The Builder's Guide to Running a Successful Constructi (For Pros By Pros) - Softcover

Gerstel, David

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0942391365 ISBN 13: 9780942391367

Publisher: Taunton Press, 1992

Synopsis

You don't need an MBA to create and run a thriving construction business, as David Gerstel knows from his own experience. But you do need a tight grip on the fundamentals of construction management and business organization. In this book, Gerstel shows you step by step how to drum up business, choose the right jobs to bid, and estimate them efficiently and accurately; write strong and balanced contracts, work with clients and architects, and document and collect for change orders; set up a compact office, organize and keep your books, and purchase cost-effective insurance; hire and manage crews, maintain a safe and productive work site; and keep your jobs on schedule. If you're starting your own contracting business, the systems Gerstel offers will help you get going with low overhead and without drowning in paperwork. If you already run your own company, but feel overwhelmed, this book will give information that can cure those management headaches and help you gain control of your operation. Even if you're a seasoned and successful builder, Gerstel's innovative ideas can help you sharpen your management skills and tighten up your procedures.

About this title

About the Author

Respected nationally for his books about house building and construction company management, David Gerstel has been a licensed builder for 35 years. His interests date back to his childhood and undergraduate days. An avid builder of tree houses during his elementary school years in North Carolina, he served as editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper at Brandeis University near Boston. After college he set out to learn a trade, becoming a master carpenter and founding a construction company that rapidly earned respect for its upfront business practices and the integrity of its work. David's books are widely admired for their depth of research, expertise, readability, and humour. Along with his work, he enjoys tennis and reading about history, financial and environmental issues, and building design and construction as well as (especially) spending time with his wife Sandra.

From the Back Cover

You don't need an MBA to create and run a thriving construction business, as David Gerstel knows from his own experience. But you do need a tight grip on the fundamentals of construction management and business organization. In this book, Gerstel shows you step by step how to drum up business, choose the right jobs to bid, and estimate them efficiently and accurately; write strong and balanced contracts, work with clients and architects, and document and collect for change orders; set up a compact office, organize and keep your books, and purchase cost-effective insurance; hire and manage crews, maintain a safe and productive work site; and keep your jobs on schedule. If you're starting your own contracting business, the systems Gerstel offers will help you get going with low overhead and without drowning in paperwork. If you already run your own company, but feel overwhelmed, this book will give information that can cure those management headaches and help you gain control of your operation. Even if you're a seasoned and successful builder, Gerstel's innovative ideas can help you sharpen your management skills and tighten up your procedures.

Edition details

• Publisher: Taunton Press
• Publication date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0942391365
• ISBN 13: 9780942391367
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240