In recognition of the ever-growing importance to deliver news in the most engaging way, we are thrilled to announce the launch of our new and improved djcoregon.com. Our team has been hard at work over the past few months to create a more engaging, user-friendly and informative platform for our readers.​
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One of the most exciting aspects of the new website is its updated design. We’ve taken great care to create a modern and visually appealing layout that is sure to capture the attention of visitors. From the homepage to the individual article pages, every aspect of the site has been carefully crafted to provide a more engaging and enjoyable reading experience.​

But it’s not just the aesthetics of the site that have been improved. We’ve also made a number of technical and functional upgrades that are sure to make your experience on our site even better.​
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For starters, the new website is fully optimized for mobile devices. With more and more people accessing the internet from their smartphones and tablets, it’s important that our site is easy to use and navigate on these devices. We’ve made sure that the site is fully responsive, meaning that it will adjust its layout and features to fit the screen size of any device you’re using.

Whether you’re reading an article on your desktop computer or scrolling through our site on your phone during your morning commute, you’ll have a seamless and enjoyable experience.​
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We’ve also worked to enhance the user experience of the site in other ways. Navigation has been simplified and streamlined, making it easier to find the articles and topics you’re most interested in. Load times have been optimized so that you won’t be kept waiting for pages to load, even if you’re on a slower internet connection. And we’ve included clearer calls to action throughout the site, making it easier to share articles, sign up for our newsletter, and engage with our social media channels.​
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Of course, the content of the site is just as important as its design and functionality. We’ve made a number of improvements to the content of the site, too. We’ve updated and expanded our articles to provide even more informative and engaging content for our readers. We’ve included more multimedia elements, such as images and videos, to help bring our articles to life. And we’ve added new categories and tags to make it easier to find articles on the topics that matter most to you.

Thanks for reading.

Joe Yovino
Content Lead
91��Ƶ Oregon

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Construction costs in Portland grew 4.6 percent in the first fiscal quarter of 2023 — below the national increase of 5 percent — Mortenson reported in its first construction cost index of the year. According to the report, the rise in construction costs was beginning to slow compared to hikes over the last two years; however, finding labor was still a challenge for many contractors kicking off new projects.

Nonresidential construction costs across the nation increased in Quarter 1 by 0.6 percent, which is a 5 percent increase over the previous 12 months, Mortenson officials said. Most cost increases occurred in the second quarter of 2022. Some markets remained flat or showed slight decreases, following a trend from the previous quarter where regional markets reported little to no change in construction costs, officials added.

Mortenson officials said the construction cost index showed a continued slowdown for cost increases that happened over the last two years, but added they were “cautiously optimistic” as construction projects kick off and the demand for labor grows.

“Based on market data and our insights, we remain cautiously optimistic as demand for construction remains robust despite broader softness in the economy. We recommend customers remain adaptive relative to local markets, as growth in construction activity will continue to create stronger demand for labor and affect broader workforce availability for the balance of 2023,” according to the report.

Milwaukee and Seattle both had a 1.1 percent increase in Q1 and Chicago had a 1 percent increase, Mortenson officials said. Phoenix saw the largest cost increase at 1.5 percent, according to the report. Denver costs decreased 0.3 percent and Minneapolis costs shrunk 0.1 percent, with Portland reporting flat costs overall for the quarter. Costs increased 4.6 percent in Portland over the last 12 months, officials noted.

Labor issues in the construction industry remain a concern as worker shortages and tight labor markets have a foothold in regional markets, Mortenson officials said. Many project teams are paying incentives to secure workforces while construction starts increase and large project teamss compete for laborers, officials added.

In the Portland-metro region, construction employment was a total of 8,500 in March, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s a 2 percent increase, or 200 jobs, compared to March 2022.

Prices for commodity-based materials such as lumber, structural steel and PVC pipe are showing signs of leveling off, officials said. However, there were still challenges with product lead times, material shortages and transportation logistics, officials added.

Recent signals from the Federal Reserve showed the cycle of rate increases may be over, although higher interest rates still weigh on both the construction sector and the broader economy, the report said. Employers continued to add jobs across Q1 despite the interest rate environment and unemployment at 3.5 percent in March.

Both inflation and interest rate increases impacted construction costs such as lumber prices decreasing by nearly 18 percent, according to the report. With lower consumer demand and import volumes comes a decrease in the cost of domestic freight, relieving supply chain pressures as capacity becomes available in tandem with slowing demand, officials noted.

Mortenson tracks seven metros: Milwaukee, Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Seattle, Portland and Phoenix.

