Uncategorized – BLM Construction & Remodeling, LLC

Elementor #10669

Commercial Project
Q&A with Our CEO Barry L. Mease

March 15, 2024

Looking to start a business and need to renovate an existing space?

Today, we sat down with the owner and CEO of BLM Construction and Remodeling, LLC, Barry Mease, to ask him a few questions to help get you started!

Q: What do I need to think about when negotiating a lease?
A: A commercial realtor can assist you in finding the right location and negotiating a fair price. During negotiations, you will want to consider how the landlord’s tenant allowance and the length of the lease will impact your expenses. BLM Construction can help you determine construction costs when negotiating your lease by visiting the site and providing you with an order of magnitude. After your lease is signed, we will complete a detailed scope of work and get your project under contract for construction.

Q: How long until construction can begin once we sign a construction contract?
A: After your construction contract is signed, it takes approximately eight weeks to produce drawings and an additional six weeks to obtain a permit. During this time, our designer will work with you to solidify your selections. Construction usually begins within a month of permit and selection approvals.

Q: Do I need a permit for my project?
A: Most commercial projects do require a permit from the municipality.

Q: Do I need stamped drawings for my project?
A: Nearly every commercial project requires stamped drawings unless the work only consists of simple repairs.

Q: Do you use subcontractors?
A: We use dedicated subcontractors who have been working with us for many years, have solid reputations, and produce quality work.

Q: Do you require a deposit to start?
A: Depending on the size of the project, and how it is being financed, as little as a 10% deposit may be required.

We hope these answers have been a help to you. Please let us know if you need construction pricing for your business; we look forward to hearing from you!

Transform Your Outdoor Living Space

Transform Your Outdoor
Living Space

April 11, 2024

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As winter draws to a close, we begin to think about the upcoming beautiful weather and look forward to spending more time outdoors. We can help make your outdoor space more inviting, relaxing, and better suited to entertain family and friends!

One of the primary advantages of new construction in outdoor spaces is the expansion of your living area. Patios and decks seamlessly blend the indoor and outdoor environments, providing a versatile space for relaxation, entertainment, and family gatherings. Imagine sipping your morning coffee on a beautifully constructed deck or hosting a barbecue on your new beautifully stamped patio – the possibilities are endless.

Incorporating new construction into your outdoor space is a transformative investment that enhances your lifestyle, adds value to your property, and provides a haven for relaxation and socializing.

Whether you’re envisioning a cozy patio retreat or a spacious deck for entertaining, the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

Embrace the opportunity to elevate your outdoor living and create a space that reflects your personality and enhances your connection with the natural world.

2024 Commercial Q&A

Looking to start a business and need to renovate an existing space?

Today, we sat down with the owner and CEO of BLM Construction and Remodeling, LLC, Barry Mease, to ask him a few questions to help get you started!

Commercial Project
Q&A with Our CEO Barry L. Mease

March 15, 2024

Looking to start a business and need to renovate an existing space?

Today, we sat down with the owner and CEO of BLM Construction and Remodeling, LLC, Barry Mease, to ask him a few questions to help get you started!

Q: Do I need a permit for my project?
A: Most commercial projects do require a permit from the municipality.

Q: Do I need stamped drawings for my project?
A: Nearly every commercial project requires stamped drawings unless the work only consists of simple repairs.

Q: Do you use subcontractors?
A: We use dedicated subcontractors who have been working with us for many years, have solid reputations, and produce quality work.

Q: Do you require a deposit to start?
A: Depending on the size of the project, and how it is being financed, as little as a 10% deposit may be required.

We hope these answers have been a help to you. Please let us know if you need construction pricing for your business; we look forward to hearing from you!

How Are You Funding Your Investment?

Planning a residential project is exciting! At the outset your mind is focused on the style of the finishes and the colors of the paint; maybe even the brand of hardware! It is only later, usually after the novelty wears off and you are nose deep in your architectural drawings, when you realize the breadth and magnitude of the project!

