We just wanted to take a moment to tell all of you who voted for our blog in the “Best Construction Blog” competition THANK YOU! The voting for the competition lasted for two months and we finished in third place. This is even more amazing to us when we consider that we were unaware of the competition until two weeks before it ended. We rallied the troops and you, our loyal friends and readers came through for us as always. Below is an excerpt from the Construction Marketing Ideas Blog which hosted the competition:

“The Best Construction Blog and Forum contest has concluded and the voting results are in, but what do they mean?

Obviously, results from what essentially is a “get out the votes” competition provide a different perspective than we would discover from an independent judging panel.  They suggest, for example, that Bobby Darnell (http://www.buildingnewbusiness.com) in Atlanta has mastered the art of online viral relationships and networking, while Michael Stone (http://www.markupandprofit.com/blog) has the most enthusiastic and loyal followers, certainly judging by the positive comments associated with his votes.  Burgin Construction Inc. in California (http://www.burginconstructioninc.com/blog) , meanwhile, has proven that a local construction business can be a contender in an international competition.”  Click for More

Once again, thank you for your support not only in this competition but in our business in general. The true mark of a great company is not the company itself, but its customers and colleagues. And, we truly have the best of both!

Earlier this week we learned that the Burgin Construction Blog has been nominated for the Construction Marketing Marketing Ideas Best Construction Blog Competition! 39 blogs from across the nation were nominated for this competition and voting ends at 5pm on Sunday, February 28th, 2010. This is a huge honor for our company and it shows us that we are providing a service to our readers that they find informative as well as entertaining.

I have to say, I don’t think I’ve been this excited in a very long time! While Burgin Construction is a fantastic organization that has been honored for their outstanding service and workmanship many times over the years, this nomination is more dear to my heart. I truly love working for this company and enjoy reaching out to our friends, colleagues, and clients each week through the blog. And, before I very blatantly begin to beg for your votes in the competition, I want to thank each of you for taking the time to read our blog and providing your feedback. It is really a highlight of my week and I look forward to being able to share this communication with you for many years to come! Now the begging will commence 

To vote for the Burgin Blog as the “Best Construction Blog” please go to: http://www.constructionmarketingideas.com/the-best-construction-marketing-blog-competition/ and check off Burgin Construction, Inc. (we’re the 9th one down), fill out the info, and then submit. The only information you have to provide is your name and email address and if you don’t choose to be contacted by them or be on their mailing list you will not be. They are a highly reputable group and strictly adhere to their privacy policy.

Thank you again for all of your support!

On April 22nd California’s “Cash for Refrigerators” program begins. The State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program is funded by $300 million from the federal stimulus package but is governed by each individual state. California has been approved for $35.3 million of these funds.

According to the California Energy Commission Website many of the specifics are yet to be determined, however rebates of $50 – $250 are possible for the replacement of old appliances. All appliances must be Energy Star listed and a list of the specific appliances eligible is expected to be released soon. The new cash4appliances website is expected to be launched on March 1st.

If you’re thinking about a remodel and plan to replace your outdated appliances this is definitely the time to start planning. Once the details of the program are released and the dates for eligibility are set, the funds are expected to go very quickly, just as they did with the Cash for Clunkers program. Planning now for that remodel and purchasing the appliances as soon as the criteria are released is the best way to ensure you receive your rebate. If you have any questions about the program please contact us at 714-558-1094.

Earlier this week Cambria Natural Quartz Surfaces and Benjamin Moore Paints announced a new partnership:

“Cambria and Benjamin Moore have joined forces to offer pre-selected countertop and paint color combinations to help you achieve a designer look in your home or business. Chosen by trained color professionals, these suggestions can add confidence and ease to your color selection process.”

This arrangement makes it easy for customers to choose colors which will accentuate one another beautifully. The user friendly coordination tool on the Cambria website is a simple way to find exactly the right combination of colors which were chosen by trained color professionals.

Please leave your comments and feed back once you’ve tried the new tool. We’d love to know what you think about it!

For many years now we have been a proud dealer for DeWils Custom Cabinetry. Their quality and wide array of styles are the things that drew us to them in the beginning and are what have kept us as a partner with them for so long. And, just when we thought they couldn’t possibly have anything else up their sleeve, we received notice of some amazing new offerings! New door styles, Calypso and Sifton add two completely new elements to the Horizon and Designer lines and a brand new set of profiles introduce raised beveled panels on NINE new door styles in the Designer line.

