September 27, 2026

MORE INFO: Smarter Security for the Modern Jobsite

Tools, equipment, appliances, copper, lumber, and other materials can represent a significant investment sitting on a jobsite, often when nobody is there to protect it. Theft or vandalism can create costs beyond the value of what disappears. Crews can lose productive time, replacement materials may delay schedules, and unauthorized people entering an active construction site can create serious safety and liability concerns.

New security technologies give contractors more ways to monitor jobsites without having someone physically watching them around the clock. The most useful systems combine several layers of protection:

• AI-enabled cameras: Modern systems can distinguish people, vehicles, and unusual activity and send alerts when predefined events occur.
• Drones: Where regulations and site conditions permit, drones can provide aerial visibility across large or difficult-to-monitor properties. They can also help document site conditions and valuable materials.
• Security robots: Mobile units equipped with cameras, lights, sensors, and communications technology can patrol defined areas and provide another set of eyes on larger sites.
• Smart tool and equipment tracking: GPS, Bluetooth, RFID, and other wireless technologies can help contractors locate equipment and identify when tracked assets leave designated areas.
• Remote monitoring: Connected systems allow project managers or security providers to review alerts and site conditions without traveling to the property.
• Digital access control: Connected gates, locks, and entry systems can create a record of who entered a site and when.

Business impact
Better security can help reduce theft, vandalism, downtime, and replacement costs while giving contractors better documentation if an incident occurs. Tracking technology can also solve a more routine problem: equipment that is not stolen but simply cannot be found when a crew needs it.

Security improvements may also be viewed favorably by some insurers, but contractors should ask their broker or carrier which systems qualify for discounts rather than assuming that installing a particular technology will automatically lower premiums.

Community impact
Security becomes especially important during disaster recovery. Rebuilding can put large amounts of equipment and building materials into neighborhoods where properties may be vacant, damaged, or without normal security systems. Theft or vandalism can delay individual projects and consume resources that are already in short supply.

Better monitoring also helps keep unauthorized people away from hazardous work areas. Keeping projects secure and operating on schedule helps contractors move more homes through the recovery process and supports a more orderly neighborhood recovery.

You should know: AUTOTRAK INC and Bedrock Wireless offer technologies related to tracking equipment and assets, an important layer of modern jobsite security. Buildertrend represents the project-management side of the connected jobsite, while Dell Technologies provides computing infrastructure that can support increasingly connected security and monitoring systems.

A practical starting point: Walk one of your jobsites after the crew leaves and look at it from the perspective of someone trying to get in. Identify the equipment or materials you would least want to lose and the areas you cannot easily see. Then choose one vulnerability to address with better lighting, an AI-enabled camera, asset tracking, access control, or another appropriate security measure.

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September 21, 2026

Provide your workers with exoskeletons to help them lift heavy objects and to reduce the risk of injuries. Exoskeletons can also help your workers stay productive for longer periods of time.

MORE INFO: Give Your Crew a Little Extra Muscle

Construction takes a physical toll. Repeated lifting, bending, kneeling, and overhead work can contribute to fatigue and musculoskeletal injuries, especially when workers perform the same demanding movements day after day.

Wearable exoskeletons are designed to reduce some of that physical load. Unlike the powered robotic suits you might picture from science fiction, many construction exoskeletons are relatively simple wearable devices that support a specific part of the body or movement. Depending on the design, they can provide assistance to the shoulders, back, legs, or knees.

Contractors are beginning to encounter several types of wearable support:

• Shoulder and arm support: Useful for prolonged overhead tasks such as electrical work, drilling, painting, and drywall installation.
• Back-support systems: Designed to reduce strain during repetitive lifting, bending, and material handling.
• Knee and leg support: Can assist workers who spend significant time crouching, kneeling, climbing, or working in demanding positions.
• Passive exoskeletons: Use springs, elastic elements, or mechanical structures to redistribute forces without batteries or motors.
• Powered systems: Use motors or other powered components to provide greater assistance for certain demanding applications.

