20 Low-Cost Startup Ideas for a Construction Business
when it comes to creating your own construction business and the services or products that you plan to offer the most important question to ask is what problem will my business solve because at the end of the day clients aren't hiring a contractor or purchasing a product for kicks and giggles they got a problem that needs solving and it's usually a problem that's causing them a lot of stress and it needs to be fixed as soon as possible well that's where you come in if you can identify your prospective client's problem and correct it 110 percent then you're in business and you just do this over and over for a long period of time for as many clients as possible and you will make money no doubt about it now some of you already know exactly what type of construction business you want to create but for those of you who are still looking for ideas or you're just curious we put together a list of our favorite 20 low-cost ideas for a construction business so when you consider the ideas on this list or any other concepts you may have be sure and pinpoint how the idea specifically solves a problem for a client [Music] number one construction equipment sales and leasing when it comes to breaking into the equipment sales and leasing business most important factor to consider is the size and cost of the equipment you plan to be working with buying and storing your own equipment can be costly to avoid this obstacle you might want to consider starting with smaller equipment used equipment or partnering with a manufacturer we know plenty of guys who like to find used and sometimes beat up equipment both locally and regionally they'll drive to the location pick it up with a trailer haul it back to their yard and then they'll refurbish and sometimes repair the equipment then they'll use the following resources to sell it for profit steelgiantmarket.com craigslist facebook marketplace and even reach out directly to contractors on linkedin now another option is to become a heavy equipment broker in this case you can work from anywhere and you're just essentially a deal maker who connects buyers sellers and lenders in exchange for a commission now to learn more about equipment dealing you might want to check out associated equipment distributors or aed they offer training certification network opportunities and more number two is construction estimation services becoming a skilled construction cost estimator is a talent that can take you far in the construction industry and without substantial startup cash cost estimators collect and analyze data in order to assess time financing materials and labor required to ensure the successful completion of a project a solid estimator has to be experienced knowledgeable accurate methodical in order to have a comprehensive understanding of design and expenses for each project it's also recommended that cost estimators are good with technology and experienced with construction software particularly cost estimation software of course number three is landscaping and you can break into the lawn care business with a good quality more and some basic gardening tools but of course sky's the limit and the landscape business has the potential to scale big landscape contractors may want to consider services like mowing weeding tree trimming gardening and irrigation just to name a few it might be a good idea to hook up with some local real estate agents to pretty up the lawns before the homes are on the market and depending on where you live some of you can even winterize irrigation systems wrap plants and trees and make money in the off season when it comes to basic landscaping design and installation you should know what plants grow best in the area and how much sun and water is required as a minimum number four is junk removal junk removal can include anything from hauling away trees that are cleared from a building site to preparing a hoarder's home that's going up for sale for most junk now you just need a good strong back truck and a dumpster however keep in mind that plenty of junk out there has the potential to be toxic and harmful to you and the environment so depending on federal and state laws junk removal sometimes requires special certification licensing and special methods and most junk removal jobs require a trailer so needless to say a solid work truck is highly recommended and if finances are super tight well you can always rent the truck and trailer until you can afford your own number five is handyman work now these days most homeowners would kill to have a good solid handyman on speed dial will hopefully not kill but you know it could also be a handy woman maybe you're willing and able to install ceiling fans put together ikea furniture hang a mirror fix a broken door whatever the case may be if you're looking to make cash and make it fast handyman work is an excellent gig especially for those of you trying to save and start up funds for a larger contracting business number six drywall contracting like handymen a good solid drywall guy is hard to come by drywall especially repairing an existing wall is considered an art form by most and getting good at knockout and paint matching can get you a solid client base pretty quick but remember some states require you to have a license to do this type of work so do a little research that's a good idea always before you get started number seven is fencing there's a lot of contractors out there making way over a hundred grand a year just building fences and having a fenced business your target might include homeowners business owners government agencies real estate developers and don't forget the farmers like drywall contracting and other businesses on the list states may require licensing to build fences you also need to know the permitting process and in some neighborhoods how to submit a plan to the hoa or homeowners association now you can require the homeowner to do that but you'll likely get more business if you offer that as a service to find out a little more check out the american fence association they offer educational courses and networking opportunity number eight is blended and engineered soil now what do you do with a bunch of dirt you just excavated well you could haul it away and dump it somewhere or pay someone else to take it away but the better solution is to turn that dirt into profit blended soils are a mix of organic materials like compost and are utilized by residential gardeners and commercial landscapers that pile of dirt can also be converted into engineered soil to be used on a construction job to learn more about this process visit murphyproducts.com murphy products line of terra extreme machines can mix aerate and blend soil and organic material into a consistent finished product the machines can also be run by one worker which provides a moderate investment that can have a big return number nine is concrete work now the market size measured by revenue of the ready-mix concrete manufacturing industry is 34.7 billion dollars as of 2022. in