As if that weren’t enough, DeWils has gone above an beyond to give their customers what they’ve been asking for – White Paint Finish! The “Just White” finish is three coats of white catalyzed paint finish and is available in all three lines on maple and red oak materials. It’s a timeless classic that will turn your home into a work of art!

For more information on these or other DeWils offerings, including custom stain matching, please give us a call at 714-558-1094.

We’d like to extend our congratulations to Designer Cindy Smetana. Her design on the Harmeyer project won Best Kitchen Design - Gold Award in the November, 2009 special issue of Orange Coast Home Magazine! To see the special November issue click on the magazine cover below. If you’d like to see more photos of the Harmeyer project click on the image from the article on the right.

We are so honored to have been a part of this project and are extremely proud of Cindy for all of her hard work on it. Congratulations Cindy!

Those of you who know us well, know that we hold a very strong opinion about unlicensed contractors. We feel that the state laws are in place in order to protect Contractors and Customers alike. And, while we don’t always agree with every portion of those laws, we respect and abide by them. Contractors who adhere to the state’s licensing requirements and subsequent laws often end up spending a large amount of time and money in order to do so. Then, we find ourselves in direct competition with unlicensed Contractors who are able to charge a much lower price, and often get the job.

So, this year Santa has a late gift for all of the licensed Contractors in California. As of January 1st new, tougher penalties have been put into place for those operating without a license. According to a December 30th article in the Orange County Register:

“Starting Jan. 1, those caught contracting in California without a license for the first time will face six months in jail or a fine of up to $5,000 because of a new law that will take affect. Right now the offense is only considered a misdemeanor with no set jail time or penalties.

Second-timers must pay 20 percent of the contract price, or $5,000, whichever is greater and spend at least 90 days in county jail. A third offense would be punishable with 90 days to one year in a county jail and a fine between $5,000 and $10,000, or 20 percent of the contract price, according to the law, Assembly Bill 370.”

Many customers don’t realize that most unlicensed Contractors do not carry Worker’s Compensation Insurance which can end up costing the homeowner much more than they bargained for. If a worker is injured in their home while on the job the homeowner can be held liable for those injuries. Unlike licensed Contractors, those without a license also do not have to submit to a background check. California law requires that a Contractor be licensed for all jobs over $500.

Here are some tips from the Contractors State License Board and a few of our own for hiring a Contractor:

•Ask to see contractor’s licenses.
•Verify the contractor’s license at www.cslb.ca.gov or 1-800-321-2752.
•Don’t pay more than 10 percent or $1,000, whichever is less, as a down payment.
•Get three bids, check references and get a written contract.
•Don’t pay in cash and don’t let the payments get ahead of the work.
•Ask to see a copy of the contractor’s liability and worker’s compensation insurance certifications.

If you are looking for a reputable, licensed contractor contact us today at 714-558-1094!

Wow! It’s almost here! 2010 is just around the corner and, tonight, we will usher in a new decade. It has been quite a roller coaster ride this past year for us and for many of you as well, I’m sure. We’ve seen so many changes in the world from politics to technology and some major changes have taken place in the construction industry.

Over the next couple of weeks we’ll be touching on some of those changes and talk about what we expect remodeling and design trends will be. We’re looking forward to working with you all in 2010 and wish you a very safe and Happy New Year. See you in 2010!

This time of year is a time for reflection and gratitude for each and every person who has played a role in our lives over the past 12 months, no matter how small. Fortunately for us, there are entirely too many of you for us to do so in person. So, though it may seem impersonal, please accept this as a thank you for each and every one of you.

We could not accomplish all that we do without our wonderful Trade Partners and Vendors. We would never be able to provide the service and excellent quality work that we do without our amazing staff. And, we would have nothing to show for all of our hard work without our fantastic customers and their trust in us.

Thank you all for your part in making Burgin Construction a successful company. We hope you have a wonderful Holiday and we look forward to working with you in the new year!

With the holiday season in full swing we thought it would be nice to take this time to recognize one of our more recent additions to the Burgin Construction Family. Though he’s been a member of the family for well over a year now, he’s recently begun taking a more active interest in the company. He’s jumped into his new position with all 4 feet and seems to love his job. While we normally don’t advocate laying down on the job, it’s a process that seems to work well for him. Here is our new Production Manager, Tiger:

As you can see, he’s very much into his work. We’re pretty sure he’s working on some type of osmosis experimentation as he’s always so absorbed in his work he seems to be in a trance. And, while he’s not much of a talker, he definitely keeps everyone on their toes. Have a look at the photo below to check out Tiger hard at work on a “top secret” project we’re going to be starting after the new year. But shhhh, don’t tell anyone!