The need for the construction business to embrace technology has never been as prevalent as it is right now. As the industry faces a national contractor shortage, with the National Association of Homebuilders reporting that there are that nearly approximately 200,000 unfilled construction jobs in the U.S.today- an 81%increase in the last two years alone- something must be done to combat the loss of jobs!

Raf Howery, CEO of Kukun Raf Howery, CEO of Kukun

Today, Kukun is hammering down on this commitment- pun intended- with the launch of Pro Tools, a solution for sourcing subcontractors and creating efficient bids, while attracting the next generation of contractors with new technology. We’ve worked tirelessly to create a digital marketplace with easy-to- use tools for home renovators to complete any home renovation project, and ProTools is an extension of that.

The introduction of Pro Tools couldn’t have come at a better time! ” said Kukun CEO, Raf Howery. “Home construction and remodeling professionals need an easy way to create professional bids on the scope of a project in a fraction of the time it formerly took a typical contractor. Also, Pro Tools makes the construction industry more attractive to millennials who are seeking jobs that utilize new technology in the workplace. This offline industry needs to be online so they can be found by today’s consumer, especially with recent studies showing that people are spending more money to fix homes; contractors need to find the right subcontractors for the rise of these projects, and it’s our goal to help them achieve this quickly, professionally and efficiently.”

Kukun’s own data analysis supports the rise in projects and the lack of qualified workforce. For example, the number of permits for construction jobs in New York State increased from 2011 to 2015 from 98,781 to 129,267 (over 30K permits) at a value of $137,507, 266 to $231,297,337 (up over $93M) respectively. During that same time period, the number of contractors joining the industry decreased from 3,521 to 2,848 while the number of contractors leaving construction increased from 3,589 to 3,969. This is just one of the main markets across the U.S. for construction and is indicative of Kukun’s wider research supporting that as the demand for work increases there is a lack of labor to meet this need. The big picture is that without enough workers, residential construction is trailing demand for homes and in turn dampening the overall national U.S. economy. It is imperative that the construction industry works to bring the traditionally offline industry of construction online through technology.

New York City Permit Data Report

“If we want to attract millennials to careers in construction, we have to speak their language. Home construction and remodeling professionals need an easy way to create professional bids on the scope of a project in a fraction of the time and this can be achieved with advances in technology. These type of tools makes the construction industry more attractive to millennials who are seeking jobs that utilize their already built in skill set in the workplace. With so many available construction jobs and demand on the rise, construction is the perfect career choice for today’s youth workers,” said Kukun Co-Founder, Jean Louis Ledanois.

Here’s How Kukun’s New ProTools Works:

Quote Creator

The Quote Creator helps professionals create a quote with ease and efficacy. Most contractors create quotes with lengthy spreadsheets or word documents to create a quote. With the Quote Creator, professionals can make a request with their online template to mark the scope of work, timeline of tasks, cost of labor, start and end date, and legal language. Professionals can then easily share (print or download) the report with their own network of subcontractors or use the Kukun subcontractor directory; in a fraction of the time usually spent using tools that are not built for the construction industry.

Bid for Subcontractors

Instead of calling subcontractors individually and gathering quotes from each professional, the Bidding System allows professionals to send the request all at once, saving time and centralizing all bids with the detailed report to compare and choose.

Dashboard

The Dashboard helps large construction companies visualize all their subcontractor bids to compare and choose the best one. The Dashboard displays the name of the project, job description and target price, which can be forwarded within their own network with one click and choose with ease.

Contractors and subcontractors can join Kukun’s community and subscribe and be visible to homeowners and other pros. Also, contractors can have their own landing page on Kukun’s website where there is a designated section for professionals.

Raf Howery is the founder and CEO of Kukun. Howery, a self-professed "serial renovator" and entrepreneur, started Kukun to transform the home remodeling industry from an offline, fragmented, and frustrating undertaking to an online, modern, and user-friendly experience.