Hi,
My name is John Peterson, a Construction Veteran, Calculator Innovator and CEO of Builder Calculator.com
My journey in construction began over 25 years ago as a fresh-faced project manager for a large general contracting firm in Chicago. Those early years managing the buildout of high-rise towers, hospitals, and other institutional projects were an invaluable boot camp.
I saw firsthand how even minor miscalculations during preconstruction could snowball into massive budgetary issues and delays once we broke ground.
After a decade of working for others, my entrepreneurial spirit kicked in. In 2005, as an owner’s representative, I started my own construction management and consulting company to oversee major developments.
My main mission for the next 15 years was keeping complex jobs on schedule and budget through careful material estimation, trade coordination, and stringent quality control standards.
Throughout my career, I witnessed countless times how imprecise material takeoffs and poor planning upfront led to costly overruns down the line. This inspired me to create BuilderCalculator.com – a comprehensive suite of specialty construction calculators to take the guesswork out of estimating.
Leveraging my deep experience across concrete, framing, drywall, flooring, and other trades, I’ve meticulously developed calculators tailored to each discipline’s unique needs. Whether you’re a contractor, designer, or avid DIYer, my tools allow you to rapidly generate accurate materials and labor estimates from any tablet or mobile device on the job site.
Under the hood, my calculators incorporate extensive material weight data, construction code guides, and real-world labor factors that I’ve carefully calibrated over decades in the field. Gone are the days of error-prone manual calculations and outdated material books.
When not enhancing the latest calculator features, I lead seminars and workshops to share best practices with the next generation of builders.
I’m a longstanding member of industry organizations like the AGC and served on the board of the CMAA Chicago chapter, always advocating for technology’s role in elevated construction standards.
My overarching goal with BuilderCalculator.com is to provide tools that empower precise planning and ensure no project is derailed by mistakes that could have been avoided upfront. After centuries of builders guesstimating, it’s time to apply hard data and statistics to construction’s age-old practices.