How Are You Funding Your Investment?

February 16, 2023

Something you may overlook completely is how you are financing this project! Sure, you can say that the local bank or credit union will be an option, but just like the building aspects of the project, there is much more focus and time needed to get to your goal. With a local bank, you may have to go through a rigorous application process and wait months until you are approved!

A common way to fund the investment of a medium to large size residential upgrade is through a Home Equity Line of Credit(HELOC). After the lengthy approval process, once your funds are approved, you must begin to pay on that for the next billing cycle! This can be a hard pill to swallow for some because the construction planning process is very slow. It can be month before drawings are completed and permits are issued, meanwhile, you are paying extra each month for the HELOC funds!

Before you start envisioning your perfect home upgrade, you should consider how you will be funding that investment! Most contractors offer financing for their projects! There are several national companies who offer this service, such as Hearth, Greensky or Caliver Beach Mortgage! These companies work with the contractor to provide a quick and easy application and approval process for the end customer.

The advantages to these products are great for funding home upgrades! The application process takes less than 5 minutes and once completed, you can find out if you are approved within 60 seconds! The rates are super competitive, especially nowadays with the interest rates on the rise and those dastardly bank fees that are also applied! Most contractors offer at least two plans!

The promotional plan would include an interest deferral period of usually a year! For those with great credit and the ability to pay down the loan within that year, this option is an excellent way to fund your investment! For the “monthly price” minded shopper, there is typically an unsecured loan based on your credit score and reported income level and can offer a low monthly payment amount with no prepayment penalty!

Here at BLM Construction, we love to educate our clients and customers on our financing program available through Greensky! If you are thinking about a home upgrade, addition, renovation or repurposing, give us a call at BLM Construction and let us help you make a plan to fund your investment and assist you in designing and executing your dream project!

717-650-1472 blmconstruction.net

Overcoming Economic Trends: 2023

As 2023 settles itself into late January, we should be vigilant about some of the changing trends and dynamics in the construction industry. News and media reports are opining about the possibility of a recession and economic strife, which should definitely be grabbing your attention!

Overcoming Economic Trends: 2023

January 20, 2023

Since 2020, the construction industry has been one of the hardest hit as far as supply chain issues, price increases and material being entirely unavailable. This already presented a challenge to most contractors, but the meteoric rise in price really put a lot of builders in a tough spot with jobs they sold before the price increases went into effect! It created quite the bottleneck for production! Couple that with the rate hikes in late 2022 and just when it felt like contractors could breathe for the first time in two years and material prices/availability were becoming palatable again, BOOM; the cost of money itself goes up!

This presented a different type of bottleneck! Customers who were using personal bank loans, home equity loans, construction loans, or even investor loans began running into issues that were out of their control. Picture this: A family is pre-approved for a certain loan amount at a certain interest rate and has already begun the process of getting architectural drawings, permits and planning with a contractor for their living room addition! They are very excited and probably nervous for the transformation to begin! Then the bank/investor calls and lets them know the interest rate on their loan went up 3%! What does this mean for the customer and the contractor?

All the meticulous planning, time and money spent on the architectural drawings and now the customer is priced out of doing the living room addition they wanted. The homeowner is able to put the project on hold, but the contractor who put all the time in the estimate, building the relationship and prepping sub contractors goes home empty handed. One or two of these situations won’t be a major problem, but if this occurs with a large amount of your residential customers, it could spell disaster. This is why it is important for contractors to diversify!

In order to ride the waves on the ocean of interest rate uncertainty contractors must begin to diversify their leads and jobs, incorporate technology to increase efficiency, offer financing if you haven’t already, and nurture the leads, relationships and employees you have currently.

