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After the housing crisis, millions of construction professionals left the industry. Now, business is booming, but there aren’t enough people to meet demand. This means that companies are having to pay higher wages and work harder to attract skilled workers for their businesses and projects. People with the right knowledge and experience could secure a great career that was all …
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You’ve heard of sustainability and green building methods. You know that energy efficiency in construction is a way for property owners to save money and reduce their carbon footprint. What you may not know is that other countries have been taking this as far as it will go, for decades longer than the U.S. The “passive house” is just one …
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Summer is under way, and by all signs, this year’s going to be a scorcher. Since this season tends to be the busiest one of the year, you need to plan ahead. Excessive exposure to heat can make it harder for you to complete projects and put you and your employees at risk. This is true even if you’ve lived …
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You push a button on your smartphone, and hire a driver to take you where you want to go. You open another app and here comes dinner. What if you could do that for your contracting business? In truth, the gig economy is spreading into every possible industry, including construction. Find out what’s happening, and how it might represent opportunities …
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With summer right around the corner, you might be thinking about getting away, hitting the beach, or even buying some new clothes… but what about making a bigger change and upgrading your whole life?

Believe it or not, summer can be the perfect time to join us at CSLS and earn your California contractors license. Here are three reasons to register today for classes this summer:
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When you’re getting started as a contractor, you have a couple of options. You can work under another contractor or start your own business. Sometimes, you find an opportunity to take over a thriving company in your field. If you get this chance, you may be able to build a successful career with the help of your predecessor’s hard work. …
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Wood and steel are both common materials used in construction. Until relatively recently, steel and concrete were practically the only realistic choices for many types of buildings. Now, mass timber is revolutionizing the industry in a variety of ways. Here’s how. What Is Mass Timber? A single piece of wood is not generally considered to be particularly strong or supportive. …
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These days, it feels like everyone is burning the candle on both ends. Between your day job, your side hustles and, you know, sleep, it’s hard to imagine finding spare hours to study and take breaks. You can’t have an extra day in every week, but you can maximize each day to its fullest. Follow these tips to get more …
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When you’ve been doing the same tasks for more than a decade, it’s often hard to make yourself keep going through the same safety checks. If you have completed a job accurately and without injury 100 times, you obviously know what you’re doing, right? But there’s a reason all these rules and checklists exist. People who have been working in …
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When you bid on a large-scale private or public construction project, there’s a possibility that you will encounter a Project Labor Agreement. PLAs are often negotiated between property owners and trade unions to set specific terms for hiring, wages and benefits, and rules for workers on the project. Here’s how PLAs can affect you, your business and the people you …
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With a lot of focus on self-driving cars, you knew it was coming. Self-driving vehicles have reached the construction site. The innovation of semi-autonomous construction equipment seems like a futuristic answer to the construction labor shortage, but it’s actually available right now through several companies. Here’s what has been happening in the industry and how self-driving equipment might work with …
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There’s a ton of reasons you might want to give back to the community where you live and work. It helps the people around you, makes a better place to live, and even helps your business. There’s also a ton of ways you can do this. Whether you’ve got time, money or a little extra labor to put in, your …
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Getting ready for the contractor licensing exam takes a lot of study. The right kind of study can help you make sure that the facts come to you when you call them. Follow these tips based on your learning style to stay organized, retain more and avoid wasting time on approaches that don’t work for you. How to Determine Your …
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When you’re trying to get a business off the ground or keep it afloat in its first few years, giving back to the community might be the last thing on your mind. But perhaps it shouldn’t be. Here’s a few reasons that community engagement can benefit your contracting business while helping people in your area. Looks Good to Prospective Workers …
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Where there’s building, there will be pests. Birds, rodents and insects can cause major trouble on the jobsite. If they’re not chewing on the wood, they’re building nests in the structures. They could even harm you while you’re working. Most of the time, they’re a distraction you don’t need. Consider these tips to help keep every jobsite a pest-free workplace. …
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After a few decades of the same skyline, big cities often decide it’s time for a change. This could represent a lot of potential for your contracting business. Major metro areas like Los Angeles are engaging in a pattern of urban renewal for residential, retail and commercial spaces. With the right information and a solid plan, you could capitalize on …
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As with many small businesses, securing customers and keeping them content with the process can feel like full-time work all by themselves. Maintaining a high level of customer service is key to establishing and maintaining an excellent reputation for your work. Sometimes, it can be difficult to identify the best things you can do to help each client. Follow these …
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Although much of California is rural, the vast majority of the population gathers around a number of urban centers. The layout and building trends of the metropolitan area you live in can affect the way you run your contracting business. If you’re thinking about moving to a location that will make it easier to get to your target customer base, …
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As a contractor, you may be called upon to make upgrades or repairs to work that clearly did not follow the proper path. Not every construction project needs permits, but many do. A lack of proper permits can be an indicator that the work was not completed to local building codes. This guide helps you ascertain whether or not work …
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If it hasn’t happened to your contracting business yet, it will eventually. You go to a client site to provide a consultation on a project and see that there are all kinds of problems with the existing setup. The client tells you that the person doing the work didn’t obtain a permit, even though you know they should have. Now …
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