Great Hand Tools for Contractors

Contractors are always using their hands. Whether you’re a general contractor or a plumber, you need your hands to get the job done. For this article, we wanted to share with you some great hand tools for you to purchase for your job! Whether you buy it on your own, or tell your employer about it, you need these hand tools in your life! They’ll make your job so much easier!

C-Style Close Quarters Copper Tubing Cutters – This product is made by Ridgid. With this tool, you can cut three sizes of copper pip with a ½” and ¾” combined tubing cutter. You can easily switch back and froth between the sizes. There are slots around the outside of the cutter for a flat-head screwdriver to rotate the tool when needed.

Deb1 Deburring and Chamfering Tool – This product is made by Reed. It is used with PVC, CPVC, ABS, PE, and PP pipe that is up to 2 inches in diameter. It comes with an internal pip guide and a knurled grip. You can choose to sharpen or replace the blade.

Pirana II Plastic Pipe Ratchet Cutter – This product is made by J.C. Whitlam. This product can be used with one hand. It comes with a 2” cutter carbon-steel blade. It is heavy duty and makes a clean cut.

Crescent 12” Self-Adjusting Pipe Wrench – This product is made by Apex. You can use it with one hand. It has a self-adjusting head that grabs and releases pipe and fasteners; it has fast-ratcheting action. It has a tooth design that allows the jaws of the wrench to bite down deeply and hold tight, even under heavier force. It can fit in tight spaces.

Come back to our blog for more blogs on tool products. We love sharing with you!

In the market for a contractor’s license? You came to the right place. If you’d like to get your Florida contractor’s license, let us help you! We are a Florida contractor licensing company. We will do the work for you! To get started on the contractor license process, click here or call us at 239-777-1028.

Benefits of Hiring a General Contractor

Being a contractor is a rewarding job. Contractors get to work on a project, and usually see it from start to finish, and can be proud of the work you put in to create an impressive product. The job is a challenging one, both mentally and physically.  Contractors need good management skills, finance skills, you have to stay on top of your licensure, be good with your hands, be physically able to handle tasks, be able to negotiate prices, work with other contractors, deal with on-site job issues, and more. For this article, we wanted to share with you the benefits of hiring a general contractor, instead of doing a job on your own. By looking at these points, you can make an educated guess as to if you need a general contractor and why.

  • You don’t have to lift a finger. Contractors will take care of the entire project.
  • Due to skills and experience, the job will be finished faster than if you did it yourself.
  • Not only will the job be finished faster, it will be done more efficiently.
  • Contractors have connections with other contractors and vendors.
  • It may cost more than if you did the job yourself, but there’s a good chance the project was completed faster, with better materials, and looks more professional.
  • Contractors can get deals on materials you won’t be able to get yourself.
  • Their extensive training and licensure allows them to handle different types and sizes of projects in your home.
  • Complications on the job occur. A contractor mostly likely has been up against all complications before and knows how to handle them, you may not have this expertise.
  • Whenever you build a home, complete a renovation, or put on an addition, you have to abide by building codes. Contractors stay up to date with these codes and they know to comply with them.
  • Contractor’s carry liability insurance and worker’s compensation incase anything serious happens on the job.
  • General contractors usually provide a warranty for their work.

 

If you’d like to get your Florida contractor’s license,, let us help you! We are a Florida contractor licensing company. To get started on the contractor license process, click here or call us at 239-777-1028.

 

 

 

Mobile Apps for Efficiency in Contracting

 

There’s an app for everything these days! Did you know there’s apps for contractors that help with efficiency in the field? There are! Each year, more apps are developed to help increase workflow efficiency. These apps feature electronic date capture in the field.

We wanted to share with two of these apps with you. After reading this article, you may want to download these apps and use them in your company!

GoCanvas.com – This is a cloud-based platform that automates the collection of date on mobile devices. On the GoCanvas mobile app, you can input data using forms (pre-made or ones you created). You can submit, store, or archive this data, and retrieve it whenever you want. You can also use this app to get a customer’s signature, take photos, get estimates, create work orders or invoices, create and maintain checklists, do time cards, and accept payments. This app can also manage technicians/contractors in the field. Pricing varies, but you can sign up for a 30-day trial.

iAuditor –  This is a checklist app where you can create safety and quality inspection checklists and reports. You can add photos, time stamps, GPS location, and signatures during an inspection. This app is free for 30 days.

