Building Alaska.

• Author: SMITH, DAWNELL
• Position: Construction contractors battle harsh weather in Alaska

Contractors construct year-round despite state's daunting frontier.

Mother Nature tests the mettle of builders everywhere, but contractors in Alaska face an unusually severe bundle of hazards, hurdles and headaches. Earth-quake zones, winds, freezing temperatures, remote work sites, short summers, distant suppliers and lousy soil makes the work arduous, yet plenty of contractors thrive in the far north.

The Anchorage Homebuilders Association alone has 65 builders on its roster of 430 members and associates, according to Evan Rowland, president of AHA.

Other companies specialize in industrial, institutional, commercial and civic construction. Whether they assemble boilers, build schools or provide construction machinery, they all build in Alaska despite the conditions.

"We have some of all the bad," said Rowland, owner of Alaska Home Inc., which specializes in entry-level condominiums. "California has earthquakes, but not the cold, and some places have cold, but not the wind. It's pretty challenging in Anchorage because we have to build for high winds, earthquakes, fairly cold conditions and we also have marginal soils."

For homebuilders, engineering guidelines require the use of special materials and techniques that can add $2,000 to $3,000 to a 3,000-square-foot home in Anchorage, said Rowland.

On top of that, the traditional building season lasts only four months to five months, which puts a lot of pressure on summer work crews. True, technology now allows contractors to work all year, but the price of preparing, protecting and heating the work site adds up.

It all comes with the territory for people like Bill Watterson, president of Watterson Construction Co. of Anchorage. For him, the competition and challenges make the industry both exciting and enjoyable.

More than anything, he marvels at "the work ethic, abilities and loyalty of office staff; supervision and craft people."

Watterson founded the company in 1981 and now employs 40 full-time and 30 seasonal staff. Mostly involved in private commercial and public works projects, the company's prior jobs include construction of the headquarters and data center for First National Bank of Anchorage, the Seward Military Recreation Camp, the Fred Meyer stores in Wasilla and Soldotna, and the visiting officer's quarters at Elmendorf Air Force Base.

Currently, the company is expanding Continental Motors-Subaru, remodeling the Sand Lake Fire Station, building living quarters at the Elmendorf...