Month: March 2015

Section 125 Premium Only Plans – Taking the Load Off of Construction Contractors

Construction contractors, be they relatively small and independent or massive and employed organizations dealing with titanic projects heavily, face a great number of logistical challenges before they try the field. Coordinating and planning risk management with subcontractors, providing design teams with schedule and budget updates, and haggling over deadlines with online marketers provide the backdrop to many contracted projects. Put into the bustle of client interactions may be the barrage of Federal and State legislative requirements. Construction contractors nationwide play a delicate game, balancing obligations between employee compensation, liability insurance, worker’s comp, and, in some full cases, pollution and environmental insurance. All considered, construction contractors sponsoring medical health insurance for their employees when confronted with the countless and varying obligations they manage deserve some help where their finances are worried. Section 125 Premium Only Plans or POP can ease the burdens of medical health insurance premiums and promote the success of subscribing construction contractors.

The financial tolls Premium Only Plans help offset have weighed heavily on the financial stability of several construction contractors during the last several years. Based on the Oregon Healthcare Reform Information Organization, contractors nationwide have reported the average 160% increase to the price tag on insurance costs. Sadly, the rise in prices have not occurred without consequence. The dramatic rise in premium cost has, based on the coverage organization, forced construction contractors to:

Lower the wages they pay their workers
Change the scope of these business to non construction activities, eliminating the expense of liability insurance thereby
Walk out business altogether

Construction contractors may use lewis bins in order to avoid compromising their businesses and save swaths of capital in annual FICA taxes. Premium Only Plans allow their workers can donate to their healthcare premiums before taxes are deducted from their pay, and the tax free nature of the contributions can save contractors around 7.65 percent in annual taxes. The savings can mean several hundred dollars each year.

Premium only plans not merely drive the expense of sponsoring medical health insurance plans down for contractors, rendering them manageable as tax-savings are realized increasingly, they dramatically reduce the impact employee contributions have on employee finances also. Because employee contributions are deducted pre-tax, employee collect pay is increased on a full month to month basis. These savings could be applied to a variety of health plan benefits, so employees are able to subscribe to a far more diverse selection of dependent and personal benefits.

The costs connected with initially setting up reduced only plan are often returned during the period of the initial year by the savings accrued.

Avoiding Costly Mistakes in Contracting, Second In A Series: Construction Contractor Credentials

Consumers contract with contractors to execute do-it-yourself repairs or projects. The purpose of this article would be to educate homeowners on how best to protect themselves from liability and unscrupulous contractor practices. This is actually the second in some articles covering all areas of contracting to assist you, the buyer be better educated and less inclined to be taken advantage. This short article explores the credentials Contractors should or will need to have as the very least to contract with one to do-it-yourself projects.

Some places to get Building/Construction Contractor’s

There are lots of ways we contact contractors to accomplish construction projects around our home. Just about everyone has advisable what we wish done from new kitchens to room additions. The principal reason of course, adds extra value to the true home.

One of the better methods to meet contractors reaches DO-IT-YOURSELF Shows in where you live. These shows are excellent for showing all of the latest innovations along with those that will be the old reliable. On top of that, they cost from $500 to more than $5000 dollars for an organization to participate. I mention these as the door knockers cannot afford to create an exhibit at these shows usually; they don’t have the monetary resources open to them, & most of the shows require proof insurance and license to participate.

Friends and acquaintances are outstanding sources for locating contractor’s whose work is professional. Remember a satisfied customer shall tell one individual of how satisfied they’re; a dissatisfied customer will tell 100.

The phone book is okay, nonetheless it is inexpensive and a person with a small business license and contact number can advertise causing you to believe they’re licensed contractors.

We get bombarded by contractor offers from newspaper and television advertising everywhere, truck placard’s to business cards on bulletin boards and on restaurant counters.

Whatever the sources you use to get hold of a contractor to accomplish work, protect yourself against possible liability always, unscrupulous practices and unlicensed contractors.

Exactly what is a Construction/Building Contractor?

A contractor is an person that has met all of the criteria, both experience and testing, to use for a license through state, city or county municipalities. In most states, you’ll want a continuing state license and competency cards for every county and perhaps, cities where you conduct business. Licensing accomplishes the next, it identifies those businesses and people who are qualified to accomplish work for you, establishes a competitive pool that consumers might select qualified contractors, establishes in each continuing state a regulatory commission to track contractor violations and consumer complaints, and most vital that you states, cities and counties, adds valuable revenue.