other words concrete's a big deal and there's all sorts of ways to profit from it from small low startup cost projects to larger big budget projects and as a concrete contractor you could offer services like concrete foundations concrete driveways and sidewalks slab floors all sorts of other concrete work you would almost always be responsible for handling every step of the process from mixing ingredients to building the retaining structure to pouring and settling the mix when it comes to concrete work with the lowest startup cost we recommend you start by targeting homeowners for the smaller jobs pouring driveways or decorative assignments like filling flower beds on a final note about starting any concrete related business it is crucial you have a solid work truck and you also maintain it on a regular basis because believe me it's going to get beat up and messy number 10 is spray foam insulation a spray foam insulation business can be pretty darn lucrative especially when you tell potential clients how much money and energy they'll save by using foam insulation in addition to reducing those energy costs spray foam insulation can be used to control temperature moisture and sound it's typically used in concrete slabs roof tiles and walls and it can be offered to residential and industrial prospective clients research and training are very important before you start a spray foam insulation business but it's also crucial that you put careful consideration into the equipment and the tools you choose for that job a good starting machine the graco e20 it's a versatile mid output option and when it comes to rig selection the location and environment in which you work should carefully be considered for example will you be working in open rural areas or crammed urban cities for some of you this might be the most important question to ask before you consider spray foam insulation are you comfortable working in small cramped spaces and for long periods of time number 11 is welding and metal fabrication according to indeed.com the average welder makes 17.90 per hour in the u.s which isn't too
shabby but also keep in mind that as your skills improve as a welder more lucrative specialty welding jobs may become available to you like rig welding underwater welding industrial pipeline welding and more one of the cool things about welding is that you definitely won't be working in a cubicle instead you'll live a pretty independent life and get to experience the different sectors of the construction industry from performing welding on boats to broken excavators on land to steel on some of the tallest buildings since welding can be such a labor-intensive career a welder needs to be physically fit and have solid vision welders take pride in their work and most spend their entire lives mastering the craft there's no sponsor for this video we just asked that you help us out by crushing that like button and giving us some comments below and don't forget subscribe to the channel and hit that notification bell we greatly appreciate your support number 12 is home remodeling and renovation hey the great thing about owning a home improvement business is there's rarely a shortage of opportunity with this type of business locations everything not just because of the market and opportunities around you but your location will also determine the state building regulations and local codes as well as the different licenses and insurance you'll be required to take so we also recommend that you'll be as clear as possible when it comes to choosing your niche who is your target market and what services will you offer those clients when it comes to home remodeling and renovation projects although some tasks can be handled by your everyday handyman a general contractor with a license is typically required the responsibilities of this contractor should ensure that the job is done safely it's done to code and done within the budget and deadline it varies state by state but a handyman is typically allowed to perform minor carpentry general painting tiling work window repair and other small jobs however a licensed contractor well that's required for the larger work new construction plumbing electrical air conditioning roofing pool installation and even solar panel installation number 13 construction photography and videography now whether you've had little or extensive training and experience modern technology has made it possible for just about anyone to take advantage of construction photography and videography although a videography business generally is not that cheap to start with an average startup cost of around fifteen thousand dollars construction videography can be lucrative and quickly lucrative if you hit the ground running the most basic video production equipment typically includes a camera tripod external microphone lighting a gimbal batteries and memory cards although a solid camera can handle both photos and video these days a high quality drone is typically expected by the client and it's worth the investment but you can always hire a local drone operator wherever the job takes you when it comes to editing most clients will ask you to take care of this and of course you can learn to do this yourself but we recommend you outsource this work because it's very time consuming and find a really good affordable freelancer like fromupwork.com number 14 is sprinkler system installation and repair when it comes to running a sprinkler installation and repair business the most important thing to remember is the client almost always needs the work done immediately for this reason it's imperative you're prepared and execute flawless communication with prospective clients if you fail to do so well there's no shortage of competition to come in and swoop up and commandeer the job the great thing about starting a