Weekly Tips

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.

VIDEOS

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.

VIDEOS

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.

VIDEOS

July 27, 2026

MORE INFO: How the Internet of Things Is Creating Smarter Jobsites

The Internet of Things (IoT) connects physical equipment, tools, materials, and jobsite conditions to the internet through sensors that continuously collect and transmit data. Instead of discovering problems after they happen, contractors receive real-time information that helps them prevent delays, reduce waste, and improve safety.

IoT technology is already being used across the construction industry to monitor:

• equipment location and utilization
• concrete temperature and curing conditions
• moisture intrusion
• environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity
• fuel levels and equipment performance
• worker safety and site access
• power consumption and energy usage

Rather than replacing people, IoT helps project managers make better decisions with timely, accurate information. Automatic alerts allow teams to respond immediately when equipment leaves a designated area, temperatures move outside acceptable limits, or safety conditions change unexpectedly.

Business impact
Connected jobsites reduce equipment loss, improve quality control, minimize costly rework, and provide better visibility into every phase of a project. They also generate valuable operational data that can improve estimating, scheduling, and resource allocation on future projects.

Community impact
During disaster recovery, every day counts. Real-time monitoring helps contractors identify problems sooner, reduce project delays, and make better use of limited labor and materials. Faster, more efficient rebuilding strengthens the resilience of homes, businesses, and entire communities.

You should know: Several companies are advancing IoT technology for construction and smart buildings. Eaton provides industrial automation, electrical infrastructure, and smart monitoring systems. Delta Electronics develops intelligent building technologies and environmental monitoring solutions. ELEGRP, Enerlites, and FEI Electric manufacture smart electrical devices and sensors that support connected facilities. Deako offers smart lighting systems that can integrate into broader building automation platforms, while Automist combines intelligent sensing with innovative fire suppression technology to improve safety and property protection.

A practical starting point: Begin with one connected solution, such as equipment tracking, concrete curing sensors, or environmental monitoring. Once your team sees the value of real-time information, expanding to additional IoT applications becomes much easier.

VIDEOS

July 20, 2026

MORE INFO: Where Robotics Delivers Value Right Now

Construction robotics is moving fastest in tasks that are repetitive, physically demanding, easy to measure, or dangerous for workers. The strongest use cases today include layout, grading, demolition, material movement, bricklaying, drilling, cleaning, and site inspection. These systems are most effective when they remove bottlenecks from a crew rather than trying to automate an entire project.

The business case usually comes from four areas:

• fewer labor hours spent on repetitive tasks
• more consistent output and accuracy
• lower exposure to injuries and fatigue
• better schedule reliability when labor is tight

Automation also depends on good information. Material tracking, equipment location, and inventory visibility help contractors know what is on site, what is missing, and what needs to move next. That becomes even more valuable after a disaster, when supply chains are strained and multiple projects compete for the same crews and materials.

You should know: Buildertrend, ConstructionOnline, and Acumatica offer project, inventory, and scheduling capabilities that can support more automated workflows. AUTOTRAK and Bedrock Wireless focus on tracking technologies, while Dell Technologies provides the computing infrastructure needed to process and manage jobsite data. For rapid-response logistics, Equipter, Combilift, 84 Lumber, ABC Supply, and Builders FirstSource are relevant companies to watch for material handling, mobile equipment, distribution, and pre-positioning capacity.

Business impact
Robotics and automated tracking help contractors complete more work with the same workforce, reduce downtime, and improve control over labor, materials, and equipment.

Community impact
After a disaster, faster material movement and safer automated work can shorten recovery timelines and help limited crews serve more homes and businesses.

A practical starting point: Identify the one task that costs your crew the most time, creates the most strain, or causes the most delays. Test automation there first.

VIDEOS

July 13, 2026

MORE INFO: Why Drones Are Becoming Standard Equipment on Modern Jobsites

Drones have evolved from a niche technology into a practical tool for contractors of every size. What once required ladders, lifts, or hours of manual measurements can now be completed in minutes while improving both safety and accuracy.

Today’s drones collect far more than photographs. Depending on the equipment, they can produce:

• high-resolution aerial images
• detailed video documentation
• accurate roof and site measurements
• 3D models for planning and estimating
• thermal imagery to identify moisture intrusion, insulation gaps, or heat loss
• progress documentation throughout construction

This information helps contractors make better decisions before, during, and after construction. It also creates a permanent visual record that can support estimating, change orders, insurance claims, warranty issues, and project closeout.

Perhaps the biggest benefit is safety. Roof inspections, storm damage assessments, and unstable structures can often be documented without putting workers at risk. This reduces exposure to falls while providing more complete information than a visual inspection from the ground.

Business impact
Drone technology shortens inspection times, improves estimate accuracy, reduces rework, and creates professional documentation that clients and insurance companies value. Contractors who use drones also distinguish themselves by delivering faster, data-driven service.

Community impact
Following disasters, drones allow damaged neighborhoods to be assessed quickly without waiting for inspectors to access every property individually. Faster assessments lead to quicker insurance claims, better prioritization of repairs, and a more efficient community recovery.

A practical rule: Start by using a drone for roof inspections and progress photos. Once your team is comfortable with the technology, expand into 3D mapping, thermal imaging, and site modeling to unlock even greater value.

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