You can find state licenses necessary for almost every aspect and phase for construction and some they keep thinking around protect you and add a lot more money to underneath line.

Types of Work Performed by Pipeline Construction Contractors

Pipeline construction contractors are engaged in work which involves the installation, repair, or replacement of underground pipes. Fields of work include focusing on water, sewer, gas, heating oil, and crude oil pipelines, in addition to utility pipes used to guard public and private utilities.

Pipeline construction contractors have the effect of all areas of the installation process. Duties include grading and clearing the land so trenches could be dug. Parts of pipes are trucked to the worksite where workers string pipe sections which are then welded together. Special epoxy coating is put on welds to reduce corrosion and reduce threat of leakage.

The extensive network of pipeline that extends over the nation has significantly improved the full lives of Americans. Without water pipelines we wouldn’t benefit from the luxury of plain tap water for drinking, bathing and washing laundry. Without sewer pipes we wouldn’t have indoor restroom facilities.

Gas pipelines provide us with fuel for the heating and cars oil for the homes. Utility pipeline systems ensure we’ve uninterrupted cable and phone service and may access electricity with the flip of a switch.

Combined, these networks of pipes have improved the lifestyles for folks all around the globe vastly. They will have aided in providing essential resources to rural areas and metropolitan cities.

One of the primary drawbacks of pipeline construction is these jobs often require contractors to work in extremely difficult conditions. Large jobs, like the Alaskan pipeline take years or months to complete. Others require working extended hours in harsh environments such as for example deserts, mountains, and underwater even.

Design engineers work to build up blueprints and installation processes diligently. To get insight into underground conditions, contractors utilize subsurface utility engineering SUE solutions to locate the existence of previously installed pipes.

SUE uses a selection of detection tools to measure the depth and position of subsurface pipes, along with the material condition and composition. The info gathered from these procedures ensures that contractors won’t unexpectedly unearth existing pipes that could bring about job delays and workplace accidents.

Pipeline networks are put into five different categories offering: municipal, residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional. Contractors take part in installing and fabricating pipes in accordance with its application. In addition they repair and replace existing utilities and pipes and monitor their condition.

Although several pipeline construction companies can handle installing any group of pipe, most focus on a couple of. Furthermore, several categories are split into subcategories and require dealing with specialty trade contractors.

For instance, marine pipeline construction involves building offshore oil rig platforms and installing pipes deep in to the ocean floor. Another specialized field is that of pipeline rehabilitation that involves replacing large segments of existing pipe networks.

Lastly, pipeline projects are categorized as either dry utility construction or wet utility construction further. Dry utility identifies pipes that store nongaseous products or used to safeguard subsurface utilities and communications systems.

Wet utility construction encompasses pipes and dumpster rental austin that convey liquid products including wastewater, storm water, normal water, and petroleum products such as for example heating oil and gasoline.

Selecting a Building Construction Contractor

Large-scale professional and commercial buildings have another infrastructure than smaller-scale or residential buildings, and a specific group of performance requirements. Because the manager or owner of a big building, there will come a right time when you need assistance from a building construction contractor. How will you locate one and how will you determine the contractor that’s best for the requirements of your building? Unless you have a word-of-mouth recommendation, then quick make an online search might provide you with several area contractors that may suit your needs. After you’ve gathered a summary of prospects, intend to spend some right time gathering information regarding each company.

Does the building construction contractor have experience? Longevity could be a key component whether you are interested in a construction contractor, building maintenance crew or perhaps a renovation contractor. In case a contractor has been operating for quite some time in the continuing business, it is possible to feel confident they have the know-how to serve your unique needs. It’s likely that with experience comes the capability to troubleshoot problems, offer turnkey answers to trouble areas also to devise functional and creative ideas for building upgrades. Experienced contractors can offer you with an ongoing work portfolio and client list. Impressive portfolios talk with the grade of the contractor’s work.

What selection of services is offered? As stated earlier, large-scale buildings include large-scale needs. This compatible knowing what material composition is the most suitable for acoustics and aesthetics while maintaining affordability. For high-traffic areas like stores, what flooring choice is most effective? How does that change from certain requirements of professional work place? An established building construction contractor shall have knowledge of all building systems including interior fit-out, electrical systems, HVAC, plumbing plus much more. The more intimate a contractor has been each building system, the much more likely you are to get quality service.

When the building construction contractor choices you’re researching seem equally skilled, you will want to choose a little something extra to find out your top choice. Any special certifications held by the contractor, just like a membership with the Construction and Building Authority, will talk with the contractors overall customer dedication and quality standards. An organization that strives to accomplish recognition for meeting standards and requirements in field-related categories is seriously interested in their work. Holding your contractor prospects to an increased standard shall help you make an informed, confident and safe choice.

