A passion for construction design, building, and renovations inspired 36-year-old Fred Kristjansson to found Nailed It Building & Construction in 2011. 

Fred obtained his associate’s degree in business from Columbia-Greene Community College in Hudson, NY, and while in college, he began working for other construction companies and getting as much work experience under his toolbelt as possible, no pun intended. 

After graduating, he began taking on more projects individually in his free time, and that ended up snowballing until he had enough work to be able to start his own business and work for himself full-time. 

Fred’s ethos is to build it right the first time. “Construction is all about the joy of creating something from nothing,” he said. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see the vision come to life.” 

Building from the ground up

Fred worked closely with his sister, Thorunn [she is also the publisher of this magazine], to create the name and branding for his business. He didn’t want to use his initials, as he was afraid that wouldn’t make as much of an impression as a catchy name. “Nailed It” has dual meaning: it’s obviously a pun for the fact that Fred does indeed use a hammer and nails at work, but it also speaks to the ethos of doing things right the first time. 

When venturing off on his own, Fred had no issue finding work. Due to his previous experience at other construction companies, he already had a handful of meaningful connections. Combine that with the willingness to work and be flexible, and everything seemed to just fall right into place. 

He didn’t have to do much marketing in his first year of business, as it took off through word of mouth. All things considered, business went well for the first year, albeit it was occasionally stressful, since Fred was working all the time. 

“My family was incredibly supportive of me when I started. My wife, Ashley, has never complained when I’m busy working. She’s always been super supportive,” Fred said. 

New construction and modern technology

When Fred first began Nailed It, his ultimate plan was to do new construction. However, as a young contractor building his business from the ground up, he said yes to nearly every opportunity and worked on a variety of projects, big and small. Now over ten years later, large-scale, new construction projects are the main focus of his business. 

Nailed It’s services range from complete ground-up construction, where they handle every aspect of the construction and building process, to remodeling and reconfiguring interior floor plans and layouts, specialty and custom work, and much more.

“When you start, you take every job,” Fred mused. “You open up a can of worms with old construction, so now, I want to do new construction and build houses that I am responsible for.”

However, the focus on large-scale, new projects is riskier, more expensive, and has much more room for error. “One of the most important things I’ve learned is to follow through and finish projects. When that’s done, I don’t have to go back to fix things because I do a quality job the first time.” 

One of the greatest challenges Fred encountered while starting his business was the hurdle of obtaining the right tools and equipment without breaking the bank. He always had the qualifications, but vital equipment like a construction lull, skid-steer loader, and excavator don’t come cheap. 

“Another thing I learned very quickly is that while organization and time management are important for any business, they are absolutely vital for construction,” Fred explained. 

An additional challenge that seems to be a common theme throughout all aspects of the service sector lately is finding reliable help. While Fred mostly works by himself, he hires subcontractors for large projects when he needs a few additional sets of hands. 

“Finding the right reliable subcontractors is key to a successful business,” he said. 

Which brings us to the double-edged sword of technology. Like everywhere in the world, technology in construction is constantly evolving. This is beneficial for Fred in many ways, as there are more machines to effectively complete work, which lessens the need for additional workers, but it has also made it more difficult to disconnect from work after hours. 

When Fred isn’t at work, he’s often still working from home. The only time Fred ever truly disconnects from work and won’t answer calls, emails, and texts is when he travels abroad. 

Since he and Ashley had their daughter, Ellie, Fred has made more of an effort to have a healthy work-life balance. The bigger jobs have helped with this, as they are easier to manage without making ten phone calls per night. Additionally, Fred has been so inundated with projects over the past four years that he’s said no to quite a few, which has allowed him to spend more meaningful time with his family. 

Skills in the toolbox

If there was one thing that Fred wishes he knew before starting his own construction business, it would be, “How much my back hurts at 36 years old,” he laughed. 

In reflecting on the past decade of his work, Fred also noted that on quite a few jobs he did “a lot for very little,” especially when he was first starting out. “You have to start somewhere,” he said. “Nobody knows how good you are, so you have to start off at a lower price point.” 

Looking ahead, if all goes well, Fred hopes to retire early and build another house for himself and his family in Myrtle Beach, SC. “I would love to be able to enjoy more time with my family and my daughter. That’s the ultimate goal.” •

To learn more about Fred Kristjansson and Nailed It Building & Construction, visit their website naileditbuilding.com.