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Dealing with the Paperwork of Construction

By Brian McKay

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People who work in construction often want to spend their time, you know, constructing. They want to build things. They want to get out there and get their hands dirty. To make something, to lift, to pull, to use big machinery. The average office worker might see this is unbearable physical labour. But your average construction worker probably feels the same way about office work!

But, of course, part of constructing a business sees a lot of paperwork. And if it’s not exactly paperwork, then it’s similarly abstract stuff. It all seems to detract from the actual reason many people joined such a business. Of course, that doesn’t mean anyone should be tempted to skimp out on any of them. 

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In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at the more abstract side of construction work, paperwork or similar. We’ll be focussing on why they’re so important - as well as ways in which you can help ease such burdens.

The website

Construction is seen, by many, to be a very classic career. It’s seen as something that doesn’t much require the interference of the likes of the Internet of Things, or even the Internet itself.

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Of course, this isn’t an accurate way of looking at things. Construction, after all, is a business. As such, it isn’t exempt from a golden rule: you need a good business website. These days, potential clients use the Internet to find construction companies. With this in mind, you need to make sure you’re with the times! Consider working with a digital agency like Creative Jar that can handle both design and marketing.

Building estimates

The logistics of a construction enterprise is not the most fun thing to deal with. But it is absolutely essential. Without a good building estimate, you’ll find yourself making a lot of mistakes in the work ahead.

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In fact, clients are probably not going to be filled with confidence if you don’t have any estimates! They may request them for reference purposes. It requires you to quantify the labour, materials, and equipment that you’ll need to finish the project. This sounds pretty important and even basic. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a complex and time-consuming task. Business owners may choose to work with a service like My Build Estimate. This outsources the task of building estimation. It helps keep internal focus of acquiring and actually using equipment, materials, and labour!

Sourcing

In order to come up with building estimates, you’ll need to know what your costs are, including the equipment and materials you will use. Part of running a successful construction business will involve sourcing the highest quality, most cost-effective parts and components that you can. Whether it’s piping and accessories from Tameson, or good quality bricks from General Shale, researching the best materials for your work should be a priority.

Legalities

Construction provides us with a very busy area when it comes to the law. A lot of the work you do will be in the public eye. The safety of civilians, as well as your employees, will always need to be taken into account. Then, of course, there are the contracts that you’ll want to draft with any new workers or temporary staff. And I haven’t even mentioned the contract between you and the client!

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People often underestimate how involved the legal processes get here. A lot of construction businesses will consult with construction law specialists like Fenwick Elliott. Doing this not only saves you time, but ensures that you’re legally protecting your business in the best way possible.

Brian McKay is a co-founder of zenruption. He has a B.A. in Political Science from Gonzaga University and an M.B.A. from Boise State University (yes that blue field). His goal in life is to look out for the regular guy and bring as much knowledge and change to this world as he can. His purpose in founding Zenruption was to do just that and help craft the world he wants his daughter to inherit. Please feel free to email him any feedback or article ideas at brian@zenruption.com. On twitter: @brianmckay71

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briguy71