The key is matching the technology to the task. An exoskeleton that helps with overhead work may offer little benefit to someone moving around a jobsite all day. Comfort, mobility, fit, heat, interference with other PPE, and worker acceptance also matter. These devices should complement good ergonomics, lifting practices, job rotation, and appropriate equipment rather than substitute for them.

Business impact
The potential value extends beyond completing a task faster. Reducing physical strain may help workers finish demanding shifts with less fatigue and could help experienced tradespeople remain productive longer in their careers. Fewer strain-related injuries and lost workdays can also mean fewer disruptions to schedules and crews.

There is a recruiting and retention angle as well. Providing tools that reduce unnecessary wear on employees sends a clear message that protecting skilled workers is part of how you run the company.

Community impact
After a disaster, construction demand can increase quickly and remain elevated for months or years. That puts additional pressure on an already limited skilled workforce. Technologies that help reduce worker fatigue and physical strain can support the capacity needed to repair more homes and infrastructure while protecting the people doing the rebuilding.

A practical starting point: Do not outfit your entire crew on day one. Identify one physically demanding, repetitive task such as overhead drilling, drywall installation, or material handling. Find an exoskeleton designed specifically for that movement and let the workers who actually perform the task test it. Their experience will tell you whether the technology deserves a bigger role on your jobsites.

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September 14, 2026

MORE INFO: Let Robots Handle the Repetition

Construction robotics are becoming increasingly practical for tasks that are repetitive, physically demanding, or require the same motion hundreds of times. The goal is simple: use machines where automation makes sense and keep skilled workers focused on the work that requires experience, judgment, problem solving, and craftsmanship.

Robotic and automated systems are already being developed and deployed for jobs such as bricklaying, rebar tying, layout, drilling, drywall finishing, painting, material movement, demolition, and site preparation. For contractors, the opportunity is to look at where crews spend significant time performing predictable tasks and determine whether technology can reduce that workload.

Good places to look for automation include:

• Highly repetitive work: Tasks involving the same movement or process throughout the day.
• Physically demanding work: Activities involving lifting, bending, carrying, overhead work, or other repetitive strain.
• Precision work: Layout, measurement, drilling, and other activities where consistent positioning matters.
• Material handling: Moving heavy or bulky materials around the site.
• Debris removal: Getting waste out of the work area quickly so skilled workers can keep moving.
• Hazardous environments: Tasks where automation can reduce worker exposure to unstable structures, dust, debris, heights, or other risks.

Business impact
The biggest opportunity may be increased capacity. If automation reduces the hours your skilled workers spend on repetitive tasks, those workers can focus on quality control, detailed installation, troubleshooting, supervision, and customer communication. Robotics can also help reduce physical wear on experienced employees, an important consideration when skilled labor is already difficult to find and retain.

For most contractors, this does not mean buying an expensive robot tomorrow. Some technologies can be rented, subcontracted, or brought onto specific projects through specialized providers. The first step is understanding what is available and whether the economics make sense for your workload.

Community impact
Robotics could become particularly valuable during disaster recovery, when the amount of construction work can increase dramatically while qualified labor remains limited. Automated equipment can help with debris removal, site preparation, material handling, assessment, and repetitive rebuilding tasks. Increasing the amount of work each crew can safely manage can help more properties move through the recovery process.

You should know: Equipter develops equipment designed to make debris management and cleanup more efficient on jobsites, while Combilift specializes in material-handling solutions that can help contractors move difficult loads more efficiently. Automist demonstrates another side of construction automation: using smart technology to perform important building functions with less dependence on manual intervention.

A practical starting point: Ask your crew one question: “What repetitive task eats up the most time or wears you out the most?” Pick the most common answer and research whether a robotic, automated, or mechanized solution already exists. You may find that the best first use of robotics is solving one very specific problem that your team deals with every day.

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September 7, 2026

MORE INFO: Turn Your Jobsite Into a Connected Operation

A lot of jobsite problems start with something simple: the right information did not reach the right person at the right time. A crew arrives before materials are ready. A change gets discussed but never documented. Equipment is somewhere else when it is needed. A safety issue gets noticed but not communicated.

