Contractor is a Woman Among Men
In Sandy Tabacinic’s line of work, it’s not an insult to say that a kitchen can use a woman’s touch.
As a female residential contractor in a business dominated by men, Tabacinic said that sometimes, home construction projects deserve the attention of the person who spends the most time there.
And in many cases, those people are females.
“Being a woman that runs a home can give you some insight that maybe a man doesn’t have,” Tabacinic said. “I understand the functioning of a house, and I try to take that into consideration.”
Although her background is in graphic design, Tabacinic’s start in the construction business came about 10 years ago while working for another builder.
“I started to notice that I was doing things differently,” said Tabacinic, a native of Colombia. “There were a lot of problems that I thought could be solved with better communication. I want construction to be fun. You’re not meant to suffer through it.”
That philosophy prompted Tabacinic to start Dallas-based Homecorp in 2009. The company does everything from custom home construction to interior renovations. About 90 percent of her business consists of remodels, but she has built about 30 homes in the Park Cities and Preston Hollow.
“I know I can always count on her,” said Gayle Schneider, who hired Tabacinic to renovate her kitchen on Amherst Avenue. “She’s very organized and doesn’t get frazzled.”
Tabacinic said she gets a lot of her business through referrals — many of them from wives to their husbands.
“She has an eye,” Schneider said. “She knows what she’s talking about.”
Part of that comes from the suggestions Tabacinic makes prior to bidding on a project, which she said are more extensive than typical collaborations.
“I’m making recommendations for things that I know are going to come up so people don’t get hit with a surprise,” she said.
While Tabacinic has broken through gender barriers during her career, she admits that one challenge has been overseeing a crew consisting mostly of men.
“I think women can multitask really well,” Tabacinic said. “I’ve had to really learn how to talk to men. You have to make sure they understand what you want them to do. They have to trust you.”
