Advertise on podcast: Walls & Ceilings 'If Walls Could Talk'

Contractors are beginning to tap into AI’s potential beyond marketing, using tools like customer-facing agents to automate appointment booking and improve lead conversion. By eliminating delays and missed calls, AI helps contractors capture more opportunities and stay competitive, especially during busy work hours when most leads are typically lost.

Gabriel Quintana highlights the 2026 NWCB conference as a contractor-driven event combining education, networking and product exposure. New additions like a training center tour and sessions on communication reflect ongoing labor challenges and the growing importance of soft skills in project execution.

There’s a lot to be said about the cost savings and efficiencies made available with the onset of artificial intelligence in the roofing and construction space. Yet, it’s still a relationship-based business that still relies on face-to-face interactions, even with all the evolving technology. “I’ve always believed construction is a face-to-face kind of (business),” explained Legal Expert Trent Cotney, partner with Adams & Reese, in this episode. “ As much as we’ve changed and evolved over the last few decades with technology, it’s still there.” Hear more about how Cotney believes customers are using AI to vet contractors and what that means for administration costs by listening to the full conversation here.

The 2026 SPFA Convention & Expo will center on workforce development, certification access and jobsite-ready education as demand for qualified spray foam installers grows across residential and commercial markets. In addition to certification prep courses, ABAA training and entrepreneur-focused sessions, the event will offer recorded breakout sessions, Spanish-language programming and real-time translation tools to improve accessibility and post-show learning. Operational updates, including revised networking events, a mobile app and enhanced registration tools, position the show as both a technical training hub and a business development platform for contractors.

Wall and ceiling contractors are facing real operational disruptions as immigration enforcement uncertainty causes crews to stop reporting, delaying projects and straining builder relationships. The proposed Dignity Act would introduce a structured, renewable legal status for certain undocumented workers, aiming to stabilize the construction labor force without granting immediate amnesty. Until legislative clarity emerges, contractors must strengthen employment verification processes, monitor federal developments and factor workforce risk into bidding, scheduling and long-term planning.

Contractors and business owners are also dealing with increased demands when it comes to design specifications. “Systems are getting so complex,” Cotney explained. “If you didn’t install something correctly, then it’s on you. But it shouldn’t be your responsibility to meet certain performance requirements.” He said to have early conversations with customers and when it comes to the contract, push as much or all of that design responsibility to the architect, engineer or design consultant. Check out the rest of Cotney’s legal strategies by listening to the full conversation now.

Tom Harris discusses how R-value, the standard metric for insulation performance, only measures conductive heat transfer under controlled lab conditions while ignoring convection, radiation, air movement, and moisture. He highlights research and the new A-Value study, which aims to measure full wall assembly performance more accurately in real-world conditions.

Art Unlimited CEO Anna Anderson shares practical, no-cost steps contractors can take right now to prepare their marketing for AI-driven search and the rapidly emerging “business-to-agent” economy.

From crawling through attics to building a recognized brand, Jessica Azarelo’s story is one of grit, reinvention, and purpose. Her hands-on foundation shaped Attic Queen’s focus on building science and measurable results for homeowners. After a life-changing injury, Azarelo expanded her impact through advocacy and an ambitious plan to franchise the business nationwide.

As decision-makers turn to AI instead of Google, contractors must rethink their websites and trust signals to stay visible and competitive.

Immigration enforcement has shifted from a looming concern to an immediate threat for construction contractors, with I-9 audits and ICE actions already underway. In this urgent discussion, Jill Bloom and legal expert Trent Cotney stress that proactive, consistent I-9 compliance and documented good-faith efforts are now essential to avoiding serious penalties and protecting construction businesses heading into 2026.

W&C Editor John Wyatt speaks with Tom Harris of Tom Harris PUR Consulting about the technological advances, education-driven growth, and regulatory forces shaping the spray foam industry as it heads into 2026. Harris points to 2025 as a turning point marked by major product improvements, stronger collaboration, rising certification rates, and a more educated contractor base—positioning spray foam for continued momentum despite upcoming economic and regulatory challenges.

As accounts receivable rise and backlogs ease, contractors can’t afford to let collections drift. In this episode, Trent Cotney shares practical ways to get paid faster: vet customers before signing, set clear expectations, track AR weekly, and follow a consistent contact plan that escalates from reminders to demand letters. He also explains why incentive-based collections can outperform hourly roles, how payment plans can unlock stalled balances, and when an owner’s personal call can turn an overdue invoice into real dollars. Listen to the full conversation here.

In an exciting conversation with Walls & Ceilings’ Group Publisher Jill Bloom, Legal Insights Expert Trent Cotney breaks down the recent surge in I-9 audits targeting roofing contractors and shares essential guidance for reducing risk.

Walls & Ceilings is proud to announced that Western Partitions Inc. has been named its "2025 Contractor of the Year." From their roots in Wilsonville, Ore., to an expansive footprint across 11 offices nationwide, WPI continues to set the benchmark for excellence, resilience, and leadership in the wall and ceiling industry.