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Starting a lawn care business requires a business plan, a well-thought-out budget, and the right equipment. But lawn ...
Choosing the best warm white paint color can transform your interior into a cozy, welcoming sanctuary of comfort and ...
A career in the landscaping industry can be stable and lucrative for those who enjoy physical work and being outdoors...
Q: I’m thinking about starting a professional landscaping business, but I’m not sure what I need to do in terms of li...
Q: I want to start a lawn care business in my local area, but I’m not sure of the legal process. What licenses do I n...
Highlights The average cost to start a landscaping business can fall between $5,000 and $8,000. The main factors th...
The best landscaping companies are out there in your neighborhood, maybe even right now, working hard to beautify yar...
Whether someone has been working in the landscaping industry for years or has just completed one of the best online l...
A landscaping career can be ideal for anyone who loves the great outdoors, working with plants, and staying active. F...
While cleaning-business owners might have all the cleaning under control, delivering high-quality services to satisfi...
One of the many landscaping job requirements business owners need to address when starting a business includes obtain...
Highlights General liability insurance for electrical contractors costs, on average, $48 per month. The total cost ...
Highlights The typical annual salary range for an electrician is $37,440 to $102,300, with a national average of $60...
A career in the trades can be extremely rewarding. The pay is good, the work is interesting, and there’s a steady dem...
For entrepreneurs in the Sunshine State, applying for a business license is one of the first and most important steps...
Q: I’m considering my career options and know I want to work in the trades, so I’m looking into how to become a licen...
Certifications and licenses are an important part of an electrician’s career journey. They’re more than just symbols ...
Highlights The average cost for electrician school ranges between $3,000 and $19,000. The main factors that affect ...
Getting a license is an important step in an electrician’s career. However, it does take time and dedication to becom...
Becoming a journeyman electrician is more than a rite of passage. “Journeyman” is a medieval term used to describe a ...
Electricians are well-compensated tradespeople—the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual pa...
Once the frenzy of the holiday season has passed, many people experience a change of pace in the first couple of mont...
Q: I’m thinking about starting a handyman business in my home state, but I’m not sure if I need to apply for any spec...
Q: I’m in need of help with some odd jobs around my house. Should I look for someone who offers general handyman serv...
For an aspiring handyman, obtaining a license is an important part of launching a business in the world of home repai...
With their repair expertise and versatile home improvement skill sets, handymen help keep people’s homes in tip-top s...
Individuals who have repair skills and a knack for home improvement might consider going into business for themselves...
Highlights The typical cost range for a business license is between $25 and $550. Some of the factors that affect t...
The journey to becoming a successful handyman involves much more than just possessing the right skills and tools. It ...
A reliable handyman can be an asset to any homeowner, but not all homeowners know the types of home repair services a...
Like in any state, it’s important for entrepreneurs in California to know the legal requirements they need to meet be...
Highlights The cost to start a business has a wide range of $100 to $400,000, though the national average cost is $4...
Starting a cleaning business can be a lucrative venture for aspiring entrepreneurs. In a world where cleanliness is i...
Plumbing is a growing industry that is essential for the ongoing function of individual residences, businesses, and i...
Many skilled trades require a specific certification or license as proof that an employee has had official training a...
From house painting to lawn care, the home-service industry thrives on offering property owners specialized services ...
Standard drill drivers can handle most hole-drilling tasks in wood, but they don’t do so well when used to drill hole...
When it comes to jobsite safety, a hard hat is one of the most important tools one can own. These devices sit suspend...
Running a small business is no easy job; between scheduling, invoicing, and estimating, managing a business can leave...
The jobsite can be a danger zone, and various home improvement projects come with their share of injury risks as well...
Inflation—a steady uptick in prices for goods and services, and the corresponding dip of our purchasing power—is high...
Safety gear is required on job sites for a variety of professions, and DIYers are strongly advised to follow that lea...
You might think of yourself as pretty handy around the house. You can build your own shed foundation, you’ve mastered...
Many common DIY projects around the home, and in professional trades as well, require the use of safety glasses. Whet...
There comes a point when collecting a complete DIY set of tools starts causing storage issues. A tool box might do th...
Find the right pro for every household chore—big, small, majorly messy, or just plain pesky! This content is paid advertising created in partnership with Thu...
Q: Every professional painter I’ve ever encountered has worn a white uniform. Why do painters wear white? And should ...
