Industry Perspective

If Building a House Were Easy…

I’ve been around this industry long enough to know one thing—if building a house were easy, everyone would be doing it.

I see what goes on behind the scenes every day. Builders are waiting on materials, suppliers are trying to keep product in stock, subcontractors are juggling jobs, and everyone is working toward the same goal—getting another house built. At the end of it all, a family gets the keys to a new home. That’s something we should all be proud of.

Housing affordability continues to be one of our biggest challenges. Every regulation, permit delay, and added cost eventually shows up in the price of a home. That’s why it’s important for our industry to stay involved. Most people never see what goes on in Pierre or Washington, but those decisions affect every house we build.

One thing I’ve learned is that if you can’t laugh once in a while, you’re in the wrong business. We’ve all heard, “The truck will be there first thing tomorrow.” Sometimes “first thing” has a pretty broad definition.

At the end of the day, we’re all on the same team. Builders, suppliers, subcontractors, and everyone else involved are working toward the same goal. Products matter and prices matter, but people do business with people they trust.

Thanks for everything you do to keep South Dakota building.

Dean Schulz
SDHBA National Builder Delegate