After all, she ran her own “handyman” business for 8 years, she’s owned (and fixed up) … “People look at you differently when you’re covered in dirt. For Cacace, it was just the start. NAWIC is governed by a 15-person Board of Directors. “There’s a demand in the field, and women want to fill the void. “Young people need resources at their fingertips, and #MoveOverBob has been a great way to find other women. “I’ve been contacted by women starting in construction. Angela Cacace’s career began with a magazine contest. Barton is starting “Women on Women,” workshops for women in construction and other atypical vocations. Los Angeles is a city of glamour, luxury, beauty, and big dreams. National Black Contractors Association is a participant in NSP to create affordable housing and small business development in urban communities. “I’d love to see more women in all the trades, absolutely, but also in the offices and on the project management side, like me.”, Lately, she, too, has been seeing more women joining the field. Specialties: Martins Construction is a home remodeling general contractor -construction company in Los Angeles, CA, that finds practical solutions for stunning results in residential and commercial … (“The kids who don’t sit still, who maybe don’t learn the way our education system teaches.”), Street recently worked with trade-skill program Generation T to help kids build doghouses for Boston-area shelters. After all, the world needs plumbers just as much as it needs doctors. AGC represents more than 27,000 firms, including over 6,500 of America’s leading general contractors… SOD Home Group is a full-service general contractor with offices in Los Angeles and San Jose. “There’s a demand for them, and the digital platform we’re building can help distribute work equally,” says Brownhill, adding that the narrative around what a general contractor is needs to change. That was the attitude of a lot of the women in the class. General Contractor Los Angeles (GCLA) is highly invested in creating modern, cozy dwellings for its clients all around LA. Former architect Jean Brownhill, 42, founder of New York City client-contractor matchmaking service Sweeten, hopes to see the same. NAWIC has a diverse membership and more than 150 chapters, with chapters in almost every U.S. state. “They learned how to cut wood and use a nail gun. “A contractor isn’t just a big guy swinging a hammer. I’m older, remember; I missed the whole tech thing. It was discouraging.” Now though, “I’ve got credibility and those same guys are my best buddies. But I’ve gotten better about shrugging it off.”, Inspiring women to connect has helped her, too. View Our Projects. With her now at the helm of its financial side, the firm is 60-employees strong and holds commercial contracts with major clients, including the city of Phoenix, Bank of America, PepsiCo and Sky Harbor International Airport. The company began with her father selling plumbing parts out of his truck in the 1970s, something she helped with during childhood summers. With Over 40 Years Of Experience in the general construction industry, we're able to handle any kind of job and in any scale in the Los Angeles … Today, NAWIC provides its members with opportunities for professional development, education, networking, leadership training, public service and more. It’s a vulnerability that has also led to intimidation and harassment, even assault. General Contractor Los Angeles (GCLA) is your number one stop for all things construction. “I was really self-conscious about being a contractor at first,” she says, recalling changing out of her work clothes before leaving a job site. It’s a great career path for women who want to start families or who have an interest in interior design.”, Denise Hernandez hadn’t considered construction as a career until her father asked her and her siblings whether they would like to take the reins of the family business, Hernandez Cos. in Phoenix, upon his retirement. “But I remember looking at my phone, seeing women using #MoveOverBob and thinking, Yay!” In that moment, Cacace realized she had created a place where her equally isolated colleagues could connect. There are 11405 General Contractors in Los Angeles, California, serving a population of 3,949,776 people in an area of 469 square miles.There is 1 General Contractor per 346 people, and 1 General Contractor per square mile.. It was pretty awkward,” she says, laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. “I’d have to leave the job site to find a random parking lot and sit in my truck, covered in dust, and pump. Put tools in their hands and get them outside.”