Construction during last recession

[Rbcconst]

What kind of construction does everyone do and what kind of projects kept you busy during the last recession?

Any somewhat recession proof construction projects?

We are a gc and have a cabinet company.
As a gc we do residential remodels, ti’s and a little prevailing wage. We self perform quite a bit.

As a cab co we sell a few semi custom lines and build custom. Also have install crews that just install for other companies.

Looking for feedback on what doesn’t slow down or how people kept busy last time. I started in 08 and was slow for a while.


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[Happy Smitty]

Recessions don't affect the extremely wealthy. We were fortunate to have a few extremely wealthy clients who acquired many franchises that went out of business. All those stores either got consolidated or remodeled. These clients continue to build.

 

[wet hull]

What kind of construction does everyone do and what kind of projects kept you busy during the last recession?

Any somewhat recession proof construction projects?

We are a gc and have a cabinet company.
As a gc we do residential remodels, ti’s and a little prevailing wage. We self perform quite a bit.

As a cab co we sell a few semi custom lines and build custom. Also have install crews that just install for other companies.

Looking for feedback on what doesn’t slow down or how people kept busy last time. I started in 08 and was slow for a while.


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We have spoken in PM. I am a GC/ C54. Same boat as you but will focus more on our govt projects. We also push heavy on flood restoration in our advertising. Looking at getting my license for abatement so I can keep 8 fans a day at $200 each. Floods will always happen no matter what economy. The nice part as a GC you can work in all types of projects to keep busy.

 

[Boat211]

I am an electrician by trade. I have been fortunate to work for a healthcare organization that has a construction company as well. Healthcare doesn’t seem to slow down. Especially not right now.

 

[Flying_Lavey]

I am an electrician by trade. I have been fortunate to work for a healthcare organization that has a construction company as well. Healthcare doesn’t seem to slow down. Especially not right now.

Thats what I was going to suggest. Healthcare and big $$ clientele. We were doing a handful of VERY large mansions during the last recession. Didn't have much connection to Healthcare at that time.

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[Nordie]

Ironworker here, and what kept me going was infrastructure work. The money is always allocated for Bridges and Flood Channel work. During the last recession we did very little work. As far as I know, our company is still bidding a lot of private and public work at the moment, but we'll see.

 

[YeahYeah01]

We have spoken in PM. I am a GC/ C54. Same boat as you but will focus more on our govt projects. We also push heavy on flood restoration in our advertising. Looking at getting my license for abatement so I can keep 8 fans a day at $200 each. Floods will always happen no matter what economy. The nice part as a GC you can work in all types of projects to keep busy.

Nice! If you're in so cal, I can help with the abatement until you get your C22.

 

[riverroyal]

schools, health, pharm, prison, Res, Theres work for the next 5 years already booked.

 

[NicPaus]

Instead of subbing out majority of work do it in house. I have everything for almost every trade from when I was building specs for my Dads development co years ago.

Recently bought more water restoration equipment. And now have 12 years of customers that want deals when things slow down. Need to get plans drawn for 2 units behind my brothers and back house behind mine.

 

[Big Chorizo]

I work for a GC that specializes in new construction affordable multi-family housing usually associated with non-profits. When new construction stopped, we got heavy into rehabs on existing multi family buildings due to Government funding still avalible for this project type durning the recession. We continue to operate both divisions.

 

[Rbcconst]

Recessions don't affect the extremely wealthy. We were fortunate to have a few extremely wealthy clients who acquired many franchises that went out of business. All those stores either got consolidated or remodeled. These clients continue to build.

I have a few clients like that.

We have spoken in PM. I am a GC/ C54. Same boat as you but will focus more on our govt projects. We also push heavy on flood restoration in our advertising. Looking at getting my license for abatement so I can keep 8 fans a day at $200 each. Floods will always happen no matter what economy. The nice part as a GC you can work in all types of projects to keep busy.

I have been looking into the gov projects. A few companies did that last recession and did not seem to skip a beat.

 

[Rbcconst]

I work for a GC that specializes in new construction affordable multi-family housing usually associated with non-profits. When new construction stopped, we got heavy into rehabs on existing multi family buildings due to Government funding still avalible for this project type durning the recession. We continue to operate both divisions.

what trade do you do for the gc

 

[Rbcconst]

schools, health, pharm, prison, Res, Theres work for the next 5 years already booked.

Great options.

