The Construction Life

Luke Hansen of CompanyCam joins us to talk about visual communication and their app, CompanyCam. Luke walks us through how the app came into being, the importance of organization, and how valuable job site photos can be. He discusses making tech for tradespeople, and what they did to make an easy-to-use app. Manny asks Luke the questions tradespeople are asking about his product, so tune into this...

On this 300th episode of the Construction Life Podcast, Gary from @marescarpentry and Carrie from @mysticalca talk about something that has affected so many of us: cancer. Come listen to their story of hardship and perseverance, going from having 6 months to live, to beating all odds and getting the chance to have a family. Thank you for sharing such a personal story and thank you to everyone that...

Monique of AMA Roofing Supplies joins us to talk about running a mom-and-pop and staffing issues. She tells us how both shingles and tradespeople have changed over the decades, for better and worse. We also cover recession concerns and just how much prices have increased. Monique also explains her gripes with insurance making it too hard to hire drivers, and shares an interesting tidbit about home...

Richard Eipl of RETile & Finishes joins us to talk tiling. To start, Richard talks to us about his past in welding and the health risks that made him leave. Richard has some strong opinions about everything from clips to thin-set to blades to grout. For everything you need to know about climatizing tile, working on century homes, thin-set setting temperature, tiling on ceilings, priming and ep...

Clint Young of Fieldstone General Contracting joins us to talk about subcontractors, pricing and tiling. We discuss how tradespeople can balance rising material prices with making a profit without selling themselves out of a job. That leads to Clint's three-strike rule with subcontractors and the importance of building relationships. We also get into tiling gripes, and educating clients about mate...

David Paraguirre of the Mexican Carpenter joins us to talk about carpentry, construction and passion. He has a lot to say about many aspects of the industry, including whether tradespeople make enough money, whether they will be able to charge more due to the labour shortage, and whether the construction stigma is changing in younger people. We also talk about family, language and being passionate...

Agnes of NextGen Professional joins us to talk about women in construction and getting people into the trades. She tells us about what NextGen does to connect clients to employers and train "paper" skills, just how bad the labour shortage really is, and the importance of recognizing the skills immigrants bring to the workforce. After banging her head against the wall with the government, Agnes des...

Ken Morgan of Kenneth Morgan Group joins us for an inspirational conversation about building up from the bottom. He explains his story of starting as a street kid and working hard through adversity. He believes in chasing passion, not money, and in two years he now has over 60 employees in a handful of companies. Learn from a man whose mindset makes sure he always gets paid on this episode of The...

Jason and Wendy of 780 Handyman Grand Prairie join us to talk about construction in Alberta and small town handyman services. After giving an unintentional economic advertisement about booming Grand Prairie, they tell us about being a franchise and the lesson they learned about the importance of marketing. Jason and Wendy share what they love about their business, the historical finds they’ve unco...

Adnan Zabian of ACAD Modular joins us to talk modular. He tells us about the kinds of clients interested in modular building, including a brief description of how severances work in Toronto, and how tradespeople can get into modular construction. Over the show, he shares models and drawings from the projects he's working on, giving us an idea of the kinds of things that are possible with the modul...

Nuno from Luso Roofing and Sutton Group Security Realty joins us to talk roofing and real estate. He tells us about why he and his dad hand-nail all their roofs, and about the importance of quality in roofing. We then break into a discussion about the current real estate climate, including advice about planning for the future. The last third of the show jumps back into roofing, with a conversation...

Luca Bucci, CEO of the Ontario Home Builders Association, joins us today to talk about Bill 23 and government interference with building more homes. Manny and our listeners have lots of questions for Luca, everything from the labour oversight in the build faster act, to the government cracking down on shady builders, to the issues with the education system. Check out this episode of The Constructi...

Clifford Parker of Pegasus Underpinning and Reno joins us to talk about underpinning. Starting off by discussing the differences Clifford noticed moving from construction in England to construction in Canada, we then break into sharing stories about the neighbours on projects and which soil types make the worst working environment. Clifford tells us about his experience underpinning the Drake, and...

