Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets: How to Fix America's Trillion-Dollar Construction Industry [Paperback]

Barry B. LePatner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2008

Across the nation, construction projects large and small—from hospitals to schools to simple home improvements—are spiraling out of control. Delays and cost overruns have come to seem “normal,” even as they drain our wallets and send our blood pressure skyrocketing. In Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets, prominent construction attorney Barry B. LePatner builds a powerful case for change in America’s sole remaining “mom and pop” industry—an industry that consumes $1.23 trillion and wastes at least $120 billion each year.

 

With three decades of experience representing clients that include eminent architects and engineers, as well as corporations, institutions, and developers, LePatner has firsthand knowledge of the bad management, ineffective supervision, and insufficient investment in technology that plagues the risk-averse construction industry. In an engaging and direct style, he here pinpoints the issues that underlie the industry’s woes while providing practical tips for anyone in the business of building, including advice on the precise language owners should use during contract negotiations.

Armed with Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets, everyone involved in the purchase or renovation of a building or any structure—from homeowners seeking to remodel to civic developers embarking on large-scale projects—has the information they need to change this antiquated industry, one project at a time.
 
“LePatner describes what is wrong with the current system and suggests ways that architects can help—by retaking their rightful place as master builders.”—Fred A. Bernstein, Architect Magazine

 

“Every now and then, a major construction project is completed on time and on budget. Everyone is amazed. . . . Barry LePatner thinks this exception should become the rule. . . . A swift kick to the construction industry.”—James R. Hagerty, Wall Street Journal  

Editorial Reviews

Review

"LePatner describes what is wrong with the current system and suggests ways that architects can help - by retaking their rightful place as master builders." - Fred A. Bernstein, Architect Magazine "Every now and then, a major construction project is completed on time and on budget. Everyone is amazed.... Barry LePatner thinks this exception should become the rule.... A swift kick to the construction industry." - James R. Hagerty, Wall Street Journal"

About the Author

Barry B. LePatner is recognized as one of the nation’s leading construction lawyers. He is founder of one of the first boutique law firms primarily representing corporations, institutions, and real estate developers on major construction projects and coauthor of Structural and Foundation Failures.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; Reprint edition (September 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226472698
• ISBN-13: 978-0226472690
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #181,406 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > Law > Business > Construction
  • #37 in Books > Business & Investing > Real Estate > Law
  • #47 in Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Industrial Relations

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Critical Insight, Worth Reading, December 21, 2007

By 

Fernando Pages - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets: How to Fix America's Trillion-Dollar Construction Industry (Hardcover)

This book will not make contractors happy, but anyone in the business for more that few years will recognize the author's critique. Our industry has not grown from craft to professional management. We resist improvement and defend the status quo. The author points out the flaws in our industry, provides valuable history lessons, and then suggests, in principle, that equal information for owners and builders might help balance the scales.

I don't know that these suggestions will amount to more than so many other attempts to bring construction into the 19-th (let alone 21st century). But looking at the truth straight on seems to help one resolve to do better; for the owner it serves as a caution. A bit repetative, but insightful and most certainly worth reading. My compliments to the author for good research and blunt talk.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fascinating general interest material on the economics of construction, September 27, 2007

By 

scaler rdh - See all my reviews

This review is from: Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets: How to Fix America's Trillion-Dollar Construction Industry (Hardcover)

I try to read all of Robert Wright's books because his prose is always
crystal clear and his analysis is often incisive. (I'm not sure why
Amazon doesn't list him as third author but plenty of other online sites
do. Maybe it is because his name is on the title page but not the
cover?) In any event, he does not disappoint here. Combined, the three
authors provide a provocative take on the construction industry and its
problems. This book may represent the first time that construction has
been analyzed from the perspective of game theory and asymmetric
information. I'm not sure it's right, but it is a fascinating read and
too little of general interest is published on the economics of
construction.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From David Gerstel, Builder and Author, July 7, 2010

By 

David Gerstel "Carpenter, Builder, Author" (Kensington, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets: How to Fix America's Trillion-Dollar Construction Industry (Hardcover)

Maybe I can not be objective about this book. LePatner cites my book on running construction companies about fifty times. That's flattering. On the other hand, he cites me only when he borrows my criticisms of our building industry. He never cites me when he is proposing solutions, though many of his resemble those my book offers and are, in fact, practiced by many builders. That irks me a bit.
Even so, I give LePatner's book 5 stars. Here's what I wrote about it in the Resources section of my new book, CRAFTING THE CONSIDERATE HOUSE: "Rightly criticized for being overly redundant and for a lawyer's bias toward his clients (owners as opposed to builders and designers), LePatner's book is, nevertheless, an exceptionally vigorous exposition of the ailments of and possible cures for the construction industry."
In fact, the book is so energetic and provocative it's downright fun to read. LePatner takes ideas for remodeling the construction industry much farther than my book does. When I write my next edition I will borrow back some of my ideas along with his added insights.