Jacci Bendt never imagined she would be where she is today after working as a bartender at Buffalo Wild Wings for a decade.
Bendt, an estimator for Reconstruction Experts of Johns Lyng USA headquartered in Denver, said it feels empowering to be able to do her job.
In addition to feeling accomplished in her role as an estimator, she said her male coworkers treat her as an equal.
“Typically you wouldn’t see a woman estimator. You don’t see a whole lot of them anywhere, to be honest,” said Bendt, who recently started her career in construction. “I just feel like a boss lady, which I haven’t really felt before because I was just a bartender. I mean, I did a really, really good job, but it’s a little different. It’s a different environment and you get treated differently. So it [has] just felt great being alongside these guys who have been doing construction for a lot of years.”
She's teaching herself how to use job-specific software, something that Bendt, in turn, is teaching to her team.
“It’s been kind of [an] amazing transition for me because I wasn’t sure what I was going to walk into,” Bendt said. “Because I always thought the same thing: Construction is kind of a guy job. So, when I came into it and it was just so welcoming I was kind of amazed, honestly.”
Female construction workforce rising
Women accounted for 10.9% of the entire U.S. construction workforce in 2022, according to the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), which drew data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Comparatively, women make up 46.8% of the overall workforce in the U.S., according to BLS.
In 2012, women only made up 2.4% of the construction industry, the data show.
Women also have a small pay gap compared to men in the industry, earning an average of 95.5% of what men make in construction, according to NAWIC. Most women in the construction industry remain in office and administrative positions and only 4% in skilled trades, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
Colorado’s construction industry workforce faces three big challenges in coming years: Aging workers who will soon be retiring faster than replacements can get trained; a booming housing market that’s driving demand and a glaring under-representation of women construction workers. Experts said the industry has been working to overcome that gender gap.
Tami York, Reconstruction Experts' vice president of administration and general counsel, has seen more women in the industry over the years.
Just over 13% of her company's employees are women, higher than the industry’s national average. The company, which has completed projects in Colorado, Florida, Texas and California, specializes in reconstruction services, restoration, remodels and preconstruction in the residential and commercial markets.
York said she believes through her own experiences that men are much more open-minded about women coming into the legal or construction industries today than in the past. They are also seeing the benefits women bring to the table, York added.
“I think there has been, in the past, a barrier for women,” York said. “But I will tell you that I am inspired every day by the women I work with and the younger generation of women that I’m seeing coming up through the ranks, not just in the legal profession but in the construction industry. I think that those barriers are being torn down.”
York joined as the company's in-house counsel in 2013 but has been working with RE since 2003. She decided to go into legal construction after taking her landlord to small claims court and winning her case. York was inspired to help others like herself and to hold people accountable for their actions.
Ashley Douglas, Colorado regional vice president at Reconstruction Experts, said a firm with a robust women representation offers a lot of advantage.
"We all team up together — the men and women in our company. We provide that full aspect of service, which you don’t typically expect from a construction industry,” she said.
Douglas’ uncle, father and grandfather were all in the construction industry, which also drew her in. She started at RE 14 years ago. Douglas believes that women can bring a certain approach to being in a client’s home and providing customer service, so having men and women on a team translate to a more comprehensive approach.
“Not to say men are bad at customer service — that’s not the case at all —I think we just kind of bring a unique perspective that, when working together with men and women, its a more holistic customer service approach,” Douglas said.
Ali Kronebusch, chief sales officer at Reconstruction Experts, echoed the sentiment and added that the industry also has a lot to offer to women.
“I find that with women’s characteristics and our ability to really thrive in a dynamic environment and have that emotional IQ, what we can bring to the table is a voice that aligns with construction and the industry itself,” Kronebusch said. “Troubleshooting, empathy, critical thinking — it’s such an incredible industry that I don’t think women think about it when they think about what they want to do to build their careers.”
Advice to next generation
York, who said her career goal was to become a secretary, never dreamed about getting to where she is now.
“Aim higher than you think you can,” York said. “Have a bigger aspiration for yourself than what you ever thought or dreamed."
She added: "What I tell women today, especially young women, is had I dreamt for myself something [like] where I am now.”
Kronebusch, too, grew up around construction. Her dad is a general contractor, general electrician and a master electrician. The industry has been in the family's DNA for more than 50 years. Her uncles are also general contractors. Kronebusch went to school for political science, thinking she would become an attorney, but when she left school, she found that her passions lie elsewhere. Instead, she went into multifamily property management and then into reconstruction of occupied space.
“Think about what drives you as a person,” Kronebusch said. “I promise you that whatever makes you get out of your bed every day, there’s a position within construction companies for you. The key though is making sure you find that right construction company and that culture that will support you as a woman, or a male, to grow successfully within the industry.”
Bendt said she still gets to meet new people, among other benefits, of working in the industry.
“If you’re not happy, just change it and take the plunge,” Bendt said. “Try something new, it could change your life.”
Douglas, too, encouraged women to explore the construction industry.
“I’m happy to speak with any ladies who are interested in learning more about the field," she said. "It’s a fun place to be.”