2019 is well on it way, and those of us in the construction industry are excited about the new innovations and trends which are evolving this year.
Building custom homes gives Lindahl Construction the opportunity to stay ahead of our competition by staying on top of what’s new – and it is in that spirit that we present some of the best 2019 construction trends which are shaping the Sarasota real estate and construction market.
Construction Trends for 2019 and Beyond
- Green Construction: Green design and technology in construction has been hot for several years, and is expected to continue to increase well beyond this year. The essence of green construction is the thoughtful creation of resource-efficient and environmentally responsible projects, encompassing every aspect of construction – including planning and design, demolition, and cleanup.
- Sustainability: Sustainable building procedures include preservation of the natural environment whenever possible, an efficient use of resources, and promoting social progress and culture. Sustainable construction trends often make use of recycled or repurposed building materials, and may include ways to use natural light instead of electricity, or to recycle water throughout the home.
- Drone Technology: Without question, one of the hottest trends of recent years has been the expanding use of drone technology; and as drones come down in price, this is one of the most exciting construction trends. Drones equipped with cameras can be utilized to perform specialized operations, such as completing safety inspections and capturing project progress. Surveyors can also use them to create 3d mapping or images of the area. The FFA is currently refining regulations on drone usage across industries as drone usage is expected to increase dramatically in many areas.
- Improved Construction Management Software: Bundled construction management software can be used for bidding and estimating jobs, overall project management, implementing change orders, more precise scheduling, human resources, billing, accounting and more. 2019 construction trends include companies of all sizes utilizing affordable integrated software solutions to make the building process more efficient.
- Increase in IT Staff: As a result of improved software, drones, interactive websites and other computer aided drawing applications, construction firms will likely be looking to add IT staff to their personnel rolls. Whether dedicated employees, or support via managed services firms, construction trends are increasingly online and in the cloud, making the need for IT expertise necessary.
- Disaster Proof Construction: From new roofing strategies to breakaway first floors, construction companies are looking into ways to address the risks associated with some of the catastrophic hurricanes, floods and tornados which have plagued the southeast, including many areas of South Florida. Construction trends are always addressing ways to make our homes more safe and secure, and with changes to the Florida building code and FEMA maps, we can expect this trend to continue.
- Building “Lean”: As construction companies see costs rising and margins shrinking, the need to operate more “lean and mean” is becoming a real trend. But their efforts are also resulting in more efficient processes and increased customer satisfaction, meaning that this trend is good for everyone in the home building process. The trend concentrates on reducing waste in as many places as possible, from identifying and minimizing excess materials delivered to a project site, to using prefabricated materials or eliminating overlapping tasks in a workflow. Pre-planning a project with the entire team often identifies redundancies and unnecessary steps which would have other wise gone unnoticed.A McGraw Hill Construction survey saw respondents reporting 84% higher quality projects since switching to lean methods, with 77% increased productivity, an 84% increase in customer service, and a 77% increase in workplace safety.
While many of the 2019 construction trends may not be visible to the end user, home or business owner, all will benefit parties across the board with increased efficiency, productivity and safety.
If you are looking for a Sarasota or Longboat Key area construction company for your new home or business, give Lindahl Construction a call. Our professional team of experts is always ready with the newest ideas to make your construction project a success.