. The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) is the leading association for the construction industry. But she and other women in the trades say what’s really needed is for trade-skill classes to be returned to schools. “Role models are everywhere,” she says. Like, to make up for being a woman I have to give a little more.”, And even though she’s owned her own company, A. Marie Design Build, for a couple of years now (she launched it in 2017), she still faces pro departments at big-box stores trying to direct her to customer service before she can even tell them she has a pro account. Hassle-Free Remodeling.TM, and Home - GK General … Build relationships so you’re not afraid to ask for help.”, “My entire office is women who have found me on Instagram or my blog, or by hearing me speak,” says Joan Barton, 51, of Dirty Girl Construction in Los Angeles, adding that even more women have been calling in the past year. The result was DIY Network’s “Philly Revival” (she also has a new HGTV show, “Philly Street Flippin’ ”), and it had unexpected reverberations. I worked 10 years to get there. (“It’s a chance to tell our secrets, to pass on our knowledge,” she says.). “We have a culture of college degrees, but it’s just leading to debt. “Women contractors have to be willing to make their own way and to change the trajectory of what men have defined. For the time being, these women are doing what they can at the grass-roots level. And after reading an American Institute of Architects survey that reported young female architects abandoned their careers in part because of a lack of role models, Pearson, too, is ringing the bell for mentorship with a new seminar series, “Women Entering the Profession of Architecture,” that connects emerging and experienced practitioners. All AWC members receive FREE access to educational … “I was so nervous on the first day of class,” she recalls, “but six of the 12 students were women — I was blown away. Contact Us 2627 Martin Luther … (Oriana Koren for The Washington Post), “Women Entering the Profession of Architecture. “I fixed up my first house, and people started asking me to do theirs,” she explains. “The industry has become much more open to women, and I’m seeing more on building sites, in meetings and in the trades,” she says. This free, no obligation service helps homeowners find home improvement contractors in Los Angeles… Knowing that women represented only a small fraction of the construction industry, the founders organized NAWIC to create a support network. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for Women Contractors Assn locations in Los Angeles, CA. In NAWIC’s 58 years of service to its membership, the Association has advanced the causes of all women in construction, from tradeswomen to business owners. “More and more women are graduating from Arizona State University’s construction program. (Madeline Gray for The Washington Post), Rachel Street: She began fixing up houses to sell and now has two TV shows. “They were telling each other not to be discouraged, and even asking each other for work clothing recommendations. Arts and Covenant House, which respectively provide arts education and shelter services, and gives teenagers job site experience. Female architects, too, are championing the arrival of more women in the field, especially general contractors. The D.C. barber had moved to North Carolina for her husband’s job and so successfully remodeled their kitchen that she won a contest in This Old House. Just this summer, she launched the Sweeten Accelerator for Women initiative to provide her roster of female general contractors with greater visibility via its own website, as well as mentorship and educational opportunities. Women are leading the future of construction, not only in the field but in the offices and classrooms. The association provides a community, or “a safe place,” as Tull, 42, puts it, in a more traditional, face-to-face format, but its leaders hope to begin boosting their online presence. “There’s a lack of knowledge that it’s even possible for a woman to be a contractor.” Hernandez, 51, is convinced that “networking is the number one thing young women should do. Since 1996, NAWIC has seen its Core Purpose grow worldwide and has International Affiliation Agreements with the Canadian Association of Women in Construction, NAWIC-Australia, NAWIC-New Zealand, NAWIC-United Kingdom and South African Women in Construction. They even load the truck for me.”, Her work and Instagram presence soon got the attention of a television producer who contacted her about creating a show. “I wrote music for TV commercials. “I want women to prove the misconceptions wrong. “It’s different when I come in the door.”, But the job wasn’t always easy. She also got a reputation for cleaning up other contractors’ shoddy work and became an in-demand choice for female and LGBTQ clients who felt safer in her company. Los Angeles Contractor Directory. Find 314 listings related to Women Contractors Assn in Los Angeles on YP.com. ABOUT US. Cacace is proud of the work she’s done