The past year has brought many challenges for the construction industry.  Skyrocketing prices of materials and a significant reduction in labor availability have contributed to make 2021 one of the most challenging years on record for southern California builders.  At the same time, however, there is a record demand for new housing and businesses which must be met by intrepid builders who are not afraid of changing markets and patterns. 

Those who survive these winds of change all have something in common:  they utilize the best techniques and settings to optimize their production while simultaneously lowering their costs.  They do not sacrifice quality but instead find workarounds and more effective ways of getting the job done.  For many builders, this means finding ways to streamline and speed up the construction process while, at the same time, delivering solid, reliable results.

How To Plan for 2022 

If you find yourself caught between the rock of rising prices and the hard place of labor shortage, you are not alone.  A recent 20 percent surge in construction in southern California alone has driven great changes in the industry. Ultimately, builders are faced with a dilemma:  control costs while delivering even more product in a shorter amount of time.

As you plan for 2022 construction, there are several things to keep in mind:

• Building costs will fluctuate. Between the pressures of inflation, supply chain issues and overall rising costs, builders will be faced with more expensive materials. For builders who do not want to cut quality, prices will have to rise.  Controlling these costs should be a paramount consideration for any builder; simply using old standards of costs for materials will not work in the long run.  Even temporary decreases in prices may not last.  It will be better, throughout 2022, to assume that prices will stay at record costs when compared to earlier years.
• Supplies are limited. Because of fluctuation in the supply chain, it is important to understand that time for completing of construction will be longer.  While supply chain issues may be resolved sooner rather than later, it will take some time for this backlog to work itself out.  Count on a bit longer to receive materials so that you do not give false hope to clients.
• Utilize streamlined techniques. One of the best ways to balance rising costs and fewer materials are to find ways to streamline your building approach without sacrificing quality.  For example, using truss roofing, delivered on demand to your site, can help you stay on budget and on target with your building requirements.

At Stone Truss, we have been working to support builders in southern California for many years with high-quality truss products.  We can help you deliver on your building promises to clients in 2022 with quality truss roofing and flooring products.  Give us a call today to find out how we can help you build better, faster and with less cost in the coming year!