Project Management

January 27-30, 2025

MEP Innovation Conference

The technology conference for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, service and sheet metal contractors on industry innovations in software, tools, and technologies.


  • Location Los Angeles, CA
  • Calendar Date Jan/27 - Jan/30 2025

November 10-13, 2024

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Project Managers Institute

Covers the essential skills of effective project management for project managers, including management/leadership, project planning, time management, change order management, and more.


  • Location Austin, TX
  • Calendar Date Nov/10 - Nov/13 2024

Contractor Operations Manual Jul 12 2023

Principles of Job Costing

An effective job costing system helps construction managers and business owners be more successful and profitable. It is also a critical tool for identifying and controlling risk. SMACNA’s updated book “Principles of Job Costing” will provide insight into improving your company’s job costing system.

Properly set up and managed, a job-cost management system will help make a company more profitable with less risk and the ability to grow and manage larger projects.

The updated book includes chapters on system set-up considerations, the estimating system, converting the estimate into an operating budget, progress reporting, change control, work in progress, and cash-flow forecasting. Appendixes include useful samples of general ledger structure, cost code structure, an estimating turnover checklist, and a sample accounts receivables escalation process.

This document is free to members in the SMACNA Store.


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Contracts Bulletin

Contracts Bulletin #125: COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Federal Contractors

On September 9, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 14042, “Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors.” The Executive Order requires that federal department and agency contracts include a contractual clause forcing all contractors and subcontractors to comply with COVID-19 safety guidance published by the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force (the “Task Force”). 

MEMBER UPDATE

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Participate in a New NHF Study on Project Risks

Over the past several years, the project risk environment has become substantially more one-sided and challenging with risk shedding efforts by CMs, GCs, and designers. This alarming and apparent trend has in turn created significant impacts on trade contractors, including SMACNA members.

Contractor Operations Manual Jul 28 2021

Successfully Managing a Remote Workforce: How to Maintain Productivity and Engagement

In response to the pandemic, many contractors have decided to have their employees work remotely. While there are obvious aspects of construction that require in-person presence on a jobsite, there are many that can be done remotely. Unlike industries where remote work has been being adopted for years, construction has been considered an in-person job. That’s begun to change. Studies have produced research-based practices that managers can implement with minimal effort to improve engagement and productivity. Updated July 2021.

This document is free to members in the SMACNA Store.


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SMACNews Jun 29 2021

Design-Build Delivers Best Possible Outcomes

Being an engineer and running a full mechanical contracting company, I appreciate the benefits of bringing together architects or engineers and different trades to discuss projects before they are on the jobsite.

Contracts Bulletin Jun 03 2021

Contracts Bulletin #118 (2.0) : Force Majeure Provisions: COVID-19

Updated June, 2021. Over the last year, many industries have experienced supply delays and workforce shortages resulting from the spread of COVID-19. The construction industry certainly was not immune to these issues. The current situation serves as a good reminder to review and understand contract provisions that cover unforeseen construction delays.

SMACNews Apr 30 2021

The Bidding Hack: 5 Ways to Increase Your Bid Win Rate

The pandemic led to one of the most difficult years in memorable history for the construction industry — one in which specialty contractors were hit particularly hard. According to a recent report from Autodesk, project bidding dropped roughly 34% in the 60 days following March 19, 2020, the day the first U.S. stay-at-home orders were mandated.

Technical Resources Apr 27 2021

EPA Signs SNAP Rule 23

On April 23, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Rule 23 - New listings for refrigeration and air conditioning; revised listing for fire suppression.

Contractor Operations Manual Jan 08 2021

Proven Practices for Conducting Successful Virtual Meetings

This publication covers the importance of foremen meetings to the success of a project. Meetings not only encourage collaboration by bringing stakeholders together, they help hold all parties accountable for on-time project completion. COVID-19 concerns and related safety protocols have mandated the need for increased virtual meetings, bringing the use of new technologies and communications and tracking tools to the forefront of project management. 

With regular meetings critical in construction, firms will continue to look for ways to limit on-site meetings while ensuring access to information, engaging participants and tracking accountability through virtual meetings and other technologies.

This document is free to members in the SMACNA Store.


  • Dollar SignPDF $75.00

Contractor Operations Manual Dec 18 2020

Integrated Project Delivery Guide

This Guide provides an overview of the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) method from the perspective of sheet metal, HVAC, and mechanical contractors and can serve as a guide for those interested in expanding their market share into healthcare and other IPD market sectors.

IPD is found at the intersection of quality, cost and scheduling on a construction project where project teams, systems, business structures, and practices are all working collaboratively and tapping into the talents and insights of all team members in an effort to optimize efficiencies and reduce redundancies or waste throughout the construction life cycle (e.g., design, fabrication, installation, etc.).

This document is free to members in the SMACNA Store.


  • Dollar SignPDF $75.00

New Horizons Foundation Dec 08 2020

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Best Practices for Field Leader Succession

Field Leader Succession is the process of developing and transitioning new leaders so they can replace their predecessors at the foreman, general foreman, or superintendent level. This white paper focuses on best practices in field leadership transition from one generation to the next.

SMACNews

SEA Airport North Satellite Modernization

The North Satellite (NSAT) Modernization Project combines leading-edge engineering with natural motifs to create a high-tech space with a biophilic design — one that appeals to people’s innate love of nature.

Webcast Aug 07 2020

Pandemics and Productivity

This webcast breaks down the New Horizons Foundation report on Pandemics and Productivity in easy-to-understand pieces and explains how contractors can use the findings.

New Horizons Foundation Jul 16 2020

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Pandemics and Productivity: Quantifying the Impact

Before these findings were issued, no specific resource existed to help contractors quantify the cost impacts of lost productivity working under pandemic-driven protocols. The New Horizons Foundation and ELECTRI International, the National Electrical Contractors Association’s foundation, commissioned this report assessing the productivity impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Contracts Bulletin Apr 17 2020

Contracts Bulletin: COVID-19: Increased Construction Costs

Many subcontractors have faced additional costs associated with performing work at jobsites during the COVID-19 outbreak. These additional COVID-19-related costs come in many forms, including extra hand-washing stations, before-shift health checks, and larger quantities of personal protective equipment such as gloves, masks, and goggles. Learn more about several common construction contract provisions that could allow subcontractors to recover costs incurred as a result of COVID-19.

Contractor Operations Manual Dec 10 2019

Material and Inventory Management Guide

This guide provides member contractors with a resource on purchasing and inventory management systems. Whether simple or complex, these systems are a set of rules for deciding when to purchase materials and services and how much to purchase.

This document is free to members in the SMACNA Store.


  • Dollar SignPDF $75.00