business like this is the startup costs are pretty cheap generally under two thousand dollars and most single-family homes in the country either have current systems that need to be repaired or they're in need of installation for a new system it's also not a bad idea to purchase an existing sprinkler business from someone who's retiring or moving out of state then you can start with some pre-existing clients to work with number 15 is drain cleaning most homeowners they don't like cleaning sewers and drains well that's where you come in when chemical drain cleaners just don't cut it homeowners would be more happy to hire you to fix a backed up sink toilet or other plumbing issues and although you don't have to be a trained and experienced plumber sewer and drain cleaners are typically licensed and insured now generally the equipment required for a drain cleaning business includes a drain cleaning machine augers cables and a high-powered jet on a final note about drain cleaning don't be afraid to reach out to a licensed plumber for any work you can't handle 16 is painting there are many benefits to managing your own painting business including low startup cost the ongoing overhead expenses are even low education and certification is minimal you can work as few or as many jobs as you like and with so much new construction job security it's pretty solid if you want to keep your business small and manageable that's fine but for those of you who are thinking bigger well the sky's the limit when it comes to scaling a paint business we've mentioned before how when you're a construction business owner you're never really the boss you're always reporting to someone but when it comes to painting this is about as close as you can truly get to being your own boss without answering to anyone other than the client of course 17 a construction cleaning service and when you were younger and dreamed of a career in construction cleaning might not have been what you had in mind but construction cleaning is a respectable trade and it can put good money in your pocket we find people don't realize that construction site cleanup is not typically a contractor's responsibility once the contractor leaves with their tools and equipment a construction cleanup crew is responsible for getting a site ready for occupancy particularly when it comes to removing debris and excess material construction cleanup crews are typically hired by the main contractor on the project so it's important that anyone looking to start a construction cleaning business is both social and skilled with marketing whatever it takes you need to get your name out there and establish a solid reputation and forgive us for stating the obvious but we don't recommend going into construction cleanup unless you're in good shape and ready for intense work and for those of you with phobias you should know it's likely you're going to be working in a lot of small tight spaces and also working with some extreme heights number 18 is logging depending on the area you live in logging is an excellent low-cost startup business that can be managed by a small team or even a single person there's millions of feet of reliable timber out there that's being regularly passed on by your competition and in this case saw meals and bigger logging companies to start you'll need a wood lot and if you don't have the funds to purchase your own land you can always rent a portion of someone's land you can even check craigslist or other resources for fallen tree advertisements when it comes to logging it is essential that you have the right equipment while you'll at the least need axes malls wedges chainsaws you'll also need heavy-duty logging equipment like harvesters feller bunchers skidders and forwarders number 19 is hauling now if you're not afraid of a little hard work and you're looking for a gig with flexible hours start a hauling business it may be just right for you and for those of you who already have a reliable pickup truck well you're just about ready some of you may even prefer to use a heavy duty van maybe an 18-wheeler that you can purchase or rent but with that being said we recommend a solid pickup truck if you're new in the business and when you gain a thorough understanding as to what your average load entails well then you can look into a variety of trailer options including lowboys and gooseneck trailers now in addition to a truck you're going to need a robust hand truck or a dolly you also might need some ratchet straps bungee cords moving blankets tarps and those bright red flags to attach to items that protrude out of the truck bed or trailer so what can you haul well heck you could haul anything you want to really but most hauling businesses profit from hauling new and used materials as well as equipment if you decide to start a hauling business it's crucial that you familiarize yourself with federal state and local laws there's hefty fines for anyone who violates these laws not to mention the fact that you might be putting lives at risk number 20 roof maintenance and repair with all the hurricanes tornadoes fires and other unfortunate disasters that occur every year there's a lot of roofs that need fixing a roof contractor performs installation maintenance coding and other roof related services if you're interested in starting your own roof business on a small budget we recommend targeting homeowners but if you're hungry for more you can always pursue commercial and industrial clients as well in addition to training and licensing be prepared to work with insurance companies and homeowner associations or hoas on a regular basis and when you're ready to hire additional workers be sure to consider the occupational safety and health administration rules or osha you can learn more from the national roofing contractors association well whether you decide to pursue one of the businesses on our list or chase your own idea keep these notes in mind research the opportunities and the competitors as part of your business plan determine whether certifications licensing and training are required for the work that you're going to perform research franchises that may be available for the business you're interested in although a franchise isn't for everyone it could provide some people a better chance of success and it's always always a good idea to consult with a lawyer an insurance agent and an accountant before starting any construction business
2022-04-11 19:46