The post Report: Construction costs inch upward in Portland appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Construction firms – long known as slow adopters of technology – are catching up at 5G speeds. A slew of companies are providing new ways to propel the industry forward. Here’s our annual list of the best of the best for 2019:

JobFLEX

This estimating and invoicing app allows users to draw up quotes and invoices in minutes, saving time and money. It supports multiple users and produces professional-looking invoices while cutting down on paperwork.

Timesheet Mobile

This time-clock app has stayed ahead of the curve by constantly receiving improvements. It suits construction firms that employ a highly mobile workforce. The changes for 2018 include group messaging, a punch-out checklist, geo-fencing, job-costing reports, multiple pay rates and task-time reports.

VisualLive

The 2018 startup company has hit the market with a mixed-reality app that brings the power of BIM onto the jobsite. The app lets users see how a model fits with real-world conditions. VisualLive allows users to visualize and work with their designs live and in real time.

Concept3D

OK, so this isn’t an app per se, but it’s too useful to not make this list. With a desktop version that also can be used on a phone or tablet, the 3-D mapping software allows users to make interactive virtual experiences that feel as real as being there. In the real construction world, it gives workers in the field the ability to show off projects through virtual tours and even virtual reality.

DroneDeploy

It made the list for the first time last year and is back this year because of its popularity and usefulness. Imagine showing up for work on Monday and a drone is waiting for you, having already completed its automated site-safety check flight, gathered data on project progress and assessed the work you need to do to stay on track.

Autodesk

This offers a full line of powerful apps and software for architects, engineers and basically anyone in the construction industry. Autodesk offers integrated BIM tools for building design, civil infrastructure and construction. One of its most popular tool sets – AutoCAD – has been around for 20 years and helps its users build and design things faster and smarter.

PlanGrid

Remember the days when blueprints were often scattered across desks or blowing away in the field? Those days are long gone thanks to this app, which allows users to carry their blueprints in their pocket on a phone or tablet. PlanGrid, recently purchased by Autodesk, delivers productivity and allows general contractors, subcontractors and owners to collaborate from anywhere on project plans, specs and photos.

SmartBid

Consisting of bid-management systems, this preconstruction app simplifies bidding for prime, commercial and residential general contractors. With SmartBid, users can access a secure web-based and mobile platform to streamline their bid project data, documents and subcontractor communications.

Contractor Foreman

This app, which starts at $16 a month, offers features such as estimating, daily logs, punch lists, timecards, safety-meeting topics, payment and expense tracking and invoicing. Contractor Foreman was recently named a “Top New Product” for 2019 by Constructech. New for 2019 is the addition of QuickBooks online integration and a scheduling system.

Fieldwire

It’s used on 300,000 jobsites around the world and continues to grow with a simple interface for plan views, task management, punch-list compilation, instant messaging and performance tracking. The transparent pricing, starting at $29 a month per user, is also a welcome feature.

ProjectManager

On the list for the second year in a row, ProjectManager offers an easy-to-use interface for task management, project plans and timesheets – and all can be updated remotely. It also contains an easy-to-read dashboard that keeps project updates at one’s fingertips.

WorkerSafety Pro

This is available for iPhones and Apple Watches and includes some excellent features. It, for instance, will notify emergency contacts when a fall is detected and includes a safety dashboard with centralized monitoring and daily start-up reminders to ensure worker protection.

Safety Meeting App

This app is designed for all construction trades and puts hundreds of safety-meeting topics at one’s fingertips. It can document required OSHA safety meetings and store current and past meetings electronically. It also offers an incident-report checklist and, best of all, meets OSHA’s required meeting laws.

Workplace Safety Inspection

This allows users to conduct workplace-safety inspections and create inspections on a mobile device. It also allows users to inspect workplaces, add photos, access saved inspections and upload completed inspections to the cloud.

Contractor WorkZone

This app was designed by a general contractor for general contractors. From connecting with clients to ensuring employees know exactly what they’re working on, the app will streamline processes and keep users from spending hours on paperwork.

DeWalt Mobile Pro

DeWalt, the maker of power tools, has also built a powerful construction calculator. This app is an all-in-one calculator system with templates for area, length, volume, stud estimations, concrete tabs and more. It also offers add-ons for trades such as carpentry, finish work, electrical work and much more.

Procore

A range of software is available for project management, safety, productivity and financials. Procore’s products are designed to streamline processes. It has around 2 million users.

FieldLens

It touts itself as allowing users to ditch the notepad, but it’s more than that. The handy app allows users to communicate in real time on projects and collaborate through photos to find and deal with problems quicker. It also integrates directly with a project management or ERP system.

BIMx

This bridges the gap between the design studio and the construction site. The app offers a hyper-model feature that gives users direct access to drawings and 3-D building models. It allows users to take their designs everywhere while also keeping the team in constant communication.