Neil Freidberg, Building Science Manager at LP Building Solutions, joins us to talk building science. Neil tells us how to properly retro old buildings for lower energy bills, considering walls, basements, chases, fireplaces, ceilings, bathrooms, and attics. He also extends that information to new construction and discusses LP's building science products. For everything on making an efficient home...

Hayes Nulman of Hayes Nulman Design joins us to talk about custom millwork, carpentry and furniture making. He shares how he got started fighting squirrels and being kicked out of his shop, and how that led to the way his business works now. We also talk wood, CCQ, tools and techniques, and working with solid ebony. Interested in Hayes Nulman Design? Check them out on their website HN.design , on...

Frank, Sam, Tony and Joey of Atlas Kitchens and Bath join us to talk about custom kitchens and cabinetry. After introductions and a quick run-through of the stages a project goes through internally at Atlas, we get into the nitty gritty of cabinet styles, hardware, appliances, materials, and trends, dispersing some stereotypes and sharing some expert opinions. They tell us some of the strangest cu...

Melvin Newman of PataBid joins us to discuss estimating in the construction industry, and hope it can be improved. He shares how he spotted the gap in the industry and what he made to innovate the estimation process. Learn about a company that listens to the user, and a software that can save you time and money while protecting you from client "misunderstandings" on this episode of The Constructio...

Steve and Royce of 3Way join us to talk about taping and drywall. Royce shares how the construction world has changed in the last 50+ years, including the informal introduction of Level 5. We get into why the stereotypes around the drywall industry exist as they do, and Royce and Steve share tons of advice on tools and techniques with visual references to accompany their tips. The second half of t...

Dan Wall from Covenant Construction joins us to talk about tiling and TTMAC certification. He shares his experience going from being his own boss to working for someone else, and what made him stay with Covenant over the adjustment period. He tells us about his desire to work with thin panel porcelain slabs and the education required to do it right, before discussing the TTMAC exam and what causes...

Pata Chan of Kwaihinian in Hong Kong joins us to talk about construction in Hong Kong. He starts off by sharing how he got into the industry and quickly shatters the belief around bamboo scaffolding. We then get into the major differences before construction in North America versus Hong Kong: variation orders, the size of projects, the materials and techniques used, the trades themselves, and the...

Casey Grey from The Conscious Builder joins us today to talk about passive homes and building the business. He discusses the values that The Conscious Builder is based on and his experience building a passive house from scratch as a way to show clients the business. He also tells us what government regulations stand in the way of a greener future of homes. Learn about the products and processes us...

Doug Taylor of Frontiers Design Build is here to talk about the hurdles Frontiers has been through, and how they've succeeded, offering advice to other tradespeople on the paper side of business. Doug talks about his difficulty letting go of control and passing off the tools to someone else. He shares the plateaus Frontiers hit and how they moved passed them, as well as their three-step framework...

Nuno Pinto and Jordan Mora of Assmbly Inc join us to talk all about high-end lighting and home automation. They share their experiences getting into the business and tell us about their products. We hear how they would light different rooms, and compare voice automation from the Big Three. Learn about the importance of light and how it can effect energy levels on this episode of The Construction L...

Shahzad Qureshi from Pinnacle Real Estate in New York joins us today to talk about making it in the real estate business, construction and social media. Starting off with a bone to pick with high-end construction, Shahzad then shares his humble beginnings, paying sweat equity with equity partners and door-knocking for 6 months to get one deal. He also gives us some advice on how to survive the nex...

Mike of Mike's Tool Fun joins us to talk about commercial electrical jobs and how he got into tool reviewing. He shares some helpful advice for electricians like using foldable canvas garage bins and double-checking your work to take excuses away from inspectors. He also talks about copper versus aluminum wiring and the tools that have made his job that much better. The show wraps up talking about...