Chief Experts Marketplace
Dan recommends great tools and resources that will help you build a successful business.
Architectural Home Design Software
Chief Architect®
Chief Architect software brings home design projects to life. Automated building tools for home design, interior design, and kitchen & bath design make it easy to create construction drawings, elevations, CAD details, and 3D models.
You can download a Trial and see why Chief Architect is the best residential home design software for architects, home builders, and remodeling professionals.
Learn moreDigital Books
Understanding Architectural Details (Books Series)
The series contains construction details guides on Residential, Commercial and Basement construction.
These books provide a solid guidance to those looking to learn or expand their knowledge of construction detailing. The books are packed full of descriptive text and images, 2d scaled detail drawings and 3d rendered details. The books can be purchased as pdf downloads, with the associated digital files in dwg CAD format and skp SketchUp format also available for download.
Purchase from First in ArchitecturePrinted Books
Recommended Books You Need To Build A Successful Business
Markup & Profit: A Contractor’s Guide Revisited
This book covers the basics of running a profitable construction business. In order to succeed, you have to price jobs to recover all labor, material and overhead expenses, and make a reasonable profit. Michael Stone discusses this and many more of the basics in running a profitable construction business.
The book applies to general and specialty contractors, whether working in remodeling, new construction or commercial work. Available in Printed Book and Audible Book
Purchase from Markup & Profit Website
Profitable Sales, A Contractor’s Guide
Michael Stone shares 30+ years of experience in residential remodeling and specialty sales in his book, “Profitable Sales, A Contractor’s Guide”.
This book covers the basics of construction business management. In order to succeed in construction, if you want a profitable construction business, you have to price jobs to recover all labor, material and overhead expenses, and make a reasonable profit. Michael Stone discusses this and much more. The book applies to general and specialty contractors, whether working in remodeling, new construction or commercial work.
Available in Printed Book and Audible Book
Purchase from Markup & Profit WebsiteOnline Training
Profitable Estimating Training
In these construction estimating training classes taught by Michael Stone, you’ll start with a small job (under $12,000) and build skills as the jobs become more complex ($1.2 million remodel).
The Profitable Estimating training classes provide construction estimating training. This is important for every construction-related business owner because an accurate estimate is the first step in selling and building a profitable job. The classes teaches a system, a mindset, that works regardless of how the final estimate is compiled.
Purchase from Markup & Profit WebsiteSoftware
Markup Calculator Software
The Markup Calculator (requires Windows operating system) will calculate the correct markup for your residential or commercial construction business, whether you are a general or a specialty contractor.
Using the same principles laid out in the book Markup & Profit Revisited, you can quickly and easily determine the correct markup to ensure you cover your overhead, and make a reasonable profit on the jobs you do.
Download the software after purchase to use now on your Windows-based computer.
Purchase from Markup & Profit Website
Fast Track Estimating Software
The Markup Calculator will calculate the correct markup for your residential or commercial construction business, whether you are a general or a specialty contractor.
The Markup Calculator software is installed on your Windows-based computer. It’s software you own; it’s not in the cloud so you aren’t renting it, there are no monthly or ongoing payments. Download only, available immediately after purchase to use now (file size: 2mb).
Purchase from Markup & Profit Website
Fast Track Proposal Writer
The Fast Track Estimating software provides a fast, easy way to produce an accurate estimate and material purchase list.
The Fast Track Estimating software is installed on your Windows-based computer. It’s software you own; it’s not in the cloud so you aren’t renting it, there are no monthly or ongoing payments. Download only, available immediately after purchase to use now (file size: 39mb).
Purchase from Markup & Profit Website
Download / Manuals
Employee Manual
A well-written and legal construction employee manual is the most effective way to inform employees about your workplace rules and prevent employment problems and misunderstandings in your construction business.
Download only, available immediately after purchase to use now.
Purchase from Markup & Profit Website
Employee Evaluation System
Every employee wants to know if their work matches your expectations. But objectively evaluating the performance of production employees in a construction environment is difficult.
Tim Faller’s Construction Employee Evaluation System makes it easier to track how an employee is performing over time, based on the things that matter most to you.
This system is Excel based, and requires a basic understanding of spreadsheets. It covers five production levels: Entry Level, Carpenter 1, Carpenter 2, Lead Carpenter and Project Manager. It can be easily customized with a little Excel knowledge.
Download only, available immediately after purchase to use now.
Purchase from Markup & Profit Website
Subcontractor Manual
The Subcontractor Manual is designed to help General Contractors clarifying the business relationship between them and their subcontractors.
The package includes an manual describing company policies, standards and payment procedures. After appropriately customizing for your company, this manual can be given to every subcontractor you work with, describing clearly your commitment to them and what you expect from their commitment to you.
Purchase from Markup & Profit Website
Great Gear
Ultra™ TRIPODS
Designed for Coaches/Outdoor Use
Ultra™ Portable Laptop Tripod solves a number of problems faced by anyone needing to operate computer and video gear.
