PR April 2004

While survey firms do big business among big builders, most remodelers keep their customer satisfaction research in-house.

Maybe you live or work in a neighborhood like mine. Fifty-year-old homes of no more than 2,000 square feet get sold for $400,000 and torn down. They're replaced with million-dollar houses occupying every inch of the lot and extending upward at least three stories.

Benchmarks provide direction and suggest a course of action.

The definition of and synonyms for benchmark include "standard," "point of reference" and "targets." Benchmarks provide direction and suggest a course of action.

Outdoor living requires a durable, weather-resistant space.

As a professional remodeling contractor, how would you solve the following situation? Your clients own a historic, 19th-century home with a coffered-ceiling dining room, four-piece crown moldings throughout the rest of the house, and lath and plaster walls as smooth as butter. They are sick and tired of living with noisy, hissing radiators and want them replaced with something "new, efficient a...

Three firms offer solutions for maximizing employees' time and improving job productivity

With 160 employees and annual averages of 300 remodeling projects and more than $50 million in revenue, Airoom Architects & Builders in Lincolnwood, Ill., operates on a grander scale than most remodelers. But Airoom's strategic approach to improving performance management can act as a template for any company.

Going down to the studs allows rewiring for lighting, sound and security systems

For repeat clients, especially friends, Mike McCutcheon of McCutcheon Construction in Berkeley, Calif., makes an extra effort to accommodate their needs. When psychologist Luli Emmons and landscaper Frank Graetch came to him in 2003 with ideas for a kitchen remodel that cost more than they wanted to spend, McCutcheon proposed a solution: time-and-materials pricing.