Huang Kee provides comprehensive selection of building and construction services from building maintenance, to full renovation contractor work. Other services include carpentry, electrical, mechanical, roofing, structural and much more.

Top Ten Factors in Running a Successful Construction Contractor Business

It isn’t easy owning a construction business. There are lots of pitfalls and methods to lose money but in the event that you follow some basic steps not only can you earn a living but become very wealthy. Many successful construction contractors have discovered there are specific things you absolutely should do right on a regular basis and certain skills you’ll want or acquire to make it in this very competitive industry. In this specific article I will summarize what must be done to be always a successful construction contractor within their order of importance.

THE VERY FIRST THING: PRACTICAL Experience

Do not even consider starting a construction contractor business if you don’t have at the very least five years of broad (meaning general, not specialized) construction experience. The only real exception to the is if you consider focusing on one area and something area only. We call this a distinct segment. Niche’s can be quite profitable, however they can disappear completely also, change or be replaced by technology, services, changes in the societal or industry changes. The best opportunity for success in the overall contractor business would be to gain experience doing everything. This general experience has benefits. You are given by it the capability to identify and hire competent individuals, fire incompetent ones, evaluate good work product and identify poor work product. Essentially the most important thing it offers you is the capability to transition from being truly a technician to being truly a manager. The very best experience originates from small to mid-sized construction companies that want you to be considered a jack of most trades. Larger companies tend to pigeonhole you into niches. That’s fine if your organization model is really a niche, but in the event that you take up a general contractor construction business with skills in mere several niche areas, you’ll fail if you don’t hire to your weaknesses.

Second THE VERY FIRST THING: Outstanding Accounting System

If you don’t have an audio accounting system your construction business shall eventually fail. This CPA has witnessed this way too many times than I care to recount. Sound accounting systems enable you to evaluate if you make money on employment by job basis. Choosing gut instinct is fraught and dangerous with risk. An audio accounting system can help you identify those ideas you do directly on each job along with the mistakes you have made. Numbers don’t lie. Unfortunately, my experience shows me that a lot of construction contractors pay little focus on their system of accounting. There’s a fear that proper accounting will set the continuing business proprietor up for higher taxes. Thus, cash received on employment and cash disbursed go unreported in order to avoid tax. Just what a mistake. I don’t care how great your gut feeling is on each job, unless you have an accounting of each penny on each job, it is possible to rest assured you’re flying blind and losing profits on each working job. You shall walk out business as well as your family life are affected. If you opt to start your personal business you will need to act just like a professional business proprietor and that means developing a sound accounting system. Failed accounting systems result in litigation, bankruptcy and failure.

Third THE VERY FIRST THING: Effective Management

When you have practical experience on the market, forged by a long time (at the very least five years) of employed in every element of the construction business, you’re better in a position to make the transition from technician to manager. Effective management requires that you have sound procedures on many areas of your organization. Well-defined work product processes, alongside accompanying task-specific checklists, lets you drill your workers on every part of a task inside a working job. You ought to have a work product process with accompanying checklists for almost every major task inside a job. This eliminates human error and lets you make corrections prior to the task is officially completed. This is a construction company owners #1 management tool. You need to develop a process for every working job and each task. This process should be on paper and stored in a binder for every job, combined with the task checklist. The duty checklist ought to be calendarized. Your jobs binder will include the following:

Tab #1 – A copy of the signed contract and any change orders.
Tab #2 – Cover the job. Cover each change order.
Tab #3 – Accounting for income and expenses. The income portion would are the contract bid price, monies received either as deposits or because the stages of the project are completed and monies received for change orders.
Tab #4 – Task List Summary.
Tab #5 – Task #1 Process Summary and Checklist.
Tab #6 – Task #2 Process Summary and Checklist.
etc.

Last Tab – Customer sign off letter on completed work alongside standard testimonial letter signed by customer, listing customer’s name and contact information alongside permission to utilize the testimonial in marketing so when a reference for potential customers. You’ll transfer copies of every testimonial letter to another binder that you’ll take with one to each prospect. This testimonial binder might be the only thing separating you from your own competition. It offers assurance to prospects that you take client satisfaction very seriously and could function as difference maker. It allows prospects a chance to get in touch with previous customers to be able to obtain references. In addition, it shows the prospect your company is quite organized and well run. Lastly, have an image of the before and after on each working job in this binder.