Month: March 2018

Job Growth Outlook for Contractor Jobs

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As we shared in previous articles, the construction industry saw growth in 2017 and it will continue to see growth in 2018. Although there are more job opportunities, there is still a lack of qualified and skilled workers, and companies are still struggling to find employees.

This is actually a great time for you to become a contractor! Plenty of openings to fill! For this article, we wanted to share with you the jobs that will be growing in the construction industry until 2026.

  • If you’re interested in becoming a construction manager or project manager, the projected job growth is 11 percent through the year 2026. What do these positions for? Construction/project managers oversee the project. They are in charge of the day-to-day work. They hire the workers. They make sure everything happens in the right order and within budget.
  • Construction equipment operators are expected to see a 12 percent growth in jobs through 2026. This equipment is anything from bulldozers to excavators.
  • Who doesn’t call a plumber in their lifetime? This career isn’t going anymore. Plumbers are expected to see a 16 percent job growth through 2026.
  • Masons, elevator installers and repairers will both see a job growth of 12 percent through 2016.
  • Glaziers (glass installation) will see a job growth of 11 percent through the year 2026.
  • Ironworkers will see a 13 percent job growth.
  • Construction workers will also see a 13 percent job growth.
  • The biggest growth will be by solar photovoltaic installers who will see a 105 percent growth. Why so big? The world is started to turn to and focus on green energy, so solar panels will be in demand.

 

Al of these above contractors require a contractor’s license. Depending on the specialty, there is a different set of requirements for training. Some specialties requiring more testing and schooling and apprenticeships than others. In the state of Florida, you can see what’s required to become a licensed contractor in different specialties on this types of contractor licenses page.

Interested in becoming one of the above-listed contractors? We can help you! Just answer some questions and we will do all the filing and meet all the deadlines for you. We know what’s required. We’ve helped thousands of people become licensed contractors. We are a Florida contractor licensing company. To start with us today, click here of call 239-777-1028.

Is New Technology Replacing Contractor Jobs?

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Although it seems to be a growth in construction jobs, is there a chance construction jobs can be taken away? From robots? Sounds like fantasy, huh? However, with growing technology, this isn’t really a sci-fi story anymore… it’s now our reality. According to a study done by the Midwest Economic Policy Institute, they estimate robots could either replace or displace 2.7 million jobs in construction by 2057.

Operating engineers have a high rate (88%) for the potential of going automation. Many companies are investing in technology that will make automation possible. Such companies include: CAT, Komatsu, Volvo CE. Roofers have the smallest potential for automation, as well as construction laborers and sheet metal workers. Certain takes just can’t be done by robots due to unpredictable and changing environments.

Overall, it’s predicted that only 5% of contractor-based jobs have the potential to be completely replaced by robots. Although many new jobs were added in construction in the past few years, there still is a labor shortage. The younger generations are not filling in the employment gaps from the older generations leaving and/or retiring.

Unlike other industries, new technologies take longer to catch on in the construction industry, so full-on robot usage is probably many, many years from coming into fruition. Right now, there are robots doing smaller (yet still important) tasks, like bricklaying. Robots that can do repetitive tasks faster than a human are being sought out to get project’s done faster. However, this doesn’t mean the human is replaced. The human needs to run the robot, check on the robot’s work, and set up the work before the robot completes a task.

So overall, contractors don’t need to be alarmed just yet. Your jobs are safe from the robots. People will always value people. People will have to manage, repair, control, maintain, and direct the robots. With a changing society, new jobs will also emerge for people to do, as well.

It’s best to think of new technology as things that can help us on the job not harm us.

If you’ve been interested in a career in contracting, you will need your Florida contractor license. As a Florida contractor licensing company, we will do the contractor licensing process for you. We know the ins and outs of the application 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.

 

How to become a Florida Building Contractor

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Contracting is a great industry to get into right now. There’s a shortage of workers and a lot of job openings. Natural disasters, unfortunately occurred, but have made new work for contractors to do across many states in the United States. Growth is occurring, so man power is needed. Thinking about a career as a contractor? There’s so many specialties within this field. You should choose the field that interests you, and also you feel you have a good skillset for.

For this article, we wanted to focus on building contractors, and how to get a certified Florida building contractor’s license.

