"As the twig is bent, so grows the tree."  It's an old adage that is particularly on point in construction.  The end product starts with a proper layout - this is 100% true and a constant, whether laying out a skyscraper or a bathroom remodel.   ...

In just this past week I have gone out on two completely unrelated estimates for jobs where owners are trying (pretty much in vain) to solve severe water issues!   To be clear, water intrusion is an issue that contractors must constantly be vigilant about, throughout the entire building process. &...

FEMA has completed their new flood maps and it is only a matter of time until they are implemented.  This, coupled with the Biggerts-Waters Act signed into law in 2012, [whose implementation has been DELAYED after shocking the public] will be the chickens coming home to roost for property owners ...

When designing a home a person is often faced with the need for MORE space in a given room [e.g. the kitchen].  A floor plan is much like a jigsaw puzzle in that you are trying to arrange rooms that flow together and FIT together in a space ...

Volume area rooms (rooms that are 2-stories tall) are very alluring and the open feeling they create is hard to duplicate.  From the scenic overlook to an entry foyer or living room below or a featured musical instrument [piano or harp] viewed from the entry looking up - these ...

In any home, existing or to-be-built, there are areas that are NOT living areas.  [Examples of these are garages, entries, porches, lanais, pools, elevators, etc.].  Each of these has a cost to construct but NONE of them are counted as "built areas" when calculating the "...

EFFICIENT GEOMETRY AND ITS DIRECT EFFECT ON THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION Most people either immediately or eventually ask the question “how much do you charge per square foot”?  Best guess, this their attempt to rationalize construction costs in a manner that sort of reflects the way real ...