 

[Havasu blue label]

We need go to Havasu and charge 450 ft to build a home . There charging 475 to 500 and getting it

 

[YeahYeah01]

I have a few clients like that.

I have been looking into the gov projects. A few companies did that last recession and did not seem to skip a beat.

It is a little hard to get started if you plan to go the GC route. You can try going in a as a sub to get your feet wet and learn some the basics of what's required.

If it's federal, You'll need certified payroll, EM385 training, site specific safety plans, waste management plans. The lost goes on.

But it will stay busy of things slow down.

 

[Rbcconst]

We need go to Havasu and charge 450 ft to build a home . There charging 475 to 500 and getting it

Those days might come to an end real quickly. It will be 6 months min before anyone knows what will happen to the housing market.

 

[Rbcconst]

It is a little hard to get started if you plan to go the GC route. You can try going in a as a sub to get your feet wet and learn some the basics of what's required.

If it's federal, You'll need certified payroll, EM385 training, site specific safety plans, waste management plans. The lost goes on.

But it will stay busy of things slow down.

Nothing worth while is easy.

 

[monkeyswrench]

In roofing, there was privailing wage work. Other than that, cut throat as all hell.

The really well off people started to pick up first for me. A few repos that needed water proofing or deck repair. There was some really lean time though before they started spending again.

You're lucky to be a GC when stuff like this starts. You have some options. People only think of roofs when it rains, or when building. I was praying for rain, and fixing leaks for cheap.

 

[YeahYeah01]

Nothing worth while is easy.

True story! I am glad that it has challenges if it was easy everyone would be doing it!

 

[JLG614]

My family owns a concrete construction company. We do mainly commercial curb, gutter, sidewalk, paving. We are also a GC and do prevailing work here and there. Last recession was a dead stop for us and we were not prepared for it at all. We basically restarted in 2009. Right now we have alot of work on the books for the next few months and are still bidding and contracting projects daily. We will see what happens in 6 months but we are much better prepared if everything were to stop tomorrow. If it turns into 08 we will go the government route and start bidding alot more city projects since they will be the only ones spending money

 

[rivergames]

All of our commercial projects are still full throttle. Rams Stadium, New Terminals at LAX, Loma Linda Hospital, 21 story Apartment Building on Miracle Mile, Schools, ETC.

 

[Flying_Lavey]

We just got 4 or 5 new contracts this week and have a couple very large apartment complexes on the books for this year. I believe if we get 1 or 2 more good size jobs we should be good for the year. There just about always seems to be little TI's coming through to fill some gaps and what not

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[endobear]

Residential painting contractor. Went from 7-9 guys working to myself slinging paint and my 2 best guys during the last recession. Been steady working 3-7 guys since 2010.
I'm back to slinging paint as of 2 weeks ago. 4 guys have quit on me since the beginning of March due to the rona.
We are on a new construction custom home and I've been left hanging with my dick in my hand fixing those 4 guys fuck ups.
As long as I don't piss off the GC being behind schedule he has 10k sqft and 13k custom homes ready for me 2 start in a month or so. Plus alot of my clients are not really effected by this and we are coming up on busy exterior season.
I'll hopefully start hiring again soon but I don't want to bring any new guys around right now.

 

[goshen82]

we do site concrete as well as demo and grading. Last recession we bid city jobs to stay afloat. We still do some city work but most of our stuff is new tilt up building projects and shopping centers. Booked til next year and doesn’t look to be slowing down.

 

[whiteworks]

If commercial, bid work for entities that operate there project budgets from an endowment and base the projects on the last three years returns of the investments. In three years from now they will be in a situation, but for now things will be business as usual. Customer selection is essential, wealthy clients for residential are always the same, times are good they buy a new Mercedes, times are bad they buy a new Mercedes, net worth fluctuates but quality of life remains the same.

Average Johnny home owner is gonna sit on the sidelines for the next year with any large projects or amenity purchases. If that’s your bread and butter it’s best to trim the fat now and batten down the hatches while whatever is coming plays out.

I have a project I’m in the entitlement process on currently, will maintain that course and start moving forward when shit gets bad for everyone. I anticipate a 25%+ decrease in cost to complete the project if we get a good recession rolling. That is the perspective you can expect to face in a downturn, how hungry are you for work and how thin of a margin can you operate on? There will always be someone with a competitive edge out there willing to under cut what you are capable of operating at. Maybe thier building is paid off, or all the equipment is paid for, the dudes who are sitting in that position are holding the nuts hand. Be that guy.

