DHA
Construction Management

You signed the contract in November. The crew starts in April. In between, the board sent a congratulatory email, the manager forwarded the insurance certificate, and everyone assumed the rest would sort itself out on the first morning. It does sort itself out. Just not in your favor. On a project with no kickoff, the rules get set by whoever shows up first: the crew that parks in the visitor spaces on day one, the foreman who picks the dumpster location, the resident who cal

If you've ever organized a kitchen remodel, coordinated a neighborhood event, or managed a team at work, you might feel like you have a pretty good handle on project management. And in everyday life, that instinct serves you well. But when it comes to a six-figure HOA construction project — a full roof replacement, a concrete restoration, a community-wide repaint — the gap between common-sense organizing and professional project management is wider than most people realize. I

As someone who’s spent years helping HOAs, boards, and community managers navigate tough builds, I’ve learned this the hard way: ✅ Tell an owner “it will take 60 days” and it slips to 65 → they’re furious. ✅ Tell them “70 days” and it finishes in 65 → they’re thrilled. It’s human nature. Yet in the HOA world, where emotions already run high, poor schedule expectations can damage trust, spike anxiety, and create lasting frustration. Here’s what I’ve seen time and time again in

Fresh out of Colorado School of Mines with my civil engineering degree, I faced a pivotal decision: Join a big-name engineering firm or general contractor for the prestige, resources, and fast track... or go with a smaller family construction company run by my father-in-law. I chose the less glamorous path—the small firm. And it turned out to be the most rewarding choice of my career. In a small company, there's freedom: Room to experiment with new ideas, innovate on the spot