally, "Code Check" is an extremely helpful book when you're looking to meet building code guidelines.
The 1997 edition of the UBC has been the industry standard. However, changes were made to the building codes and the updated listing has been released as a revision. This book will give you valuable knowledge for meeting the requirements on the updated building codes.
Make sure you're always building to code and make sure you have the most current information available for your next job by using the latest editions of the UBC.
posted by Contractor Guides
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Estimate it Right with Cost Guides
As a contractor, competition for each job can be tough and it can get down to literally bidding to the bottom dollar. You want to win the contracts and make a profit, using a contractor's guide for estimating costs can help you to do both.
These guides are helpful and updated yearly so you always have the most current information available for creating your cost estimates with just a flip of a page or a click of your mouse if you installed the CD-Rom version of the contractor guide that comes with each book.
These books cover a myriad of common estimates you will be asked to make. For example, the National Painting Estimator comes with a complete guide to point you in the right direction for estimating costs on nearly any type of painting from industrial to residential to commercial. Also, different types of painting these facilities is estimated so you can give an estimate by brush, roller or by spray.
The average costs per square footage and how many square feet are covered per gallon of paint are calculated for you. Materials and material costs, labor, overhead and even taxes per 100 square footage area are covered in this thorough volume. Additionally, you will also be shown how much to add in to your estimate for a profit and the Job Cost Wizard will turn your estimate into an invoice after you make the sale. If you use Quickbooks to do your accounting, it imports directly into the program, making your accounting seamless and easy to keep up with.
These guides are also available for a myriad of other construction trades to insure that you are able to put in the best bid for each job!
posted by Contractor Guides
ADA Compliance Doesn't Have to Be Hard
Many Americans find the issue of ADA compliance confusing. Many employers and firms are confused as to what they need to do to be compliant. As a contractor, if you're building or remodeling a business or other public facility, you have to know or you and your client can face serious legal ramifications in the form of a lawsuit.
The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requires simply that all public facilities and employers of a certain size and above make accommodations for individuals with disabilities. This can include wheelchair ramps, special widened doorways, rails and more. Since July 1990 when this bill was signed into law, there have been sweeping changes in the way buildings are built and/or remodeled in order to make the facilities accessible to all people.
In the planning stages of your job with the client, it's a good idea to bring up ADA compliance if you feel it is going to be an issue. This will usually result in some added labor on the your part, but it will save the client from a discrimination and non-ADA compliance lawsuit in the future.
There are a number of contractor guides that can help you achieve this goal as well. The ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities with ADA Technical Assistance Manuals will be invaluable to your planning. These thorough guides will walk you through each step necessary in becoming fully ADA compliant for all types of buildings. There are also handy checklists to insure that nothing gets left to chance.
California has specific ADA guidelines that you must know if you're a contractor doing construction on the state. The California Accessibility Reference Manual Code and Checklist will help you stay in compliance with the ADA in California and the newly amended Title 24 of the Law; this guide also comes with a helpful CD-Rom. Two other very helpful guides for meeting ADA requirements in California are the CARM Exteriors and CARM Interiors guidebooks.
Making your construction ADA compliant isn't hard if you know the guidelines and these helpful guides will help you meet and exceed your client's expectations for ADA compliance.
posted by Contractor Guides
Concrete Construction - The Hard Facts
As a contractor that works with concrete construction, you know you only get one chance to do it right or the entire job will have to be started over and that means you won't make a profit and you'll most likely have one angry customer on your hands.
There are a good number of contractor guides that can help with almost every aspect of concrete construction. One often-thumbed guide used by residential contractors is the "Concrete & Formwork". This guide contains a good amount of information and is especially beneficial to anyone just entering the concrete and masonry contract construction business. The easy to follow instructions clearly show you how to construct and erect most types of onsite-fabricated wood forms used in residential concrete construction.
Another must have guide is the "Masonry & Concrete Construction". This is the updated version of the old standby and it has information on every facet of masonry and concrete construction. There are special techniques for doing footings, foundations, walls, fireplaces and chimneys and you can learn them all in addition to learning to do your own on-site planning and layout of your own concrete construction plans.
If you want to offer your clients something a little out of the ordinary in the way of countertop remodeling, you can offer hundreds of options in the form of ideas found in the "Concrete Countertops". Over 300 full color photos show how to design custom counters using smart combinations of wood, granite, brass and concrete. You can also get creative by coloring, stamping and staining your custom countertops. Stained concrete interior floors can become centerpieces of a room if done right and "Bob Harris's Guide to Stained Concrete Interior Floors" can show you how you can offer this service to your customers.
Concrete construction isn't just for foundations and forms, it can be used to expand your existing construction business into a full service construction company your customers will keep coming back to!
posted by Contractor Guides
Carpentry Guides Help You Get the Job Done Right
If you're new to the carpentry industry as a contractor or you're a seasoned pro, there are a number of carpentry guides that can help you. Whether you need design ideas, plans for building or help meeting standards and making your carpentry work to code, there is a good number of carpentry guidebooks available that can make sure you meet and exceed all standards.
Thanks to design shows like Trading Spaces and Changing Rooms, more and more home owners are opting to stop looking at the cabinetry in their kitchens that they just hate living with any longer and are hiring more and more contractors to give them the designs they want.
The guidebook "Cabinetmaking: From Design to Finish" is a fantastic book for any contractor who wants to have designs handy to show prospects and this book will take you through the planning, set up, construction and finishing of the entire cabinet making process. Another helpful guide is found in the book "Carpentry in Commercial Construction". This book is rich with illustrations, charts and diagrams to help you excel in commercial construction.
Curved work give you the shivers? You can learn the tricks of working with teal wood with the "Finish Carpenter's Manual". This will allow you to do more actual curved work rather than faceted work.
If you're looking to begin or expand your carpentry business, you will want to read "The Lead Carpenter Handbook". This book will give you information about every aspect of finding, training, and managing lead carpenters. If you have a custom building or remodeling contract Construction Company, you will find this book and a copy of the guide " Rough Framing Construction" very valuable to your business.
posted by Contractor Guides
