About Zack Dettmore
Zack Dettmore is a carpenter and builder from New Jersey. Zack got his start in carpentry around the age of 9 years old. He began by building smaller projects like cutting boards and stools and fell in love with the trade. However, he felt compelled to go to college because his parents were well-educated and believed it to be the path to success. However, in 2010, he left college to pursue carpentry full-time and now owns Dettmore Home Improvements.
Zack’s path to carpentry wasn’t without its bumps. He attended a timber framing school at age 13, then landed a job with a contractor — who promptly fired him. As Zack recalled: “He asked me if I could read a tape, and I was just stuck in my brain. I said, ‘Of course I can read a tape.’ And then he was saying, ‘Rip that to 9 11/16,’ and I’m like, ‘What? What is this?’ I got three quarters down, but the sixteenths blew my mind.” That early humbling experience clearly fueled his drive to master every aspect of the trade.
One of the most interesting things about Zack and Dettmore Home Improvements is his dedication to the organization. Every room in the home has a section in a binder that contains all the details required to bring that room to completion.
Also, Zack uses layout signs placed around the project to indicate where certain trades will install fixtures and devices. This isn’t necessarily for the subcontractors, though. He does this for the client so they can get a better idea of where these items will be. After all, Zack recognizes that most homeowners don’t know how to read plans, but he still wants them to be involved.
Zack’s Approach to Technology and Tools
Zack understands the value of technology when it comes to everyday activities. For instance, his work van consists of drawers full of bins for hardware. Each bin has a QR code on it that he can scan whenever the bin gets low. This code takes him directly to the product’s order page, allowing him to keep the van stocked at all times.
Zack’s QR code system extends beyond his van. On the Glen Ridge project with This Old House, he mounted QR codes inside every doorway of the house. As he explained to Tom Silva, scanning one “actually brings up all the specifications, elevations, specs on, you know, vanity, tub filler, all those items. And the cool thing about it is it’s updated in real time from the office, so we’re not chasing updated plans or working off of old, outdated ones.” The result: any subcontractor with a phone can scan the code and know exactly what’s needed in that room.
Pro Tip: Zack Dettmore, builder and This Old House contractor, stresses the importance of starting each week organized: “There’s those certain days where you finish up a job. I think they call it a Friday truck when you throw everything in there. But the first thing Saturday morning is open up the back of the truck and clean it out. Get organized. It’s gonna make the day go a lot smoother.” His truck has a designated spot for every tool — cordless miter saw on the front left middle rack, nail guns on the bottom left — so he never wastes time searching on site.
Zack has a unique approach to tools, as well. Rather than packing his tools up every day or locking them away in a toolbox, he leaves them at the site and unlocked. In his opinion, he would rather a subcontractor use his tools than spend time looking for theirs or traveling to replace something they broke. He feels everyone is on the same page and he knows that he relies on his subs as much as they rely on him, and this is one way he can support them.
Resources
Kevin O’Connor introduces a new segment about highlighting contractors all across the country.
We meet general contractor, Zack Dettmore, and learn about how his organizational skills elevate his work and his team of subs.
Pro Tip: Zack Dettmore, general contractor on the This Old House Glen Ridge project, shared a communication lesson he picked up working alongside Tom Silva: keep directions concise and direct. As Zack reflected: “Sometimes when I’m managing employees, I feel like I add a lot of fluff in there that dilutes the message.” He noted that Tom’s approach of saying only what’s necessary to move the job forward — like simply “Give me that board” — gets the job done quicker and keeps the whole crew on track.
