Disruption. It has been every pundit’s favorite buzz word for explaining the displacement of the workforce primarily and the change in business models in general—all of which reflects changes created by a digital transformation that’s been going on for decades in every industry. Construction as a whole, and the remodeling industry in particular, are sectors of the economy that have been among the last to change. We have blessedly dodged the bullet far longer than many other industries, largely due to the complexity of the work required in existing homes.
Even if you remove the intricacies of business—what it takes to make a sustainable profit—there is almost no consensus about what constitutes “best practice” in this industry. There’s a whole essay on that topic alone, but suffice to say that I contend there are no best practices, only best principles. (Every job is subject to business variables—budget, schedule, client demands—as well as technical variables—“existing conditions” being the most complex of these for remodelers, but also climate zone, exposure, site orientation, material selections—all of which affect the practice suitable to any given project.)
So how do we automate remodeling? Rest assured that the decision-makers in this industry will likely never be replaced by an algorithm or robotic device. The tasks? Probably a few can be replaced by technology. More likely, carpenters and installers will devolve more and more into assemblers of manufactured components. We are well down that path already, ever since carpenters quit building window sash on site, and trusses and prehung doors became standard. Nowadays, those door units come with trim and thresholds and preformed coil-stock, so they require fewer site decisions (trade skill) to install (although maybe no less human skill when we factor in the service that makes the business part of the equation work).
So what of the intricacies of the business? The business models in our industry, which largely revolve around workforce solutions, are ripe for disruption, and it’s coming now! Last month, the Department of Labor ruled that workers in a “virtual marketplace company” don’t have to be classified as employees. As a result, those workers, who sign up for work on an app, are “contractors,” and the company does not have to pay the federal minimum wage, overtime, workers’ comp insurance, or Social Security taxes. You are now in competition with every hipster maker showing any modicum of ambition. Are you ready?
