Concrete & Masonry

Groundwork: Concrete & Masonry is Book Seven in the Groundwork series — a business and compliance guide for anyone starting, running, or growing a concrete or masonry contracting business in the United States.

Seven in-depth narrative case studies carry you through the real regulatory and technical turning points this trade runs on: OSHA's silica exposure standard, excavation and trenching safety, masonry wall bracing, ready-mix delivery and weather concreting rules, historic mortar compatibility, decorative concrete finishing, and epoxy coating hazards. Each story is built around a specific, citable standard or licensing requirement — not a generic overview — so you see exactly how the rule applies on a real job.

Part Two is a complete, start-to-finish roadmap for someone with zero experience in the trade: which training path to choose (community college program, union apprenticeship, or open-shop NCCER curriculum), what the state licensing exam day actually involves, how to structure and register the business, the first ninety days of actually running it, and the ongoing cycle of equipment maintenance, continuing education, and license renewal — all the way through scaling, government contracting, and eventually selling the business.

Part Three is a fifty-nine-entry cited regulatory record covering OSHA standards, ASTM and ACI technical standards, state licensing patterns, insurance and bonding, worker classification, environmental permitting, and more — a reference you can return to long after you've finished reading.

Part Four includes twenty-five ready-to-adapt business templates: contracts, safety plans, inspection logs, licensing and continuing-education trackers, insurance request forms, and more.