Contractors, like us here at BLM Construction, love to do residential projects; however, we strive to keep a good portion of our workload commercial and try to capture smaller repairs as well! We also invest back into our employees and contractors since finding and retaining skilled labor is very important. These are major factors in how BLM Construction has been able to ride out any financial uncertainty in the market since 2001! Commercial tenants and commercial property owners/managers view construction through a different lens. They view these times as an opportunity to increase their market share and strike while most are paralyzed with fear or uncertainty!

In the spirit of diversification, BLM Construction’s Quarter 1 Promotion to kick off 2023 is geared towards generating commercial leads. If you or anyone you know requests a qualifying commercial estimate, you will be sent a $25 gift card just for requesting an estimate! 717-650-1472 Call today!!

WINTER IS COMING

As old man winter tightens his frosty grip across the land and the fall weather evaporates to a ruddy memory, that is our cue to winterize our homes and equipment in order to stay warm and dry! Below are a few helpful tips on the most important things to consider as the temperatures drop.

WINTER IS COMING

December 1st, 2022

As old man winter tightens his frosty grip across the land and the fall weather evaporates to a ruddy memory, that is our cue to winterize our homes and equipment in order to stay warm and dry! Below are a few helpful tips on the most important things to consider as the temperatures drop.

PLUMBING

Although some might think heating should be at the top of the list, we feel that you need to have your pipes squared away first because if the heat goes out before you protect your plumbing, you’ll be in for a wet holiday season! What happens if your pipes are not able to stay above freezing temperatures is the water expands inside the pipe and the pipe will break. When the ice in the pipe melts, you’re left with a waterfall and definitely won’t be warm and dry! To minimize this you must ensure your basement areas where plumbing is mostly hidden are also warmed. It doesn’t need to be the same temperature as the living quarters, but it is recommended to keep the temperature above 50 degrees in those areas to avoid any possibility of an issue. It is also important to disconnect your hoses from the faucets outside. This will prevent water freezing in there and causing issues in the spring with your hose bibb.

HEATING

It would be prudent to get your heating system checked, serviced or cleaned during the fall months in order to stay warm and dry. This will give you peace of mind knowing your system has been checked and failures during the winter months have been minimized. If you are in a situation where you need emergency HVAC techs to come assess and repair your heating system, it could be longer than you hoped until they can get on site. Even then, if something needs to be replaced you will incur high expenses and the time waiting for the new unit may prove to be too overwhelming. If you have to leave your house to wait, shut the water main valve off and drain all the water lines in the house to prevent the pipes freezing and leaking, while you are warm and dry elsewhere.

CRITTERS

As the weather gets cold, our four legged and winged outdoor friends will be looking to stay warm and dry too. It is important before it gets cold to give a check around your house for any holes or gaps that any critters or insects could crawl into. This will ensure that you won’t have to deal with a groundhog on Christmas morning and it will also seal up some vulnerable areas; if a rodent can get in, so can the cold air. So this would also serve to seal up the house and keep the heat on the inside! We further recommend to cover any hose bibbs to prevent something crawling in there and creating a headache come spring when you want to water those flowers and plants!

FLOWERS AND PLANTS

Speaking of our home vegetation; it is highly important to think about these living creatures as the cold approaches. It is suggested to have a plan in place to bring plants and flowers inside for the winter. A designated area in the home where they can benefit from some sunlight through a window, your watering schedule and bask in the glory of all the holiday scents and sounds!

2 Chucks and a Truck: Five Reasons You Should Use a General Contractor

Why hire a general contractor for your project when you “know a guy” who can do the work for you cheaper? Below are some of the reasons to always use a knowledgeable, reputable, licensed, and insured general contractor (GC).

2 Chucks and a Truck: Five Reasons You Should Use a General Contractor

November 8, 2022

Price

This is usually the very first thing folks think about when deciding whether to dive into a home renovation project. It is a very important piece of the puzzle, and it is imperative that you educate yourself about the labor rates and material prices in your area; however, it is not the biggest consideration. Using price as the main deciding factor for a project could come back to bite you and cost more in the end, whether it is money or frustration/energy.