“If everyone is buying, you need to be selling. If everyone is selling, you need to be buying.” ~WW

 

[HBCraig]

My stuff is used in many trades. The ones that are always busy are freeway/infrastructure work. Refinery work is streaky

Lucky there has been 2 big stadiums going on as well.

 

[evantwheeler]

Just an Employee, not an Owner, but I've been a supervisor/manager for Tunnel Construction Contractors for the past 12 years. There is a very select set of contractors that qualify for the work nation wide and they are always looking for experienced help. The projects are planned and funded so far in advance that they are pretty well recession proof. The down side is you have to follow the work. If you are willing to travel, have general construction knowledge, and are a good employee, there are tons of opportunities out there in the tunneling industry. Problem is most people can't handle the travel or bring baggage with them when they do. The work is similar to how Was That Guy describes the Oil & Gas Drilling Industry, long hours & multiple shifts, but the tunnel projects go on for years with stability and we probably don't make as much as those guys do or have as much off-time away from work.

 

[Big B Hova]

Weed grow construction. We Build it. They plant it. It gets robbed. We tear it apart and relocate to new location. We rebuilt it. They plant it. It gets robbed. We tear it apart and relocate to a new location. We rebuild it. They plant it. It gets robbed. We tear it apart and relocate to a new location. We rebuild it. They plant it. It gets robbed. We tear it apart and relocate to a new location. We rebuild it. Stoner leaves the water on and floods the place. We fix it. They re plant it. It gets robbed. We tear it apart and relocate to a new location. We rebuild it.

 

[Dalton]

Weed grow construction. We Build it. They plant it. It gets robbed. We tear it apart and relocate to new location. We rebuilt it. They plant it. It gets robbed. We tear it apart and relocate to a new location. We rebuild it. They plant it. It gets robbed. We tear it apart and relocate to a new location. We rebuild it. They plant it. It gets robbed. We tear it apart and relocate to a new location. We rebuild it. Stoner leaves the water on and floods the place. We fix it. They re plant it. It gets robbed. We tear it apart and relocate to a new location. We rebuild it.

why do they get robbed so much? there's a building I suspect is one, looks maximum security

 

[Riverbound]

For us, it would be transferring from mostly replacements (when times are good) to more repair based work (times are not so good). Being able to do both commercial and residential has always been a benefit for us as we are not solely based on residential demand.

 

[shock22]

Foundation drilling and earth retention last recession we grew 10%

 

[CarolynandBob]

We shifted to more prevailing wage and luckily got apartment and condo work. We didn't really profit much, but kept just about all of our employees working.

 

[Lucky Larry]

What kind of construction does everyone do and what kind of projects kept you busy during the last recession?

Any somewhat recession proof construction projects?

We are a gc and have a cabinet company.
As a gc we do residential remodels, ti’s and a little prevailing wage. We self perform quite a bit.

As a cab co we sell a few semi custom lines and build custom. Also have install crews that just install for other companies.

Looking for feedback on what doesn’t slow down or how people kept busy last time. I started in 08 and was slow for a while.


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We might need to give you a holler on the next house ~ I’d like to find a new cabinet contractor.

“Lucky’s Wife”

 

[HBCraig]

Foundation drilling and earth retention last recession we grew 10%

Who do you work for? I have worked with a few fiubdations contractors in the past like Malcolm, Legacy, Calex etc

 

[shock22]

Who do you work for? I have worked with a few fiubdations contractors in the past like Malcolm, Legacy, Calex etc

Worked for Anderson Drilling/ Hayward Baker. Now with Blue Iron

 

[HBCraig]

Worked for Anderson Drilling/ Hayward Baker. Now with Blue Iron

Copy that.

 

[Nordie]

Worked for Anderson Drilling/ Hayward Baker. Now with Blue Iron

Hayward Baker did the drilled shafts of the bridge project I am currently on. A lot of those guys left and went to Malcolm.

 

[shock22]

Hayward Baker did the drilled shafts of the bridge project I am currently on. A lot of those guys left and went to Malcolm.

Trained most of those guys

 

[Rbcconst]

We might need to give you a holler on the next house ~ I’d like to find a new cabinet contractor.

“Lucky’s Wife”

Ill take care of you guys! Let me know when your ready!


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