Want to use an app on a bigger screen? Like a tablet? But don’t want to put the tablet down or risk losing it? Since tablets are heavy and large, they cannot be put in your pocket, so what can you do? We have a solution.  The Runnur Tablet Tech Belt system helps you carry your tablet hands-free. It is secured on your hip by a heavy duty black belt and hip pad. It’s easy access!

Thinking about a career in contracting? Let us help you! We are a Florida contractor licensing company. We’ve been in business for awhile helping thousands get licensed. If you’d like to get your Florida contractor’s license, get started today. To work on getting your Florida contractor’s license, click here or call us at 239-777-1028.

 

 

 

Tips to Create a Good Work Culture for Contractors

A good, successful contractor or construction company isn’t just about quality skills and a finished product… it’s about a good work culture for the entire team. Without a good work culture, projects won’t get completed, things would fall apart, and jobs wouldn’t be done well.  You want your workers/employees to be proud to work for you and your company.

 

As a Florida contractor licensing company, we wanted to share some tips in how you can bolster a good work culture in your business:

  • Create an environment where employees don’t feel overpowered by management.
  • Allows employees an open space for communication, suggestions, ideas.
  • Give incentives to inspire and make people want to put more effort into the company.
  • Reward teamwork.
  • Reward and invoke responsible behavior.
  • Encourage leadership.
  • Develop relationships and connections amongst workers.
  • Be transparent with the business.
  • Don’t guilt employees when they need time off.
  • Minimize/eliminate micromanaging.
  • Give employees freedom so they feel more connected to the company.
  • Think about the different needs of your employees. Some require more space/alone time than others to get work done.
  • Provide education and training for the staff.
  • Make the work culture a reflection of yourself so it’s personal.
  • Communication is key. Figure out ways to always share goals and visions for the company.
  • Encourage collaborations.
  • Schedule group retreats, parties, etc. so people have some fun to look forward to while being part of this team.
  • Treat employees like human beings, not like parts of a machine.

 

Looking to become a Florida contractor, or start up a contractor business of your own? We can help your through the licensure process to make that happen. When applying for a contractor license or business license, there’s a lot of paperwork and requirements. It can be confusing and a hassle, especially with all the deadlines. As a Florida contractor licensing company, we know the ins and outs of the process because we’ve helped thousands of people get their Florida contractor’s license. To get started with us today, click here or call 239-777-1028.

 

Read Up on the Latest Construction Trends

Donuts. Cupcakes. Open concept homes. The color gray. Trends are a thing that happen in every industry out there, including the construction industry. It’s important for a contractor to keep up-to-date on the latest trends to not only keep up with the times, but to please, impress, and attract a clientele. Some trends stick, some go away fast, but regardless of their duration it’s good for a contractor business to be in the know of such trends. Being the end of 2017, we wanted to share with you some trends that have been emerging in the industry and will go into 2018.

 

  • Energy efficient wall systems. Commercial construction is starting to used insulating concrete blocks to be integrated into wall systems, which can improve energy efficiency in a building. They make the building stronger, better insulted, have better fire resistance, and reduces noise from the outside. This types of walls aren’t just better at conserving energy (and all the other reasons above), they also are easier to put up for contractors and don’t cost much. These types of walls also can be used in every region of the country.
  • Green design. Just like above, being efficient and “greener” is the way to go these days, especially since the world has started to see the negative effects of climate change. How can a contractor be more green in the things he or she does? Examples include: using recyclable or sustainable materials, improve air quality, better controls for lightings and temperature, more natural lightings, better insulation, etc.
  • Smart Glass. Again, just like the two trends above, this is also with the “green” trend. Smart glass is tinted/glazed in a way that improves energy efficiency. How? This glass can control glare, harsh light, and block heat from the sun’s rays. Smart glass is also known to reduce costs. Soon, people will be able to control smart glass electronically and dictate how much the glass is tinted or how much heat is should absorb. Really cool!

Right now, it seems green is the way to go in terms of trends in the construction world. As a company, it would be in your best interest to implement some of these items into your blueprints. Your clients will be excited and impressed that you offered these components into the design. These above trends not only help you keep up with other contractor businesses, but they truly help improve building design and help the environment.

 

Before you think of contractor trends, it’s important that you are legally licensed to practice contracting work. You don’t want to pay fines or get arrested. If you’re looking to get your Florida contractor’s license, we can help you get through the process fast. We are a Florida contractor licensing company. To get started on the process, click here or call us at 239-777-1028.