The do-it-yourself ethos is one we heartily applaud. Most services provided by home maintenance pros aren't cheap, so taking care of small fixes on your own can s...
As the first line of defense against stormwater damage, gutters play a vital role in the infrastructure of just about...
Why does it seem like the times you really need a plumber are late at night, early in the morning, or on weekends, when fees can cost twice as much as normal. Cha...
Few things are as frustrating as trying to drive a screw into a tight corner or over your head, only to have it fall ...
When you put your home up for sale, you need to put in quite a bit of work to make it an attractive competitor on the real estate market. Location, price, and a h...
Construction adhesive: It's a do-it-yourselfer favorite, a labor- and time-saver that long ago earned pride of place in the workshop. The best part? As advanced t...
Imagine that you’ve just spent several hours—the better part of a weekend afternoon—painstakingly adhering ceiling ti...
Once you’ve managed to secure the necessary approvals for your renovation or construction project, it's time for the ...
Don't do what these homeowners did! Learn how to avoid costly mistakes and design disasters before you begin your next DIY renovation.
Do-it-yourselfers rely on tools to get the job done. But for contractors, tools are much more than a means to an end—they are nothing short of a livelihood. Contr...
Slippery when wet! Those words of caution may be most familiar in the context of hospital and airport floors, but the...
Where do you keep your workshop? It's best to set it up in a place where noise, dust, and space aren't an issue. But there are other considerations to keep in min...
Whether you’re a woodworker, gardener, craftaholic or avid DIYer, you need a comfortable area where you can do what you love to do. Sure, there are loads of craft...
Does it look like a bomb went off in your workshop? Even the best tools are useless if they are nowhere to be found w...
One of the great advantages of a workshop—as distinct from a toolbox carried to a workplace—is the opportunity to pu...
Power tools swallow up power the way dogs consume their food: in great, huge gulps. Most tools have two kinds of dema...
A landscape designer friend of mine tells a story about the college he went to. During his years there, the universit...
A building code is a collection of regulations regarding building construction that is intended to ensure public safe...
If know what I want, why do I need a designer at all?Perhaps you don't. But understand that, strange as it may seem, ...
Do you need contracts? Yes is the short answerContracts are a crucial part of the paper trail that will help assure t...
So, you tried to anticipate everything. But the fact is, no one can plan for every exigency. So here are some ways to...
Homeowners who plan to undertake a do-it-yourself job should know the difference between waste and salvageable buildi...
Hiring an architect should save you time and money, minimize bumps, streamline the building process, and provide an a...
What is a green home? While “green” has yet to be given a universally accepted definition, a green home would be defi...
Job site theft is a rampant and growing problem that costs the construction industry more than $1 billion a year, acc...
To some, a garage is much more than a place to park the car and store junk. To the car enthusiast, it is a nerve cen...
When you first start tackling home projects, it's no problem to hit the hardware store for one of those sandpaper mul...
It’s hard to say that a workshop is actually a workshop if there isn’t at least a small workbench somewhere within th...
This article has been brought to you by SupplyHouse. com. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila. com. Polyethyl...
The next time you need to move something big and heavy in the workshop or around the house, save your back and build ...
Everyone agrees that you should change your HVAC filter on a regular basis, but not everyone agrees on the type of fi...
While spring is generally considered the month for cleaning windows, airing out the house, reorganizing the cupboards...
Like everything with moving parts—your car, your computer, your body—your power tools will last longer and work bette...
Noise is an occupational hazard in any shop where power tools are used. Strategies must be employed to minimize the d...
Ask any seasoned renovator or restoration contractor and they will have at least one good demolition story to tell—no...
Bob travels to British Columbia and tours the Waldun Forest Products Company shingle manufacturing plant.
The generously sized workshop has a functional layout and a unique vinyl floor designed by architect Gregory Rochlin.
Bob meets with Bill Zoeller to discuss the ways this property will be 50% more energy efficient that a typical Florida Home.
Bob visits PGT Industries to learn what it takes to make impact-resistant windows.
Bob tours the Simplex Industries modular home plant and learns how the different pre-fab parts are made.
Bob tours the Simplex Industries manufacturing facility where workers are precutting the plywood as they construct the interior and exterior walls.
Bob and crew travel to Wareham, MA, to visit the Tremont Nail Mill. Tremont Nail, manufacturer of cut nails.