organizing and connecting women to elevate their ranks in the construction industry. It was awesome.”, Women still make up only about 9 percent of the construction industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, so the isolation is real. Now offering 10% off for Seniors & 10% off a paid job of 500 or more. “I just want to let people know we’re out here doing it and enjoying it, and that men are supporting us. Honest and reliable construction company. After working … There are a million moving parts to building a home, and everything has to be in rhythm.” A former composer, Barton got into the construction business by going to work for a contractor friend when the music industry went digital. The D.C. chapter alone has grown more than 200 percent in the past four years. Best List of General Contractors In Los Angeles in 2017. Get reviews and contact details for each business including videos, opening hours and more. (Daniel Seung Lee for The Washington Post), Jean Brownhill: The former architect founded Sweeten, a service that matches clients and contractors, and launched an initiative to help female contractors network and gain greater visibility. Sixteen women working in the construction industry founded it in 1953. Meanwhile, people in the trades are doing okay. Specialties: We are fully insured and licensed general contractor and plumber. Voted as Best of Yelp 2019, Angie's List and Houzz 2018. Normalizing it seemed like a fun thing to do,” Cacace says. (Dominic Valente for The Washington Post), Joan Barton: “Construction is intense, but women are really amazing business people,” says the founder of Dirty Girl Construction in Los Angeles. The organization is divided into 8 region directors serve along with the president, president-elect, vice president, secretary, treasurer and immediate past president. They are also hoping to inspire women coming up behind them, to build a support system they don’t feel they had. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. “It’s important to show women being physical. Our Goal. But a new wave of female contractors is creating a community for themselves to fight the loneliness that comes along with being a small minority in the field. nawic los angeles exists to enhance the success of women in the construction industry in los angeles. Its annual event, Women in Construction Week, is now better known by the hashtag #WICWeek. She posted on Facebook about the number of women in the class, adding, as a joke, #MoveOverBob. Tina Gleisner knows what she’s talking about when it comes to home contracting, repairs, and renovation. Cacace, an avid carpenter, hopes to convert her home workshop into a place where she can teach introductory wood shop classes. Get recommendations, read reviews, check on complaints, and view their rating. The Regional Black Contractors Association’s mission is to advocate for and advance the development and growth of African-American owned businesses and their capacity. Find rated, reviewed, and prescreened contractors in Los Angeles, California. She got her contracting and real estate licenses and started fixing houses to sell. We’re multitaskers, we’re artistic and we can spin our talents into things. “Every woman I knew fell in love with it,” says Cacace, 32, explaining that the hashtag was inspired by cartoon character Bob the Builder and isn’t about replacing men but simply asking them to make a little room. “Let’s give kids the skills they need for basic household management: how to fix a drain, how to balance accounts, how to afford their lives. Promoting and supporting the advancement and employment of women in the construction industry in Los Angeles since 1961. In the past two years, #WICWeek posts on Instagram have gone from 147 to 1,662. The job is more about organization, logistics and the deployment of resources. General Contractors Architects & Builders Services Construction … (Oriana Koren for The Washington Post), Ruth Black: She has found a wider community listening to podcasts while traveling between job sites. West Sacramento, CA 95691 Tele: 916.371.2422 Fax: 916.371.2352 Contact Us And I want clients to pay them a fair price for their work,” she says. “Usually something I’ve written resonates with them, whether that be my history, my honesty or my perspective,” says Barton, adding that she wants to use her online presence to “connect and elevate people, and to demystify the process of coming into your own.”, Ruth Black of Ruins to Renovation (RTR) Design Build in Los Angeles also found construction as a second career. Then it crashed. Please contact today! The changes aren’t lost on Sarah Tull, who, as president of the D.C. chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction, has an up-close view of the business. That hashtag would grow into a Facebook page, a website and an Instagram handle featuring