What is a building contractor?  A building contractor “means a contractor whose services are limited to construction of commercial buildings and single-dwelling or multiple-dwelling residential buildings, which do not exceed three stories in height, and accessory use structures in connection therewith or a contractor whose services are limited to remodeling, repair, or improvement of any size building if the services do not affect the structural members of the building.”

What is required to become a certified licensed building contractor? What experience do you need to have?  You have to show 48 months on jobs with at least 12 months as a foreman, or a combination of college and experience totaling at least 48 months with at least 12 of those months as a foreman. You also must show substantial responsibility in at least 4 of the following areas of commercial construction including active and proven experience with:

  • Foundation/Slabs greater than 20,000 sqft
  • Masonry Walls
  • Steel Erection
  • Elevated Slabs
  • Precast Concrete Structures
  • Column Erection
  • Formwork for structural reinforced concrete

. To aquire a Florida contractor’s license, there is a decent amount of paperwork and deadline. If you hire our Florida contractor licensing team, we will make the process simple, fast, and efficient for you. We walk our clients through each step of the process, complete the application information for you, and provide you with exactly what you need to gather the supporting documentation. You barely have to lift a finger!

We will also help you obtain additional licenses, renew licenses, or help you with business licensing. We have got the license process down to a science. We know what the Contractor Licensing Board is looking for, and what needs to be done! We’ve helped thousands of people become licensed contractors. If you want help becoming a licensed building contractor, click here of call us at 239-777-1028.

 

How to Be a Successful Licensed Plumber

On: By: admin

As long as there’s pipes, there will be plumbers. If you’re thinking about a career in the contracting world, plumbing is a challenging, rewarding, and safe bet.

There are a lot of plumbers out there. In 2014, there were 425,000 plumbers working across the United States. How can you stand out against the competition? What can you do to make a name for yourself in the plumbing business?

For this article, we wanted to share some tips/things to think about when it comes to being good plumber.

  • Show pride and excitement for your work. Clients notice.
  • Communicate effectively and often with clients.
  • Be a salesman. Whether you work for yourself or plumbing business, sell yourself and skills! Lots of people need a good plumber at some point, and if they have your info handy, they can turn to you in their time of need. Actively market/sell your business or your own skills.
  • Don’t rely on others to find business for you.
  • Charge your customers fairly so you can make a profit, buy the best equipment, and grow your company.
  • Give your customers a flat rate with your services; if you leave your prices open-ended, they may think you’re too expensive.
  • Hire the best quality people and workers for your team. They will help you keep current clients and expand your clients.
  • Hire people with vast skillsets. Maybe if you can’t do something, someone else can! So now, your business can provide more services for people.
  • Look professional.
  • Drive vehicles with your name/contact info or company name/info on it. You’ll be a moving billboard.
  • Keep up with your skills and knowledge with frequent trainings. Take courses in finance, marketing, management and more to help you run your business.
  • Belong to trade associations and national organizations.
  • Be involved with the community.

Looking to get your Florida plumbing contractor’s license? Let us do the work for you! Click our plumber contractor’s license page for more info. We’ve helped thousands of people become licensed contractors. We are a Florida contractor licensing company. To start with us today, click here of call 239-777-1028.

Contractor Jobs 2018 Outlook

On: By: admin

Good news for our contractor community. In December, construction unemployment rates were down across 46 states. This was actually the country’s lowest rate of unemployment ever.

 

Compared to December 2016, the construction industry employed 250,000 more workers.

 

Why is this increase occurring? More work equals more employment. Unfortunately, a lot of the increases are due to natural disasters that happened in 2017 including hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. Contractors are needed all over the country.

 

There were 6 states with highest unemployment rates included New Mexico, Rhode Island, Alaska, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon. From lowest to highest, the top 5 states for construction unemployment rates were: Hawaii, Colorado, Massachusetts, Virginia, (Georgia, South Carolina and Texas tied for fifth).

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How is the career outlook looking for general contractors? On average, there’s supposed to be a 5 % job growth increase from now till 2024.

 

Construction spending is predicted to stay strong in 2018. According to ConstructConnect, the construction forecast for 2018 is a 4.8% increase. Commercial construction (offices, garages) is expected to grow 12.4% and continue to grow through 2021. Warehouses and factories is expected to decrease starting this year by 5.6%. Retail is expected to decline around 2.8% this year.

 

Overall construction spending for 2018 is expected to be a 2 to 7 % increase.