Bob takes a trip into Boston to visit the North Bennet Street School.
Bob visits with Alex Krutsky at the North Bennet Street School in Boston. Bob and Krutsky discuss the school's admissions process, which requires previous carpent...
Furniture maker Tommy MacDonald demonstrates a few of the techniques he employs to create hand-carved furniture details.
Bob visits with Brian Stowell at the Crown Point Cabinet factory in Claremont, NH.
Bob and Professor Tom Visser (UVM) visit the Burtch-Udall house in Quechee, VT, and the nearby Sumner Mansion-- suitable locales for a running discussion on prope...
Bob tours the Premier Building Systems plant with general manager Steve Thompson.
Bob visits the Simpson Plywood plant in Shelton, WA, where Jim Langenberg shows Bob how plywood, especially MDO, is made.
Bob visits Two Harbors, MN and tours the plant where Louisiana Pacific manufactures a line of exterior trim products.
Bob visits McCleary, WA, where Jim Fielder (from Simpson Door) takes him on a tour of the company's manufacturing plant.
Bob visits the Perstop Flooring Factory to see how Pergo, wood laminate flooring, is made.
Bob meets with the general contractors and the architect for the project house to discuss mid-construction changes to the building plan.
Bob tours the Buderus factory in Wetzlar, Germany with Herr Schulte, vice president of research and development.
Bob and contractor Ed Weller tour of another work in progress, a home being built using construction techniques unique to tropical climates.
Bob takes a tour of the Boston Sand and Gravel concrete plant, located on the Charles River in Boston.
Bob meets with carpenter Bob Ryley to install baseboard, then visits Paul Morse's workshop to see how specialty moldings are milled.
Bob visits the Georgia Pacific pressure-treated lumber plant in Sterling, GA to discover how pressure treated lumber is made to resist weather and rot.
Bob meets with restoration contractor Richard Marks to review the reproduction shutters that will be placed on the project house. They also visit the Withers Indu...
Bob tours the Indiana Limestone factory with Dave Kern, who explains the fabrication process for the limestone columns being used in the greenhouse.
Bob takes a field trip to East Windsor Hill, CT, where the bricks for the cabin project were made. Along the way, he learns about the manufacturing process bricks...
Bob meets Lee Shield of Weather Shield Windows in Medford, WI to find out how the company makes its special custom windows.
Bob tours the Ralph A. Esty & Sons Lumber Corporation in Groveland, MA. Operations Manager Ken Monaco explains the process of aquiring and milling the lumber. The...
Bob visits the Willamette Industries glued laminated timber facilities in Eugene, OR to learn first-hand how glulams are manufactured.
Bob tours the American Plywood Association testing facilities with Tom Williamson, the Executive Vice President of Engineered Wood Systems. Tom explains the diffe...
Bob tours the Vermont Castings factory in Randolph, VT in order to learn about the manufacturing process for the type of wood-burning stove being used in the Mart...
Bob visits a wallpaper factory, where the design, paper-milling, and printing aspects of the wallpaper fabrication process all take place.
Bob takes a tour of the Georgia Pacific plywood plant near Savannah, GA to see how birch veneer plywood is made.
As tiling begins on the bathroom floor and in the shower, Bob takes a field trip to the factory where the tiles being used in the project house were made.
Bob shops an architectural salvage yard for used, inexpensive doors and bathroom vanities.
Bob takes us on a tour of the IKO roofing shingle plant in Wilmington, DE.
Bob joins David Parker at Macmillan-Bloedel’s Parallam plant in Vancouver, BC to see how the special engineered beams are manufactured.
Bob tours the Georgia-Pacific drywall plant in Marcus Hook, PA with Monty Palmowski.
Bob travels to Chicago’s South Side to tour the Salvage One architectural warehouse with Anne Steinweddel.
Bob visits Dave Parker in Vancouver, BC to see how Parallam beams are manufactured.
Bob visits the IKO roofing shingle plant in Wilmington, DE, where he becomes familiar with different types of shingles.
Bob tours the Republic Window Factory in Chicago. Ron Spielman, vice president, explains how the windows are manufactured.
Bob meets with David Cross of Tampa Armature Works (TAW), a company that converts shipping containers into intermodal steel building units (ISBUs).
Bob talks with Leslie Chapman-Henderson from the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) about the technologies involved in securing a roof. Chapman-Henderson exp...