Subcontractor Agreements – What Does This Mean to Subcontractors?
Doug Staebler, Custom Concrete Company, Inc., Westfield, IN Over the past year, there has been a marked increase in the use of subcontractor agreements in residential construction. Although these agreements were used for years in commercial construction, residential contractors often operated on handshake agreements. Like it or not, those days are probably gone for good, […]
Building Officials Announce Change in Pressure Treated Lumber Materials
Ohio, as well as other states, recently warned residents and the building industry to be aware of the lumber, anchors, and fasteners used on their construction projects. The preservative-treated lumber used for the last 60 years was deemed unusable because it contains arsenic. It was replaced with a new preservative-treated lumber that contains a chemical […]
Subcontractors, Beware! Your Assumptions Can Cost You
One of the most dangerous words in the English language for subcontractors is “assume.” For example, do you assume that your company will be reimbursed for costs incurred as a result of project delays caused by another subcontractor on a project or by the general contractor? If the subcontract document doesn’t say it and the […]
Why all Poured Wall Contractors Should be Members
The CFA is a great group of men and women who are dedicated to the advancement of foundation contractors and the industry in which we work. Some are just starting up companies, while others have been around for years, some member companies are huge while others are very small, some appear tremendously organized and experienced, […]
Building Codes – We can make a difference.
The CFA has been involved in the development of building codes for nearly ten years, beginning with its effort to add input to the ACI Residential Code. The CFA has also been a participant in the ACCS, the Alliance for Concrete Codes and Standards, a group of allied associations that meets biannually to review and […]
Change in Lumber Affects Contractors
New preservative treated lumber requires new fasteners, bolts and anchors for most building applications. Ohio, as well as other states, recently warned residents and the building industry to be aware of the lumber, anchors, and fasteners used on their construction projects. The preservative-treated lumber used for the last 60 years was deemed unusable because it contains […]
Construction Materials in Short Supply
As the construction season heats up for the summer, the economy improves and slow construction starts begin to turn around, report s are indicating possible cement shortages. In Florida, ready mix companies are on four-day-a-week allocations and California and other U.S. markets are also on or headed toward allocations. The domino effect is that demand […]
MTSU Unveils Degree in Concrete Construction
Where does one go to learn how to run a concrete construction business? Not the nuts and bolts of building a footing or wall, those are still best taught on-the-job. I’m talking about finance, estimating, managing personnel, marketing… the things that can make or break a business even if you pour the best wall in […]
CFA Announces 2004 Basement of the Year
Wendy Ward, Constructive Communication Today’s homeowners are constantly pushing the envelope to ensure their home meets their needs, which has caused concrete foundation professionals to respond with inventive techniques and employ new technologies. Such is the case with the Concrete Foundations Association (CFA) 2004 Basement of the Year competition (sometimes referred to as the Basement from […]
From the Executive Director
The Concrete Foundations Association Board of Directors and several members met in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Friday, April 16th for a strategic planning session to chart a course for future growth of the CFA. The most recent meeting of similar scope occurred in 1998. Membership in the CFA is at a record high of 347 members […]
