Master Builders of Iowa

Don't miss an upcoming training at the Iowa Construction Industry Convention that will greatly impact you and your company!

A recent MBI survey indicated that many contractor members will be “going to market” at their next insurance policy renewal. This means they will be soliciting bids from various insurance carriers to provide their property, work comp, general liability, auto and possibly equipment coverage. This involves preparing information on who the contractor is, what, where and how they do their work, and a summary of previous years’ claims. It’s a lot of work and needs to be completed approximately two months before the current policy expires. This will give the underwriters of the various insurance carriers time to review the information. Underwriters are the ones who determine how much premium will be charged. They look at the info for help in deciding how much of a risk a contractor would be to them. Therefore, how the information is presented and what their loss control representative sees at a jobsite or in the shop is all they have to go on.

Lean Project Consulting will be presenting Target Value Design – A LEAN Learning Opportunity at this year’s 100th Annual Construction Convention & Expo on Tuesday, February 21, 2012, from 9:30– 11:30 am.  The convention will be held in downtown Des Moines at the Iowa Events Center. 

Throw-it-over-the-wall design performed by specialists and sub-specialists working in isolation from others interacting with the design results in projects that are unaffordable, unconstructable, off-target and late. Re-work, re-pricing, change orders and de-value engineering are all symptoms of a process that ignores the nature of design and the systems nature of the built environment.

CONSTRUCTION SPENDING HITS 17-MONTH HIGH IN NOVEMBER WITH MONTHLY GAINS IN ALL SEGMENTS BUT PUBLIC SPENDING DOWN 5.3 PERCENT COMPARED TO LAST YEAR

Construction spending totaled $807 billion in November 2011, the highest level since June 2010, as homebuilding, private nonresidential construction and public construction all increased compared to October, the Associated General Contractors of America reported today in an analysis of new Census Bureau data. Association officials cautioned, however, that public spending will drop even further in 2012 because of delays in enacting needed infrastructure bills and planned cuts to many federal construction programs.

Essential Tax Concepts, Strategies and Techniques for Contractors

January 17, 2012
1:30-3:00pm
$50 MBI Member
$100 Construction Update Plan Room Network Members and Non-Members

This 90 minute webinar will be presented by construction industry accounting and tax experts from McGladrey & Pullen, LLP, Rod Foster, Partner and Sean Larson, Director.  They will discuss an array of tax tips and ideas that can help construction contractors save significant dollars and avoid tax problems. Mr. Foster and Mr. Larson will provide a practical, real-world review of key concepts, strategies and techniques that can make a significant impact on the bottom line for contractors.

HOMEBUILDING, PRIVATE NONRESIDENTIAL SEGMENTS RISE, PUBLIC SIDE SHRINKS

Construction spending increased for the third straight month in October as private activity strengthened while public spending shrank, the Associated General Contractors of America reported today in an analysis of new Census Bureau data. Association officials cautioned that further declines in public sector activity may soon swamp gains in homebuilding and private nonresidential investment.

“The apparent stability in construction spending data is masking conflicting trends,” said the association’s chief economist, Ken Simonson. “On one hand, private investments in construction are slowly accelerating, while public sector investments are declining at an even faster rate.”