Construction Contracting: A Practical Guide to Company Management

Construction Contracting, the industry's leading professional reference for five decades, has been updated to reflect current practices, business methods, management techniques, codes, and regulations. A cornerstone of the construction library, this text presents the hard-to-find information essential to successfully managing a construction company, applicable to building, heavy civil, high-tech, and industrial construction endeavors alike. A wealth of coverage on the basics of owning a construction business provides readers with a useful "checkup" on the state of their company, and in-depth exploration of the logistics, scheduling, administration, and legal aspects relevant to construction provide valuable guidance on important facets of the business operations. This updated edition contains new coverage of modern delivery methods, technology, and project management.

The field of construction contracting comprises the entire set of skills, knowledge, and conceptual tools needed to successfully own or manage a construction company, as well as to undertake any actual project. This book gives readers complete, up-to-date information in all of these areas, with expert guidance toward best practices.

• Learn techniques for accurate cost estimating and effective bidding
• Understand construction contracts, surety bonds, and insurance
• Explore project time and cost management, with safety considerations
• Examine relevant labor law and labor relations techniques

Between codes, standards, laws, and regulations, the construction industry presents many different areas with which the manager needs to be up to date, on top of actually doing the day-to-day running of the business. This book provides it all under one cover – for the project side and the business side, Construction Contracting is a complete working resource in the field or office.

RICHARD H. CLOUGH, deceased, was the Dean of the College of Engineering, University of New Mexico. He was a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers and has long been considered one of the leading American educators in construction engineering and management.

GLENN A. SEARS is an active consultant in construction technology and management. He is Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering, University of New Mexico.

S. KEOKI SEARS is a Project Manager and owner of Project Catalyst Corporation, based in Durango, Colorado. He has extensive experience managing large heavy civil and high-tech construction projects worldwide.

ROBERT O. SEGNER is Professor of Construction Science in the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University. He has been a faculty member for more than 30 years, and became a construction educator following a number of years of practice in the construction industry at the superintendent, project manager, and executive levels.

JERALD L. ROUNDS is Associated General Contractors Endowed Chair in Construction Management and Construction Engineering at the University of New Mexico. He served as project manager on a number of commercial building projects prior to more than 30 years as a construction educator.