Quality

High on any list will be workmanship! This is arguably the most important thing to consider. A quality job won’t be cheap, but it will be something you can use for a long time and take pride in the fact you chose a great GC. Taking the time to make sure the job is done properly and to code reflects on the GC’s core values and how they carry themselves. Customers should definitely do their research before selecting a contractor and verify their previous work, check BBB ratings, company reviews, and word of mouth.

Warranty Issues

Imagine getting a decent job done for extra cheap but it fails within a year or two. Then, when you try to contact the “guy who did it”, you can’t get a hold of them. This is quite common in the industry as most construction companies don’t last two years, and of the ones that last two years, even less make it to five years. It is important to consider this when deciding to hire someone for a project. You want someone who will stand behind their work and take care of you even after the warranty period expires.

Professionalism

Comportment on the job site is one of the most underrated and under discussed qualities in the construction industry. Things like showing up on time, cleanliness, solution based communication, straight forward invoicing, and overall reliability are not easy to find. It doesn’t take long for someone to tell the difference between a professional and a charlatan in this industry. The time must be taken to verify these aspects before choosing to hire someone for a home project. Problems will always come up; how committed is your GC to remaining professional, calm and coming up with the best solution while communicating well?

Liability

Typically, this is the last thing on people’s minds! But it should be the very first thing you consider, especially when you are tackling a moderate to large sized project ($2,500 and up). Anyone you allow to work on your home in a construction capacity should have at least $1 million in general liability insurance. If a tradesman without general liability insurance falls off your roof, it could become a homeowners insurance claim-nightmare scenario. Hiring a GC who is insured well, preferably with $2 million in coverage, is worth its weight in black market uranium. This really protects the homeowner from any liability, legal, or financial burdens that may result from an accident on your home project.

October Employee Spotlight: Eric Posch

This month, we are spotlighting our job manager, Travis Dickman! We asked Travis a few questions about what he enjoys doing both at home and at the office.

October Employee Spotlight: Eric Posch

October, 5 2022

This month, we are spotlighting our Pre-Construction Manager Eric Posch! We asked Eric a few questions about what he enjoys doing both at home and in the office. Here’s what he had to say:

What do you like most about your job?
I enjoy the numerous opportunities to grow and learn new skills.

What is one quality that sets BLM Construction apart from competitors?
The team environment. Help with tasks is always one request away!

What have you gained from working at BLM?
I have gained a greater knowledge of the construction industry, and an environment that promotes growth both professionally and personally.

What are your hobbies?
Exploring new things to learn, and pursuing my interests.

What is at the top of your bucket list?
Being more adventurous.

Where is your favorite place to go in York, PA?
Moonlight café and Mack’s.

Inflationary Times

September 30, 2022

There has never been more uncertainty over cost of goods in the construction industry until the last few years! Anyone conducting business in any industry has felt the sting of inflation. For those in the trenches, this feels like the new norm and educating customers on the costs of goods and services has become paramount!

When people think of inflation as it pertains to construction, they’re minds immediately go to the cost of building materials such as lumber, metal studs, shingles, appliances, hardware and doors! Those are definitely not to be forgotten, but that is not the only item’s inflation effects. As those of us in construction have seen, the cost of everything has been affected by inflation all the way down to your liability insurance policy, utility bills and rent/mortgage!

It is important to keep in mind the other increases in cost that may affect the cost of goods to the customer; such as, gas for company vehicles, office supplies/equipment, ongoing training and the cost of software to organize your company! All of these factors add up to a higher cost of doing business, which means the cost to the customer is also higher!

One of the biggest problems with inflation for contractors has been supply and demand; certain materials are not available or have very long lead times. This can lead to unhappy customers due projects taking longer than expected. Furthermore, when thinking about your estimate, it could take longer for the company to get that to you as they await pricing back for longer lead time items.