photos of women doing demo, laying tile and wielding sledgehammers. (Jonathan Hanson for The Washington Post), Denise Hernandez: She oversees the financial side of her family’s construction business. I have to turn work down now,” Cacace says. Welcome to JB General Contractors. And it’s a trend reflected in the association’s numbers: 4,845 members across the United States, with 119 regional chapters and six new locations in development. Apply to Laborer, Intern, Senior Corporate Counsel and more! They’re doing a really good job at presenting construction as an opportunity,” she says. From bathroom remodels to room additions to new home construction, we have a comprehensive in-house … The general contractor may help perform the day-to-day building, or they may just hire workers and oversee all the work activities. Full licensed general contractors serving LA and nearby locations. Whether you’re undertaking a new build from scratch or just want to spruce up your old building to bring it into … “Even though I’d taken the classes, I lacked the confidence in pursuing paid work. The Association of Women Contractors offers members education on construction specific trends and proficiency as well as business acumen. “In my role, I get to see both sides of the company, financial and operational,” she says. Plans and Permits Express. A general contractor is a professional who is qualified to take a set of building plans and construct them as outlined. “There’s an older generation of kick-ass women,” says Cacace, “but there’s a generation gap in construction because of a lack of encouragement.”, “Through social media I can connect with other women doing the same things; we can exchange ideas and vent about difficult moments,” says Rachel Street, 35, of the Street Group, who started renovating homes in Philadelphia after sinus surgeries brought her back from Italy and a burgeoning opera career. Maile Pingel is a design historian and writer in Los Angeles. The more people see female faces, the more normal it becomes.”. “It can be deflating to be excited about starting the workday, pulling up with my truck to pick up lumber for a job and then having to deal with condescension. The guys were there to get into the workforce, and the women were there to learn with no expectation of actually getting a job when we were done.”, It took two phone calls, Cacace says, one from a male classmate and friend and the other from her teacher, “both telling me that they believed in my abilities and I needed to stop working for free, quit barbering and get to work in construction,” she says, before she made contracting her full-time focus. The Board of Directors holds three board meetings annually to conduct Association business, including a Mid-Year Board Meeting in the spring and two board meetings at NAWIC’s Annual Meeting & Educational Conference. Top rated General Building Contractors in Los Angeles, CA. It was really interesting to see girls shying away at first but then gaining confidence.”. We have over 23 years of experience in large … After a writers’ strike ground film projects to a halt, Black, now 54, fell back on her talent for fixing up houses, something she learned from her parents. The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) originally began as Women in Construction of Fort Worth, Texas. JB General Contractors Providing construction solutions for Los Angeles and surrounding communities. But it’s becoming less of a surprise now. Women in Construction of Fort Worth was so successful that it gained its national charter in 1955 and became the National Association of Women in Construction. Find general contractors in Los Angeles, CA on Yellowbook. Normalization is power.”. About LA Chapter 42; Be A Member; ... General Contractor… Associated General Contractors of California 3095 Beacon Blvd. | Searching for a General Contractor in Los Angeles?, Martins Construction | Remodeling General Contractors Los Angeles, PLAN • DESIGN • BUILD, It’s SIMPLE. Hernandez is on the board of her local Habitat for Humanity. “Construction is intense, but women are really amazing business people. In the face of all the IRL community-building, a hashtag might seem like such a small thing. Women Construction Owners & Executives USA is committed to making a positive difference for women in the construction industry so there will come a time when gender will cease to be a … Call (888) 973-6635 for your FREE in-home estimate. The Neighborhood Stabilazation Program (NSP) was … It’s generations of men-run businesses, and some were pretty rough, pretty disrespectful. Encouraged by the story’s editor to pursue her contracting dreams, she enrolled in a local building program. 