@Joseph Karbus I measure the subs through their insurance, if they have good insurance, auto/wc/GL/umbrella, is usually a good company, along with a reference that they worked but it must be an "office" or government entity in order for it to be valid.

Also if you follow through with some measure of success by preserving these abandoned properties could you look at eventually getting classified as a Non profit?

You need enough length to cover your riser & tread when you measure, and I'd add at least a foot or two on to that to be safe.

And, McVey won't replace them without a licensed contractor doing the measuring and labor.Right.  

And 36 other key financial measures by Frank Gallinelli".I flipped through this before buying it and it was filled with a lot of metrics and explanations on use.I just finished reading " tips and trips for negotiating real estate by Robert Irwin" and that is a great book as well.

I think this The True Hourly Wage is a pretty good measuring stick for what you should be doing.

Im using Traffic Master Allure, its $1.49 regular price at HD, for the darker one, and $1.89 for the more tile look stuff i use in kitchens and baths, holds up well so far, and looks great, also its pretty easy to lay, a tape measure, speed square, and a utility knife. also a heat gun will let you pull a piece out if you have to.  

Is there a tool that professional builders use that is better at categorizing and analyzing construction costs, which can lead to better cost-cutting measures and future estimating?  

Irvine , CA Thursday, January 07, 2016 According to a new study of companies leaving California during the last eight years, the state's business climate will worsen because of a multitude of proposed tax hikes and new regulations – measures sufficient to motivate more company departures.The study by Spectrum Location Solutions is critical of extending the "temporary" taxes in Proposition 30, escalating fuel and motor vehicle taxes, imposing a service tax on routine transactions, raising carbon-related cap-and-trade fees, and threatening to weaken Proposition 13's protections for business property owners."

"That which is measured improves.