If you were to ask anyone at Prince & Sons Inc., what the most challenging facet of operating a construction company was, you would get the same answer time and time again, communication. Whether it be a language barrier, getting a design idea across to a colleague or client, or collaborating with subcontractors about how something should be constructed, words can often come out differently than intended. Sometimes, an explanation isn’t even understood at all. In certain instances, as the old saying goes, a picture can be worth a thousands words, which is why the team at Prince & Sons, has used CAD design in our company to help improve communication and better serve our clients.
CAD, which stands for Computer Aided Design, (or Computer Aided Drafting, depending on who you ask), is a command based software program that can create blueprints of 2D drafts and 3D models. CAD has been around for many years, but has not always been as affordable and user friendly as it is today. Thanks to modern technology like high speed internet and monthly licensing subscriptions, working the tool into a general contractors budget is much more reasonable today than in the past.
CAD Design of Recent Deck Renovation Project
When asked about how Prince & Sons used CAD-like software in their company, Draftsman Patrick Prince explained, “When I first started out here after graduating from college, one of the hardest things to incorporate into the business was using AutoCAD in our everyday business lifestyle. Some of the frustration came from an old-school vs. new-school mentality, but ultimately, once everyone saw how much easier it was to think through tough issues and pass things along to the next guy, it caught on quickly.”
Patrick Prince expanded on how CAD has helped to foster communication at Prince and Sons. “Communication is the hardest thing to stay on top of when you’re juggling the responsibilities of a project manager. Every day is go, go, go from the moment your feet hit the floor until the end of the day and sometimes things can get overlooked. Once we adopted CAD, we were able to maintain working drawings on all of our projects and had a better understanding of what we should expect to encounter throughout the project before we even broke ground. Not to mention, with the language barrier that exists in the construction industry, CAD made collaboration easier, lines and numbers know no language.”
CAD Design of Recent Front Porch Addition
Patrick Prince, Prince & Sons’ Office Manager and Draftsman, graduated in 2012 from North Carolina State University College of Design’s Landscape Architecture Program. This is where he learned the ins and outs of design software like AutoCAD, Google SketchUp and Adobe programs such as InDesign and Photoshop. His knowledge along with the technical expertise of Ben and David Prince has created the perfect mesh for delivering any type of construction project. Prince concluded, “I don’t claim to be an expert, trust me there are guys out there who could run circles around me. I do know one thing though, CAD has hands down helped our company grow, and is here to stay.”
If you’re interested in learning more about how CAD can help fast track your home remodeling project, feel free to reach out to Prince & Sons today at 919-383-0888, or through our online contact form.