Following last year’s popular article “77 Tablet Apps Made for Remodelers” (see September 2011), Professional Remodeler editors continue to search for the most popular and latest applications for the residential construction market.

In today’s remodeling market, establishing and working with design-build clients can be a difficult process. Professional Remodeler’s Tom Swartz talked to remodelers Bob Peterson and Sherry Schwab about their design-build model, and each offers tips that can make a design-build project successful.

Water is perhaps our most valuable natural resource. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that while approximately 70 percent of earth’s surface is covered by water, only one percent of it is available for human consumption.

Most people enjoy buying; nobody likes to feel they are being “sold." A good salesperson will allow their clients to buy from them. Here are 10 mistakes to avoid when working with clients:

As you begin to see a market uptick, or as you tire of being hunkered down, growth should be a priority for you. It has been said that if a business is not growing, it is dying. Over the past five years, growth has not been a common mindset. It has been survival of the fittest. Today, shifting out of a survival mode is imperative. If not, you risk seeing your business slip dramatically over the next year or two.

The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) has released the second edition of its “Electronic Systems Technical Reference Manual,” a comprehensive guide to the world of residential electronic systems.

Recently, the EPA postponed the lead paint rule for public and commercial buildings until July 1, 2015, a positive sign for remodelers.

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s (NARI) third-quarter Remodeling Business Pulse data of current and future remodeling business conditions is positive overall with mixed sentiment about the future. New weather-related developments are assumed to impact the remodeling industry on the East Coast next quarter as homeowners start to rebuild.

Remodeling giant Neil Kelly Company put together a list of its top 10 home design and remodeling trends for 2013. Top trends include the move toward clean, contemporary kitchen cabinets and the rise of quartz composite countertops.

Companies that are successfully leveraging social marketing to improve their businesses