If you are looking to get a home improvement project started, please keep these things in mind when dealing with your contractor! He or she is not trying to “gouge” or “fleece” anyone, they are simply shifting with the tides of inflation to keep their fully licensed and insured business afloat. They are likely feeling the crunch as well while trying to make their customer happy and apply their skill to ensure an excellent product.

In summary, the old adage rings true; “If you want it to be done right, it can’t be done cheap?” When dealing with your contractor please extend grace and patience as they wade through the uncertainty of inflation while trying to provide good customer service. We here at BLM strive to be the builder of choice for value minded clients and high performing employees while trying to keep our prices reasonable, our communication excellent and our quality and execution top notch!

Decorating For Fall 2022

Decorating For Fall

September 7th, 2022

Fall is the time of year that shows us, that it’s okay to let go. Let go of the summer sun, swimming and tanning. It’s time to welcome in comfy knit sweaters, pumpkins, and fall football.

Where Do I Start?

If you’re like me you cannot wait to break out the pumpkins. However, it can be overwhelming thinking of décor for every room in your home. So start small. Add a chunky knit throw to the couch, or accent chair. Update your throw pillows, and add a cozy rug to keep your toes warm for the months to come.

Living Room Ideas

Break out the natural wood furniture. You don’t need to update your whole living room to do this. Add a side table and a dough bowl candle. Look at that you’re all set with natural wood elements now! Rustic is always in for fall, take a trip to the thrift store to pick out the antique amber glass, and soy candles. As the day gets shorter, adding accent lighting is a big part of making your space cozy. If you open your window a crack, with a fall candle burning the combination can’t be beaten!

Kitchen Inspiration

Break out the copper pots, and pans. Don’t forget the skillet! Copper brings warmth to a kitchen, and will come in handy to make a simmering pot. Fall is also a good time to unpack the fine china. Setting the table, with a beautiful centerpiece can add a lot to a space that isn’t too open to change. A homemade centerpiece can be created to match the style of your home completely. I like to add dried flowers, fruit, and terracotta pumpkins to my centerpieces for fall.

Bedroom Comfort

Now the bedroom is a room you want to make overly comfy, but not excessively crowded. Switch out your current quilt for not one, but two duvets. This will make your bedding look fluffier, and keep you warm this fall. Incorporate a blend of linen, cotton, and knit into your bedding for an effortless, but beautifully put-together look.

Warming up your Bathroom

I love fall, the cold breeze, the orange leaves, everything. However, a cold bathroom is not my favorite. Fall is the perfect time to take relaxing baths. Adding a towel warmer might seem unnecessary, but you would be amazed how much it helps in the fall, and winter months. Once you try one out I promise you’ll never use a cold towel again.

Back to décor! Bring in amber jars for storage, this tinted glass brings a lot of warmth, and character with it. They are the perfect storage solution for bath salts, bath bombs, Q-tips, and more! You can even pop a few dried flowers in an amber jar for a floral touch.

Your Home

However, you choose to decorate this fall, remember it’s your home. I hope this season is full of cozy blankets, and the warmth of a fireplace for you.

Commercial Project Q&A with Our CEO Barry L. Mease

Transform Your Outdoor Living Space

Commercial Project Q&A with Our CEO Barry L. Mease

How Are You Funding Your Investment?

Overcoming Economic Trends: 2023

WINTER IS COMING

As old man winter tightens his frosty grip across the land and the fall weather evaporates to a ruddy memory, that is our cue to winterize our homes and equipment in order to stay warm and dry! Below are a few helpful tips on the most important things to consider as the temperatures drop.

2 Chucks and a Truck: Five Reasons You Should Use a General Contractor

October Employee Spotlight: Eric Posch

Inflationary Times

Commercial Project
Q&A with Our CEO Barry L. Mease

Transform Your Outdoor
Living Space

Commercial Project
Q&A with Our CEO Barry L. Mease