 

This is the time to get a job in contracting. The jobs are there because the work is there! Time to get into the field and make a name for yourself!  If you’re ready to become a licensed Florida contractor, or start up a contractor business, 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 stressful; there’s a lot of deadlines to remember. As a Florida contractor licensing company, we know the process like the back of our hand, because we’ve helped thousands of people get their Florida contractor’s license. To get started with us

Communication is Essential For a Successful Contractor Business

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Being a good contractor isn’t just about your skillset (with your hands) or your contractor’s license, it’s your ability to communicate effectively with clients. Without your customers, you have no job! It isn’t just the face-to-face communication that is important, it’s the phone calls, emails and other messages that customers judge your communication skills on.

If a customer calls your contractor business to inquire about your work and that initial call was a bad experience for them, he or she probably won’t pursue working with you further. Statistically, if a customer has a good phone experience with you, there’s an 80% they will be a repeat customer. If it’s a bad phone experience, 74% of people will look for another contractor.

You want to be available to your customers as much as possible; however, this can be tough if you have a small team. Everyone is busy doing their jobs and manning the phones 24/7 may not be possible. If this is case, you may want to think about hiring a receptionist or a remote receptionist to help provide quality service to your customers, whether they’re old or new. Also, you won’t have to stop being productive in your work for every phone call.

Customers are likely to stick with you if a real person answers the phone instead of an answering machine. Whether an in-house receptionist or remote receptionist, you are able to tell this receptionist exactly what questions to ask and information to get, so the customer feels heard, and they feel like they’re going through step 1 in the process of connecting with you.

Your customers will find you approachable, trustworthy and reliable because you always will have a person picking up the phone ready to help them.  You also won’t lose time and money on the job being on the phone. You can focus your attention on your projects instead of phone calls that may not even be worth your time. A receptionist is good at weeding out promising leads from bogus calls.

You never have to worry about missing a potential customer due to you being busy or taking a break or being on the road. If you’re tight on money, a remote receptionist is more affordable than an in-house receptionist.

If you still need to get your contractor’s license, let us help you!  We make getting your Florida contractor’s license, fast and easy. We are a Florida contractor licensing company. We will do the work for you! We will work with you every step of the way until you are licensed. To get started on the Florida contractor license process, click here or call us at 239-777-1028.

Accidents Happen: Contractor Incidents and Safety Tips

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Accidents happen. This is why it’s important for a contractor or a contracting company to carry worker’s compensation, because you never know when someone with trip or slip!

In 2016, 203,500 injuries and illnesses were reported in the construction industry. Around 22,880 of these were sprains, strains, and tears; 13,020 claims were pain related; 11,880 were fractures and 11,810 were cuts, lacerations and punctures.

The average time a worker was out was 10 days. Of the 82,760 accident injuries reported, only 14 percent required just 1 day out. However, 26,010 injuries caused people to be way from work an average of 31 days; this accounts for around 1/3 of the accidents. That’s a lot of people out of work for a long time!

Why so many injuries? Well construction sites are full of hazards. Even when the right safety measure have been taken, accidents can still occur. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2016 Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, here’s some examples of what hurt people.

  • 9,020 incidents occurred from building material injuries from pipes, bricks, wood, metal and stone
  • 1,700 incidents happened from nails and screws
  • 10,500 incidents happened from the way a worker moved. A worker tweaked/hurt something from climbing, walking, reaching, twisting, or bending
  • 8,490 incidents happened from hand tools
  • 7,140 cases happened from ladders.
  • 24,700 incidents occurred from falls, trips, or slips
  • 29,160 incidents happened from contact with objects
  • 2,960 incidents happened from contact with harmful substances or environments

 

Although not all accidents can be avoided, a lot can be prevented with the right safety protocols in place. There are so many safety tips on a construction site, but we just wanted to share a few as a reminder:

  • Be mindful of your surroundings
  • Always wear protect equipment: hardhats, safety glasses, vests, gloves, steel-toed boots, jackets
  • Stretch before working
  • Avoid sudden movements
  • Clean up spills immediately
  • Inspect all tools and machines before use to make sure they are working properly.
  • Use fall protection devices
  • Keep walking surfaces clear
  • Take breaks

It’s not only important to be safe at work, it’s also important to practice contracting work legally. If you’re looking to get your Florida contractor’s license, we can help you get through the  contractor license process fast. We are a Florida contractor licensing company. To get started on the process, click here or call us at 239-777-1028.