Grant Allgood’s whole family was in the construction business. So, there he was, starting at age 13, driving nails during the summers and weekends. His construction apprenticeship included a little bit of everything, from framing crews, siding crews, trim crews and building decks.

As the owner and President of Dual Construction LLC in Loganville, Georgia, Allgood continues to live the construction life. He even expanded his wares into the adjuster’s business by getting a license during the 2008 housing crisis.

After writing insurance estimates for a couple years, he decided to get into the insurance restoration and water mitigation business. In late 2010, Allgood and his friend, Bucky Smith, started Dual Construction LLC. Since 2011, they have remained busy in construction, fire, water, storm damage, remodeling and new construction of custom homes.

We sat down with him to get a glimpse of today’s residential construction market.

Tell us a little about yourself. What is your industry story?

Honing by construction skills as a teenager in the family business, I ended up attending Gwinnett Technical College in Lawrenceville, Georgia for drafting in the late ’80s, early ’90s. I also learned basic property adjusting and Xactimate training at the Amcat School of Adjusting in Coppell, Texas, and 40 hours of property and casualty training from R.S. Thomas Training Associates in Atlanta.

Over the years, I learned the trade as a Construction Superintendent at Meridian Homes; Inspector for Havens Trust Bank; salesman for Absolute Best Construction; and the owner and President of Stonebrook Homes.

I eventually started Dual Construction with Bucky Smith, and we have been building our legacy ever since.

Give us a snapshot on Dual Construction?

We are a midsized residential construction company specializing in custom homes, remodeling, and insurance restoration.

What trends are you seeing in the residential construction market today?

The uptick in rental communities and increasing cost of material.

How are they shaping the industry?

Increased pricing means less home for our client’s budget. This forces many homeowners to down scale in order to build their dream home.

Are trends like sustainable and energy-efficient homes influencing building decisions today?

Yes, the cost of energy mandates directly affects how much home a client can afford.

What are the biggest challenges you’re facing in the building trade today?

Increased material costs often cause clients to change their mind. What they once could afford is no longer attainable with the same budget. In addition, the labor force is harder to retain. Both of these areas have caused the remodel and new home sides of our company to lessen.

What does the labor pool look like?

Very poor.

How are you attracting and retaining skilled workers for your projects?

We are having a hard time finding and keeping skilled labor. We need workers that can work hard, sometimes in harsh conditions. High schools for the last few decades have pushed college over a vocational career causing the pool of new workers to diminish. Attracting new talent is often a burden.

How do you see the role of technology evolving in the residential construction sector?

Currently, we see most of the technology with energy efficiency demands.

How do you stay ahead of the curve when it comes to new building materials and techniques?

Mostly through suppliers. In addition, we are always looking for products that are more energy efficient and durable from our peers, trade magazines and the internet.

What advice would you give to homeowners looking to embark on a new construction or renovation project?

Because material costs are increasingly high, we recommend that customers stay away from trendy products that may not stand the test of time and focus on using high quality materials that will last.

We encourage our potential clients to make sure they like their contractor. All projects require a partnership between the contractor and the client. The client should pick a contractor that they feel comfortable with because there needs to be a good line of communication.

Can you share a story about the uniqueness of the project you have worked on? What made it stand out?

Most recently, we have built several small custom homes. Both customers had to scale down the size of their home, due to cost, and focused on building an energy efficient home with durable materials.

What do you believe is the future of residential construction?

Rental.

How are you preparing your business to meet those changes?

We are focusing on remodels and insurance restoration.

One-on-One with… Dual Construction’s Grant Allgood

Describe a typical day.

Early morning responding to emails, reviewing bills and working on estimates. Meeting with suppliers, subcontractors, crews and clients on jobs. Evenings we schedule projects and reply to emails.

What’s the biggest item on your to-do list?

Estimating and budgeting.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

The excitement of the client when their project is completed.

What was the best advice you ever received?

Pick your client.

What’s the best thing a client ever said to you?

We always strive for our customers to say they are proud of their home. In addition, because we also do insurance restoration, we frequently have customers who are very emotional when we finish their project, most very thankful.