Joe Yovino is associate publisher/group editor of The Daily Reporter in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Contact him at jyovino@dailyreporter.com.

The post OP-ED: Nineteen apps for contractors to consider in 2019 appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Typically known for being slow adopters, builders are quickly catching up when it comes to jobsite technology.

With a wide variety of apps out on the market, the future is now for the construction industry.

Here is a list of the best of the best for 2018:

This mainstay of the industry continues to improve. Major updates allow users to create project checklists that the whole team can access so that work is done on time and on budget. Project+ also offers team messaging, image uploading/sharing, and the automatic translation of messages into other languages for multilingual employees.

All of this is in addition to its existing time tracking and scheduling system, as well as “geofencing” technology.

This app was released in 2017 after its makers received input from more than 700 contractors. The company behind the app brags that it’s perfect for residential and smaller commercial-construction companies.

The all-in-one project-management software starts at $16 a month and allows users to perform many functions, including making invoices, punch lists and timecards, scheduling safety meetings, tracking expenses, and drawing up reports and forms and checklists.

PlanGrid has made the top apps list every year because of its ability to let stakeholders in various disciplines collaborate on all their project plans, specs and photos from anywhere. The app has been used on 500,000-plus projects since its inception and continues to be useful in the field.

This bid-management app makes the list for the third time in four years. It allows general contractors to access a web-based and mobile platform to streamline their bid-project data, documents and subcontractor communications during the pre-construction phase. It also streamlines processes related to prequalification, subcontractor management, invitations to bid and document collaboration.

Autodesk offers a full line of apps and software from BIM 360, which allows users to manage a construction project from start to finish, to AutoCAD, which completes impressive 2-D and 3-D designs.

Another product, BIM 360 Project IQ, identifies risks on a site before they turn into costly problems.

Drone use in the industry literally took off in 2017, and DroneDeploy is an easy-to-use app for both beginners and professionals. The app allows users to make flight plans on any device, live-stream a first-person view and map over a large area.

More than 200,000 projects have trusted Fieldwire for plan views, task management, punch-list compilation and issue tracking, instant messaging and construction scheduling.

Users can create tasks tied to blueprints, jobsites or projects, and categorize tasks by job type and share drawings and more with colleagues.

This free app helps construction teams manage day-to-day action items and track project updates. Users can centralize project documents, action items and communication in one place.

The app, which originally made the list in 2015, is back in 2018 with a new, rich checklist feature that other apps can’t match. It can be accessed from anywhere and covers 34 trade types with more than 950 topics for safety meetings.

This app contains features such as task management and time sheets, both of which can be updated remotely. It also contains interactive Gantt charts and a real-time dashboard to make project management easy.

Brookfield-based Penta Technologies’ app allows field inspectors to record and transmit job labor, equipment and production data instantly. The work recorded on the crew foreman’s mobile device is automatically deposited in payroll, accounting and billing queues for immediate review, approval and distribution by designated personnel.

This construction-management app allows users to dictate notes for NoteVault’s transcribers, which will convert speech to text and provide daily PDF reports. Users can add photos to a log book, have construction reports sent to their teams and time-stamp each document. Its most useful tool, though, is its compliance calendar, which can help mitigate risks, increase safety and protect the business and its workers.

There are plenty of calculator apps being used in the field, but Construction Master Pro has a few more features than some of its competition. You can review, save and email inputs and send files as PDFs, and it’s just as easy to use as the old, bulky calculator you used to carry in your pocket.

The free productivity tool is designed to simplify and accelerate estimating and bidding for concrete projects. With more than 300 logic formulas, it makes estimating and bidding easy.

This Canadian startup company has made a useful timekeeping app that gives users instant access to which employees are on the clock and where you can find them. It also makes payroll a breeze by connecting directly to existing accounting systems.

The safety app also lets employees report hazards as soon as they are identified, so incident reports can be sent in real time.

This was designed for workers and supervisors in the field and covers 22 construction trades. The app is used daily by more than 100,000 people in more than 80 countries and covers everything from BIM to object recognition.

Let’s hope you’ll never need this app, but it’s helpful in case of an accident. The app adds fall detection to both iPhones and Android devices. Once a fall is detected, FallSafety alerts emergency contacts by text, voice and email, providing GPS location information.

This cloud-based Mobile Device Management app won’t help firms build a building or a road, but it will help them by managing all their Apple devices. With Eau Claire-based Jamf Now, people can configure settings on all of their Apple devices quickly and consistently on various devices. It also allows users to add apps wirelessly to other devices and reassign licenses as necessary due to staffing changes.

Joe Yovino is associate publisher and editor of The Daily Reporter in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Contact him at jyovino@dailyreporter.com.

The post OP-ED: Eighteen apps for contractors to consider in 2018 appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.