Construction Department


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"Choose a job you love and you will never work a day in your life. " - Confucius

As you know, nothing is more rewarding than building a beautiful landscape for your clients (except maybe receiving the final payment). To be able to stand back and admire what you and your company created, from virtually nothing, is an experience few people get to enjoy. We, however, get to do it every day.

As a member of FromDesign2Build.com, you will learn:

The latest construction techniques and details

How to properly sequence a design/build installation

How to seamlessly transfer a project from design/sales to construction

How to manage labor and materials more effectively and more profitably

When you should use subcontractors and when you shouldn't

Which on site meetings are critical and which are a waste of time

How to get more production from your employees every day

The installation process can be incredibly rewarding and incredibly frustrating at the same time. Listen to successful design/build contractors tell it like it is and learn from their success and failures. Plus, view photos and videos of actual construction projects while they are being built.

"Travel Heavy" - If you want to be efficient you must do this.
Jody Shilan, Editor

I first heard the expression "travel heavy" after I took a landscape construction job for the summer. The foreman was explaining to me how he liked to have everything that he needed with him when he would do his installations . . . keep reading

The Importance of Designing the Landscape and Architecture Together

When it comes to new construction and major home renovations, we as landscape design/build contractors are usually called in to a project after the majority of the home construction is completed. In reality, we should be involved in the process much sooner. . . . keep reading

Download: Plant Guarantee
Jody Shilan, Editor

We all know that we would like to find the guy who started the whole plant guarantee thing and beat him senseless, but since it's too late for that let's at least protect ourselves as much as possible . . . keep reading

Save Labor In 4 Easy Steps: Why Adding More Labor Is Not The Way To Solve Your Labor Problems
Jody Shilan, Editor

We're all acutely aware of the labor shortage facing our industry and the limitations being placed on the H-2B seasonal guest worker program. This is a real problem for the Green Industry, but one that can be minimized if we approach it from different directions . . . keep reading

"We Don't Know How Much We Want to Spend" - How to Get a Budget Number From Your Client
Jody Shilan, Editor

A common problem for landscape contractors is trying to find out what a client is budgeting for a particular project. Clients are always hesitant to throw out a number, and contractors know that without a budget they are going to be flying blind . . . keep reading

Workforce Management - Why You Should Never Travel Empty Handed
Jody Shilan, Editor

The term "workforce management" can mean different things to different people. For some it may relate to the idea of properly managing your personnel. To others it may be an HR issue that refers to staffing issues and hiring practices. . . . keep reading

It's All in the Details: The Benefits of Standardizing Construction Details, Materials, and Techniques
Jody Shilan, Editor

If you put all of your construction foreman and laborers together in one room and asked them to describe how they build a paver walkway or patio, how many different answers would you get? . . . keep reading

More Than Just A Pretty Picture
Jody Shilan, Editor

If you are like many design/build contractors, you may think of a landscape plan as an unnecessary expense that is often required just to get the sale - and that's all. Well, nothing could be farther from the truth. Its real value is typically misunderstood and completely overlooked. . . . keep reading

Download: Frequently Asked Questions
Jody Shilan, Editor

Here's something for your website or to give to customers after they have signed a contract. It's a "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQ's) page. Although this form does answer typical questions that your clients may ask, it really does so much more . . . keep reading

Download: Design Proposal
Jody Shilan, Editor

When I first started providing design services, I spent a lot of time meeting with homeowners and landscape contractors just to try to sell design services. This was very time consuming and not very productive . . . keep reading