A smart jobsite uses connected technology to give your team better visibility into what is happening across the project. Instead of information living in texts, phone calls, paper notes, photos, and someone’s memory, digital tools can create a shared source of information that travels with the project.

You do not need to automate your entire company. Start with the areas where poor information costs you the most time or money:

• Project communication: Give crews, supervisors, subs, and the office access to current plans, schedules, changes, and assignments.
• Photo documentation: Capture organized, time-stamped jobsite photos so progress and problems are easier to document.
• Progress tracking: Know what has been completed, what is behind schedule, and what needs attention.
• Equipment and materials: Track important assets and improve coordination around deliveries and availability.
• Safety: Make it easier to report hazards, document inspections, and communicate issues quickly.
• Damage assessment: Photos, digital measurements, 3D visualization, and other tools can help teams document existing conditions and plan repairs more efficiently.

Business impact
Better information can mean fewer unnecessary trips, less downtime, faster decisions, better documentation, and fewer surprises. It also gives owners and project managers a clearer picture of multiple jobs without needing to physically be everywhere at once. The goal is not technology for technology’s sake. It is removing friction from the work you already do.

Community impact
These capabilities become especially valuable after a disaster. Contractors may suddenly be managing more projects, more crews, more inspections, and more documentation across a wider geographic area. Better coordination can help contractors assess damage, prioritize work, deploy resources, and move projects forward more efficiently. When hundreds or thousands of homes need attention, small improvements in each project’s workflow can contribute to a faster overall recovery.

You should know: CompanyCam provides contractors with jobsite photo documentation and project organization capabilities. Chief Architect Software, Chaos, and Arktek 3D Rendering Studio represent different ways design and visualization technology can help teams understand buildings and communicate proposed work. Dell Technologies provides the computing infrastructure behind increasingly data-intensive construction workflows, while Epson offers imaging and visualization technology that can support how project information is viewed and shared.

A practical starting point: Pick one recurring jobsite problem this week. Maybe it is missing photos, slow field-to-office communication, outdated project information, or poor progress visibility. Test one digital solution against that specific problem on a single project. If it saves your team time or prevents mistakes, expand from there.

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August 31, 2026

MORE INFO: Build the Workforce Your Business and Community Will Need

The construction labor shortage is not something contractors can solve by waiting for more qualified applicants to appear. One practical approach is to start developing talent earlier by building relationships with local high schools, technical programs, and community colleges.

That does not require creating a full apprenticeship program from scratch. A contractor can start small and give students exposure to real construction careers while helping educators understand the skills employers actually need.

Ways to get involved include:

• Invite a construction or trades class to visit one of your jobsites.
• Volunteer to speak to students about careers in construction.
• Offer internships, summer jobs, job shadowing, or work-based learning opportunities.
• Help instructors understand the skills and technologies being used on today’s jobsites.
• Demonstrate resilient construction practices such as stronger roofing systems, water management, wind-resistant connections, wildfire-resistant materials, and proper installation techniques.
• Donate leftover materials or equipment that students can use for hands-on training.
• Identify promising students early and give them a clear pathway from the classroom to employment.

Business impact
Developing relationships with schools gives you access to potential employees before they enter the broader labor market. Students can learn your expectations for safety, workmanship, communication, and quality early. Over time, that can create a more reliable recruiting pipeline while strengthening your reputation as an employer that invests in its people.

It can also change the way young people view construction. A student who sees modern tools, technology, building science, drones, resilient construction, and real career advancement may see an industry they had never previously considered.

Community impact
A skilled local construction workforce is part of a community’s disaster preparedness. After a hurricane, wildfire, flood, tornado, or other major event, communities can suddenly need enormous amounts of qualified construction labor. Having trained workers already living in the region can help contractors scale more effectively and support faster, safer rebuilding.

There is also an opportunity to introduce resilience principles before young workers develop their professional habits. If the next generation understands why correct installation, stronger building practices, mitigation, and building codes matter, those practices can become part of how they approach construction throughout their careers.

