OELWEIN — Andrew Miller took a thoughtful glance out his office window as he prepared to answer a question on new housing construction.
“New home building is on a down trend right now,” he said. “Prices are high. Material is not that hard to get, but it costs so much more,” he added, speaking of pre- and post-pandemic costs. As an example, Miller said the cost of a sheet of plywood has jumped more than 200 percent in the past two years.
“Concrete, on the other hand, didn’t take that jump,” he said.
Miller said people that are building new homes are looking for the best, most cost efficient ways to accomplish that. One of those ways is using insulated concrete foam for the basement.
“You know you go in some basements that have been turned into extra living space and they still have a cold, basement feeling. You won’t get that with insulated concrete foam as the foundation,” he said. “If you’re planning on finishing a basement, it will be much more energy efficient and cozy using that product.”
He is seeing more people being content with fixing up what they have right now due to the climbing interest rates and costs.
“They are finding it’s much more economical to put on new siding, paint or trim, remodel a couple of rooms, or put an addition onto an existing home, than build a brand new one,” Miller said. He added that the city of Oelwein does have some tax incentives and other perks for those who want to build a new house.
In looking at some of the current remodeling trends, Miller said a common project is the kitchen. He is happy to see natural woods making a small comeback in cabinetry, partially because he doesn’t like painted cabinets and partially because they have leveled off in costs.
“It used to be painted cabinets were the bottom of the price line, especially white ones. For a long time, white kitchen cabinets were what everyone wanted. Now they are going with darker and lighter shades of gray, blue, and green, sometimes putting in darker lower cabinets with coordinating lighter upper cabinets. Those painted cabinets have gone up in price with their popularity. I personally hate that look,” he said, laughing. “But it’s not my house so I go with what a customer wants.”
Another area of construction where price comparisons have turned around is in roofing materials.
“Steel roofs have been the longest lasting option. They used to be comparable and even cheaper than shingles. Now steel prices have gone up and more people are going back to shingling their roofs,” he said. “There’s a 50-year shingle we put on quite a bit. It’s called NEX modified asphalt technology from Malarkey Legacy Shingles®. It’s basically made with recycled tires and plastic milk jugs. It’s made to last and stays put once you put it on your roof. It has the same lasting quality of steel roofs.”
“There are really many new and efficient options for people to look at in all areas of home construction from basements to rooftops. People need to explore the possibilities and become in-formed first, before they commit to a project,” he said.
Miller knows what he is talking about when it comes to building, remodeling, fixing, or putting on an addition. He started his business as a side job in 2008, working out of his garage. A strong work ethic, attention to detail and honesty with customers, earned him a following, and he was soon in constant demand.
He soon turned to construction full-time and opened his business, Miller’s Construction, Inc., in a large steel building on Seventh Street SE in Oelwein. The business continued to grow and with steady low interest rates, house construction was on the rise. Just a few years ago, he moved his business again, having outgrown his landlocked location.
Now located on Highway 150 between Oelwein and Hazleton, Miller says his current building is also starting to feel cramped and he expects to put up a new and larger structure closer to the highway in the next couple of years.
“We’ll see how things go, but I’m seriously working on that plan,” he said.
Over the past 14 years, Miller has made improvements to his business, adding more elements to his construction possibilities. Concrete was the first acquisition in 2014, so he could offer customers a better package including patios, sidewalks, driveways, etc.
Earlier this year he added heating and cooling with Brad Schmith, journeyman electrician and master heating and cooling license, and Kevin Pfohl, master electrician. Adam Scharnhorst rounds out the immediate staff in sales and is responsible for bidding the construction side of projects. Miller’s wife Jodi works in the office handling accounts, phones and payroll.
“That helps free up my time to help out on crews, go where I’m needed and oversee all the projects,” Miller said.
Miller runs four construction crews of three to four workers per crew. The business’ territory spans basically within an hour of home base, all around northeast Iowa. Since he has a family and so do most of his employees, he sticks to a Monday to Thursday work week of longer hours, giving everyone a three-day weekend with their families. He and Jodi have three children, Emma, Lindy and Ethan.
Anyone interested in a project, quote or looking for work, Miller is happy to talk to them. He can be reached at Miller’s Construction, Inc., 319-283-1224.