The Tim Faller Show

In this episode, Tim and Steve are talking about code… yes, the building code. Who gets excited about the building code? One of the most common thoughts is that it makes it hard for a contractor to make money, however another thought is, it sets a low bar and as professionals, we should all be building better than the minimum standards. While likely different across the US and Canada, building cod...

In Episode 87 , back in January, we spoke with John Murphy about the devastating fire that ripped through his cabinet shop and office and the process they were using to rebuild, literally from the ashes. And, of course, soon after we spoke, COVID hit and they were faced with yet another obstacle… however John’s company was already working remotely, so perhaps they had a head start on the rest of u...

Today’s topic came from a subscriber who contacted Tim asking about making the transition from a single owner-operator to building a team and assuming the role of “Boss.” Some remodelers just want to do the work themselves and stay small. They enjoy wearing all the “hats,” resigning themselves to the fact that they don’t have the energy or desire to take the next step. This episode focuses on the...

In this episode, we take a look at what it takes to be a good boss from an employee’s perspective, but also from the supervisor side as well, as both of our guests have risen through the ranks to become leaders of their respective businesses. Our first guest, Aaron Enfinger, came up through the ranks and is now General Manager of the company he works for. And our second guest, Les Anderson, has be...

We are well into the Covid crisis of 2020 and we are starting to hear of people struggling with the stress. We also see business owners and production leaders that are working like crazy to handle the surge of business, catch up or even to just make it all work. Our guest today is someone that deals with people everyday that are just trying to deal with life and the stress it can bring. Tim’s wife...

In the last episode, we talked about the importance of Daily planning with Billy Andrews from Schloegel Design Remodel . In this episode, we take another step by talking more about how to approach planning and orchestration for larger, more extensive remodeling projects. This topic of planning actually came from one of our subscribers, so keep those ideas coming… We love topic suggestions! Once ag...

As you have likely heard us request ideas for show topics and guests, we are happy to deliver with this episode, focusing on the importance of daily planning. This topic can be slightly different depending on the size of the project; this episode is focused on regular sized projects and we will cover planning for larger projects in a future episode. To explore further, Tim and Steve welcome Billy...

We have covered the challenges associated with labor shortage on this show and we have probably had more than ten guests that are directly associated with solving the issue and increasing the awareness and opportunity in the Skilled trades. We have included many guests who are getting involved by putting together programs and initiatives, and not just talking about the problem at hand. In this epi...

Finding and keeping good “help” can make or break your remodeling business. As a business owner you can recruit and interview candidates, maybe even hire one you think will be a superstar, and 2 weeks later you realize that not only are they a bad “fit,” they are destroying the chemistry and dynamic of your existing team. In this episode Tim and Steve welcome back Doug Howard to discuss the challe...

In this episode, we continue to explore outside of the production world, but touch on areas of the business that affect what we do every day. Remodeling sales is typically handled by the business owner, or perhaps a sales team if the company is large enough. What if we got others involved in the sales process? Ideally, the entire team should be focused on client satisfaction and in some instances,...

As we continue to explore ways to overcome the labor shortage, that plagues so many remodelers and builders in our industry, we found that so many overlook one of the largest untapped labor pools out there… women working in construction. Women make up a small percentage of the construction workforce and most are in office-based roles or in design. We were excited to hear from a listener that refer...

Energy, and more specifically energy efficiency, has been a critical issue for building and remodeling since the late 80’s and 90’s when the attention seemed focused on window size and glazing. Fast-forward to today where the discussion has advanced to green energy, solar and thousands of products focused on energy conservation and efficiency. An important step in the process is to analyze the cur...

The skilled labor shortage is a challenge we hear far too often about in our industry. In many cases we have asked “What are you doing about it?” and for many, it has been very little. It’s tough for business owners to take this on themselves because of the finances and resources needed to tackle the issue. It is refreshing to see the trade association stepping up and making a difference. Tim atte...

Raise your hand if you are a salesperson… Maybe a few business owners raised their hands, but most likely our production people and our Project managers, Lead carpenters, and Production managers all kept their hands down. Not so fast! In this episode, we step out of our comfort zone a little and talk about the impact that your production teams have on sales and marketing. For this discussion, we b...

For a remodeling or general contracting firm, having trusted trade partners is critical. Often they can be the key to a successful project and overall experience for your clients. Over the years, we have worked with several remodelers who have considered having a service, like plumbing and electric, as part of their service offering, to have more control over the quality of the end product. In thi...

We usually focus on production issues like getting good help, working with trade contractors, change orders, etc. In this episode, we change things up and tackle a more general business topic, running debt-free. We are fortunate enough to have a returning guest join us for this discussion. Wally Staples was on Episode 72, talking about how he recruits employees . For this episode, however, Wally g...

For the last decade (pre-COVID), the demand and lack of skilled labor may have slowed production and increased housing costs more than any other factor. This condition is not new to the U.S. housing industry; the nation faced similar conditions at the founding of the country, and the evolution of the U.S. education system and the building trades have contributed to our modern labor woes. Is there...

Meeting the growing need for a qualified workforce in the remodeling and home building industries has evolved into seeing the ideal worker as coming from a range of backgrounds but with a common interest. In this episode, Tim and Steve welcome Home Builders Institute (HBI) President and CEO, Ed Brady, who explains the breadth of programs offered and the evolution of services HBI is undertaking to...

In this episode of the Tim Faller Show, Tim and Steve explore some of the more technical aspects of the remodeling and building industries. In this case, we take a closer look at moisture control and bring in an industry veteran and well-known speaker, Bill Robinson out of New Orleans, Louisiana. Bill is a nationally known construction trainer and presenter. He has demonstrated the proper use of b...

In this episode, Tim and Steve cover the Customer Experience. Creating a positive feeling in your clients can not only make the project successful but more importantly, leads to referrals which we all know is the “lifeblood” for any successful remodeler. No one knows the concept of Client Experience tracking more than our friends at GuildQuality so we have Gavin MacDonald join the conversation for...

Congratulations on Reaching 100 Episodes! To celebrate this milestone, we’re changing up the format, turning the tables and featuring our Host, Tim Faller! In this episode of the Tim Faller Show, Steve interviews his co-host and explores Tim’s background as a lead carpenter, business owner and his transition to a trusted advisor and sought-after industry “guru.” Steve and Tim discuss: Shifts in th...

As he’s stated many times, Tim wants to see punch lists eliminated completely. The punch list can be an invitation for clients to find fault for remodelers. In new home building, there’s a part of the budget set aside to take care of the punch list. It can be a drain on profits. Usually. Derek Stone built a business, in part, by completing punch lists and warranty work for other building companies...

Editor’s note: We’re all working remotely, away from the podcasting studio, so we’ve dug into the virtual vault to bring you this episode. With so many projects on hold due to Covid-19 emergency orders, take some time to get your systems and processes ready for better days. Developing a system that makes your kitchen and bath jobs more profitable has to include getting those all-important selectio...

Training to help move team members up the ladder is important to any remodeling company and its ability to move fast and make money.  Chris Peterson has seen the importance of training from his first days in the field as a carpenter through to his present leadership position. He says it’s a concrete way to coach and promote great people from the ground up.  In this episode, Chris explain...

If you’ve ever had to deal with legal action in your remodeling business, you know it can be a nightmare. The best thing you can do is to keep you and your projects out of the legal system. Dennis Dixon has used his experience as an expert witness and investigator to help business owners understand the link between the legal system and the health of their business. In this episode, Dennis talks to...