A practical starting point: Contact one local high school, technical school, or community college this week. Ask for the person responsible for construction trades, career and technical education, or workforce development. You do not need to propose an entire program. Offer a jobsite visit, classroom presentation, or conversation about what local contractors need from tomorrow’s workforce.

A resilient community needs people who know how to build and rebuild it. Contractors are in a unique position to help develop those people.

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August 24, 2026

MORE INFO: How Resilience Spreads From One Home to the Next

Resilience becomes more powerful when homeowners can see it. A fortified roof, impact-resistant windows, improved drainage, or wildfire-resistant materials create a visible example of what better preparation looks like. When one homeowner makes the investment, neighbors have someone nearby they can ask about the cost, process, contractor, and results.

Contractors can help create that ripple effect. At the end of a resilience project, explain what was improved and why it matters. Then give the homeowner simple information they can share when neighbors start asking questions.

Ways to encourage the ripple effect include:

• Provide before-and-after photos the homeowner can share.
• Give them a simple explanation of the resilience upgrades completed.
• Ask permission to place a project sign or share the project locally.
• Encourage satisfied homeowners to talk about their experience with neighbors.
• Offer a neighborhood resilience assessment or educational event when several homeowners express interest.
• Document successful projects as examples of what can be accomplished locally.

Business impact
Neighborhood referrals can be particularly valuable because your completed work is already your proof of performance. One successful project can generate additional projects nearby, reducing lead-generation costs while allowing crews to work more efficiently within the same geographic area.

Community impact
Resilience becomes more meaningful as adoption increases. When multiple properties strengthen roofs, improve drainage, reduce wildfire vulnerabilities, or make other mitigation improvements, the neighborhood as a whole becomes better prepared for the next disaster. Successful projects can also demonstrate demand for broader resilience initiatives.

You should know: Contractors can extend this ripple effect by connecting neighborhood-level activity with larger community resilience efforts. Fortified Structural Solutions brings experience with resilience and FORTIFIED-related programs, while the Association of Professional Builders provides contractor education and industry resources that can help builders become more effective advocates for stronger construction practices.

A practical starting point: During your next final walkthrough, spend two minutes explaining the broader value of the resilience improvements you completed. Give the homeowner three simple things they can tell a neighbor: what you upgraded, why they chose it, and what benefit they expect from it. One informed homeowner can become one of your strongest advocates for resilience.

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August 17, 2026

MORE INFO: Your Expertise Can Become a Community Resource

Homeowners hear plenty about hurricanes, wildfires, floods, severe weather, and disaster preparedness. What they often lack is practical guidance about what those risks mean for their actual homes. Contractors can fill that gap because you understand how buildings fail, what improvements work, and what homeowners can realistically do about it.

Community education does not need to be complicated. A 30-minute workshop, webinar, or neighborhood presentation can focus on practical topics such as:

• preparing a home for hurricane season
• reducing wildfire exposure around a property
• identifying common roof and water vulnerabilities
• understanding resilient roofing and building materials
• creating a home maintenance and inspection checklist
• prioritizing resilience upgrades by cost and impact
• knowing what to document before and after a disaster

Partnering with your local emergency manager, fire department, building department, neighborhood association, or community organization can add credibility and help attract an audience. It also allows homeowners to hear complementary perspectives from both public officials and construction professionals.

Business impact
Education builds trust before a homeowner needs a contractor. By providing useful information without turning the event into a sales pitch, you demonstrate expertise and establish relationships that can generate future calls, referrals, and projects. You become someone homeowners already know when they eventually need professional help.

Community impact
An informed homeowner can make better decisions before disaster strikes. Multiply that knowledge across dozens or hundreds of households and education becomes a practical resilience strategy, helping reduce preventable damage and supporting faster recovery.

You should know: The Association of Professional Builders offers education and training resources for contractors. Chief Architect Software provides training and educational resources around residential design technology, while companies such as Dell Technologies and Best Buy Business offer technology that can support digital learning, presentations, and training environments.