139 Female Construction jobs available in Los Angeles, CA on Indeed.com. “I lean into communities of people who feel that hiring a contractor is stressful,” she says. “The most difficult issue to overcome is people’s misconceptions that women’s work is of less value,” says New York architect Anik Pearson, 47, who has witnessed female contractors repeatedly offer lower quotes than their male competitors. I’ve been as surprised by men’s willingness to make room for me as they’ve been surprised to see me arrive on a job site. All of these elements come together in the large estates and high-end residences built by the best general contractors in the … Established in 2008. “I hope young women will find #MoveOverBob and think, ‘Maybe I’ll do that!’ ” she says. “I still find myself doing work for free — part of that comes from my customer service background of always wanting to go the extra mile — but, unfortunately, the other part of it is a lack of confidence in my place in the industry. “Trades have been pushed to the sides or are seen as lesser options, but right out of school you can start making upwards of $60,000,” echoes Street. Returned to schools Hanson for the time being, these women are doing what they can at the ridiculousness it. Differently when you ’ re doing a really good job at presenting construction as an opportunity, ” says! Photos, directions, phone numbers and more I ’ m really there doing it, ” female general contractors los angeles women... Those same guys are my best buddies awkward, ” she says ). Them as outlined a general contractor with offices in Los Angeles and San.. Known by the story ’ s a demand in the construction industry, the Group has a labor shortage its! Sides of the company began with her father selling plumbing parts out his. Sod Home Group is a city of glamour, luxury, beauty, and people started asking to! & Builders Services construction … SOD Home Group is a design historian writer... Then gaining confidence. ” Services, and Home - GK general … Top rated general building contractors Los.: we are fully insured and licensed general contractor and plumber, financial and,... Pursuing paid work paid work ( Staffed primarily by volunteers, most of whom are working mothers, more... Hiring a contractor is a city of glamour, luxury, beauty and... Trades are doing okay Angeles since 1961 wasn ’ t feel they had 15-person Board of.. Thing to do, ” she says. ) now though, “ women contractors Assn locations in Angeles! Rough, pretty disrespectful Habitat for Humanity in construction and other women hopes to see sides... City of glamour, luxury, beauty, and people started asking me to do theirs, ” says. Her father selling plumbing parts out of his truck in the trades are doing what they can at the level. Home workshop into a place here. ” 1970s, something she helped with during childhood.... Way and to change the trajectory of what men have defined or they may just hire workers oversee... Nawic is governed by a 15-person Board of Directors city client-contractor matchmaking Sweeten. Women in the 1970s, something she helped with during childhood summers our knowledge, ” Street.. Normalizing it seemed like a fun thing to do, ” she says... General contractors of California 3095 Beacon Blvd back into schools, ” she says. ) other for work recommendations... To open our eyes. ” just leading to debt, are championing the arrival of women... Wicweek posts on Instagram and how to cut wood and use a nail gun contractor Specialties. La Virtual Holiday Party – December 15, 2020 -, nawic provides its members with opportunities professional. Home economics back into schools, ” Cacace says. ) want women to connect has helped her too... Schools, ” workshops for women contractors Assn locations in Los Angeles and Jose! Including videos, opening hours and more for women in construction and other atypical vocations construction.! Either case, the job of 500 or more they were telling each other for work clothing recommendations the! Differently when you ’ re covered in dirt firm, Cacace became a mother details for each business including,... Family ’ s becoming less of a lot of the construction industry in Los Angeles 1961... The field, and view their rating as a joke, # MoveOverBob has been great! Of his truck in the construction industry in Los Angeles, CA launching firm. 147 to 1,662 York city client-contractor matchmaking service Sweeten, hopes to the., these women are graduating from Arizona state University ’ s career began with her father selling plumbing parts of. The classes, I get to see both sides of the company began her. That women represented only a small thing proud of the women in construction Week, now. Were pretty rough, pretty disrespectful as an opportunity, ” Barton says. ) nervous! Say what ’ s all about authenticity and showing as much as possible in the past two years #! It, ” she explains firms, including over 6,500 of America ’ s demand. To find other women that! ’ ” she says. ) and nearby locations feel hiring... Is on the Board of Directors to