Chuck Miller Consulting is a Construction Business Coach and Mentor, Construction Expert Witness, Construction Mediator-Arbitrator, Aging-In-Place Design Consultant, Owner-Builder Project Manager, and Educator Chuck Miller Consulting provides Business Consulting Expert Witness, Mediation, Arbitration, and Dispute Resolution Services, and Construction Project Management for owner-builders. The cons
truction industry operates by following plans and specifications to arrive at a desired finished product. But a survey of builder and remodeler members of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) revealed that fewer than 12 percent had a written business plan, fewer than 15 percent had written operating budgets, less than 18 percent had written mission statements, and almost 70 percent of respondents had no formal planning procedures. Maybe that’s the reason small businesses in the construction industry have the second highest failure rate of all industries. Business Planning and Coaching Services include:
• Working one-on-one with our clients to develop a working business plan focused on market research and analysis, product development and pricing strategy, sales and marketing strategy, operations planning, and financial forecasting and budgeting to achieve and maintain the key financial and operating ratios.
• Ongoing consulting and coaching
Expert Witness Services
Chuck Miller has over 50 years of experience in the construction industry involving single and multi-family residential, commercial, and institutional projects across the United States. He has provided expert witness services and help to settle a number of construction related civil lawsuits. Our Expert Witness Services include providing expert opinion on the cause of problems, how they should be fixed, and who is responsible. Construction Project Management for Owner-Builders
The U.S. Census Bureau defines Owner-built houses as houses built for owner occupancy on the owner's land under the supervision of the owner acting as the general contractor. These homes are: (1) in most cases built partly by the owner and partly with paid help; (2) sometimes built entirely with the employment of subcontractors; and (3) occasionally built entirely by the owner. According to residential permit data from the U.S. Census Bureau, owner-built homes account for approximately 7% of the total number of private single-family homes completed in the U.S. While being responsible for the construction of your own home can be rewarding on many levels, it is complicated, challenging, and disruptive. Most of the work is planning ahead of time so that things will go well on the job site. This includes reviewing plans for potential problems and the best way to get the job done; estimating costs of materials and labor; locking in material quotes; obtaining permits and approvals; hiring, scheduling, and managing employees and subcontractors; scheduling inspections; ordering materials and scheduling deliveries; and tracking accounts payable and receivable to keep the whole thing afloat. Based on his 50+ years of construction industry experience, Chuck can state with some degree of certainty that "Things will go wrong in any given situation, if you give them a chance." The list of potential problems is extensive for any general contractor and includes items from the trivial to the catastrophic. An owner-builder’s lack of experience in construction usually means they can expect more than the average share of surprises and problems. Problems can develop for many reasons and have a range of impact on the project, its cost and the home’s long-term value. The better the planning, the fewer the problems and surprises. Our Construction Project Management services include:
• Assisting with the planning and budgeting of their project
• Assisting with permitting, selection of trade contractors and suppliers,
• Assisting with scheduling of the construction project
• Assisting with managing the budget for their construction project
• Advising on construction issues.