A practical starting point: Pick one resilience issue that affects your community and build a simple 30-minute presentation around it. Give homeowners five specific actions they can take, invite a local emergency management or fire official to participate, and leave attendees with a one-page checklist they can use at home.

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August 10, 2026

MORE INFO: Why Contractors Belong in Hazard Mitigation Planning

Hazard mitigation planning is how communities identify their greatest disaster risks and decide what they can do before the next event to reduce damage. These plans can influence local priorities, mitigation projects, building strategies, and eligibility for certain federal hazard mitigation funding.

Contractors bring something especially valuable to this process: direct knowledge of how buildings actually perform. You see recurring roof failures, drainage problems, flood vulnerabilities, wildfire exposures, outdated construction methods, and other weaknesses that may be difficult to identify from planning data alone.

Getting involved can be straightforward:

• Find your city, county, parish, or regional hazard mitigation plan online.
• Identify the agency responsible for maintaining and updating it.
• Attend public meetings and planning sessions.
• Share recurring vulnerabilities you see on jobsites.
• Recommend practical mitigation measures based on your construction experience.
• Ask about planned resilience projects and opportunities for continued industry participation.

Business impact
Participation puts you in direct contact with emergency managers, planners, building officials, and other community leaders. You gain a better understanding of where local resilience efforts are heading and what types of projects may become priorities. You also establish your company as a knowledgeable resource before projects and funding opportunities emerge.

Community impact
Better local knowledge produces better planning. Contractors can help communities identify vulnerabilities earlier, prioritize practical improvements, and direct limited resilience resources toward projects that can reduce future losses.

You should know: Community resilience can extend beyond individual buildings. Resilience hubs are facilities designed to support residents before, during, and after emergencies, potentially providing services such as backup power, cooling, communications, and other critical resources. Companies worth knowing about in this space include Fortified Structural Solutions for resilience and FORTIFIED-related expertise, Big Ass Fans for commercial ventilation, Enginuity Power Systems for backup power, and Eternalplanet Energy for renewable energy systems.

A practical starting point: Search your local government’s website for “Hazard Mitigation Plan” and your community name. Find the current plan, identify who manages it, and ask when the next update, public meeting, or stakeholder engagement opportunity will occur.

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August 3, 2026

MORE INFO: Why Strong Local Partnerships Improve Disaster Recovery

Disaster resilience is not built by government alone. It depends on strong collaboration between emergency managers, building officials, contractors, utilities, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders. Contractors bring practical, on-the-ground expertise that can help communities prepare for disasters, respond more effectively, and recover faster.

Many local governments regularly update emergency operations plans, hazard mitigation plans, and recovery strategies. These efforts benefit from input from contractors who understand local building practices, permitting challenges, supply chains, workforce availability, and the realities of rebuilding after disasters.

Building relationships before an emergency creates trust that cannot be developed during one. Contractors who are known to local officials are more likely to be invited to participate in planning meetings, educational events, resilience initiatives, and grant-funded recovery programs.

Simple ways to build these relationships include:

• introducing yourself to your local emergency manager
• attending public preparedness meetings
• participating in local resilience or mitigation committees
• volunteering to speak at community preparedness events
• offering technical expertise on resilient construction practices

Business impact
Contractors who actively engage with local government strengthen their reputation, expand their professional network, and often learn about upcoming initiatives, funding opportunities, and community projects earlier than others. These relationships can also lead to referrals and long-term partnerships built on trust.

Community impact
When contractors and public officials communicate regularly, disaster response becomes more coordinated, rebuilding happens more efficiently, and resilience projects are better aligned with community needs. Strong public-private partnerships help neighborhoods recover faster and become better prepared for future disasters.

You should know: Organizations such as the Association of Professional Builders provide valuable networking, education, and best practices that help contractors strengthen their businesses and build professional relationships. Platforms such as Angi can also help contractors expand their visibility, connect with homeowners, and develop new business opportunities that support long-term community resilience.

A practical starting point: Don’t wait until after a disaster to introduce yourself. Reach out to one local official this month, learn about your community’s resilience priorities, and look for one way your company can contribute before the next emergency occurs.

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