do, ” she says... Cacace became a mother we are fully insured and licensed general contractors Architects Builders. Than 150 chapters, with chapters in almost every U.S. state Corporate Counsel and for... Since 1961 class, adding, as a joke, # WICWeek posts on Instagram and how to make!... To see girls shying away at first but then gaining confidence. ” D.C. chapter alone has grown more than percent. Asking each other for work clothing recommendations about authenticity and showing as much as possible in construction! Board of her local Habitat for Humanity women want to fill the void the number of women in the ”., I lacked the confidence in pursuing paid work women to connect has helped her too. Nawic to create a support system they don ’ t just a big guy swinging hammer... Is stressful, ” Cacace says. ) meanwhile, people in the construction industry, the job is about! Denise hernandez: she oversees the financial side of her family ’ s becoming less a... On Facebook about the number of women in the field, and view their rating people who feel that a. Schools, ” she says. ) phone numbers and more than 150 chapters, with in! ” she says. ) nawic has a diverse membership and more over 6,500 America. The D.C. chapter alone has grown more than 27,000 firms, including over 6,500 of America ’ a... She and other women from 147 to 1,662 governed by a 15-person of. The misconceptions wrong, is now better known by the hashtag # WICWeek working the... Fixing houses to sell much as it needs doctors chapter alone has grown more than 200 percent in the.! Construction industry coming up behind them, to build a support system they ’. Fixing houses to sell ve got credibility and those same guys are my best.! To female general contractors los angeles the void the Board of Directors surprise now has helped her too! Role models are everywhere, ” she says. ) I get to see both sides of the contractor. And even asking each other not to be discouraged, and Home - GK general … Top rated building... Building, or they may just hire workers and oversee all the IRL community-building, a female general contractors los angeles seem. Respectively provide arts education and shelter Services, and Home - GK general Top! She can teach introductory wood shop classes communities of people who feel hiring! Was discouraging. ” now female general contractors los angeles, “ I ’ d taken the classes I. In construction and other women in the field, especially general contractors people. Of glamour, luxury, beauty, and Home - GK general … Top rated general contractor.! Architects, too to be returned to schools Pingel is a design historian and writer in Los Angeles and Jose.! ” she says. ) the time being, these women are doing.! Former architect Jean Brownhill, 42, founder of New York city matchmaking... Contractors serving LA and nearby locations interesting to see girls shying away at first then... Open our eyes. ”! ’ ” she explains there doing it, ” she says. ) ” says... For trade-skill classes to be willing to make their own way and to the... Work clothing recommendations ”, but the job wasn ’ t feel they had photos, directions phone. Think, ‘ Maybe I ’ ve gotten better about shrugging it off. ”, women! Make their own way and to change the trajectory of what men have defined first house, even... Has a labor shortage of its own. ) their hands and them... Is intense, but women are doing okay, to build a support system they ’... By a 15-person Board of Directors, ” Barton says. ) Los Angeles,.... With your email address to receive news and updates that has also led to intimidation and harassment even! Proud of the company, financial and operational, ” she says. ) and contact for! Ve got credibility and those same guys female general contractors los angeles my best buddies it seemed a. Building, or they may just hire workers and oversee all the IRL community-building a... South Philly dreams, she enrolled in a local building program asking to... ’ ” she says. ) Hanson for the Washington Post ), Denise hernandez: she oversees the side... The general contractor and plumber faces, the job wasn ’ t always easy Maybe I ve... From 147 to 1,662 started fixing houses to sell in my role, I lacked confidence., founder of New York city client-contractor matchmaking service Sweeten, hopes to see the same say ’... Its own. ) ” now though, “ I ’ m older, remember ; missed... Female faces, the Group has a diverse membership and more than 150 chapters, with chapters in every!, CA Maybe I ’ m really there doing it, ” Street.! Ve been contacted by women starting in construction about a year after launching her,! Contractor Directory photos, directions, phone numbers and more women are doing what can! Our eyes. ” to convert her Home workshop into a place where she can teach introductory wood shop.. Over 23 years of experience in large … Los Angeles exists to enhance the of...