Builders, Budgets & Beers
Where the construction industry comes to talk about the financial side of building: the decisions, the mistakes, and the systems that separate profitable companies from the rest.
How Building Science Reduces Costly Callbacks
Most HVAC callbacks aren't really HVAC problems. Sam Myers of Retrotec on building science, blower doors, and the tests that prevent costly construction callbacks.
Real stories from builders and the firms that serve them.
How Contractors Can Adopt AI Agents Without Chaos
Construction tech consultant Ryan Rademann on what contractors need to fix before deploying AI agents: cloud migration, process mapping, and the people problem nobody talks about.
Your Tech Stack Needs to Start with Strategy
Alliance Solutions Group CEO Dustin Stephens on why most contractors get AI adoption backwards — and the strategic question every construction company needs to answer before buying a single new tool.
How AI Speeds up Profitable Bids
Boone AI founder Deepti Yenireddy on why construction estimating is one of the hardest problems to solve with AI — and what happens when you actually get it right.
Why Contractors Need Better Accounting
CPA and construction accounting specialist Chris Murphy breaks down why most contractors are one bad hire away from financial chaos — and what the best ones do differently.
How Builders Can Raise the Standard
Springdale Custom Builders co-founders Andrea and Brian Seymour have spent 10 years figuring out what it actually takes to run a great construction company. Their answer starts with unifying the industry — and it's more practical than you'd expect.
Don’t Let Weak Process Stop Your Growth
Retired Marine and construction company founder Archibald McLellan learned the hard way that growth without process is just expensive chaos. Here's what he built instead — and why it starts with the books.
Build Wealth Before You Step Away
Most contractors build great businesses but never build the wealth to leave them. Financial advisor John Steiger breaks down what exit planning actually looks like — and why you need to start 10 years out.
The AI Opportunity in Construction
Discover how AI is reshaping construction through data-driven insights, automation, and new infrastructure opportunities for builders and contractors.
Funding Big Builds Without Losing Control
Learn how builders can raise capital, evaluate equity vs debt partners, and build the systems needed to scale without losing control of the business.
When Growth Outruns Cash Flow
Christian and Deanne Lawson of Lawson Development share the realities of growing a custom home building business, from managing draw schedules and small deposits to why strong accounting and cash flow discipline are critical when growth starts to outrun your cash.
Strategic Partners That Reduce Risk And Help You Scale
David Werschay of Werschay Homes shares how builders can reduce risk, scale smarter, and grow through strategic partners, better processes, and creative deal structures.
The Tech Stack Upgrade Contractors Need
Contractors need more than tools—they need connected systems. Learn how payroll, job costing, and HR upgrades drive profit and team performance.
Why the Design to Bid System Fails
Why does the design-to-build system fail? Learn how early builder involvement, aligned budgets, and better collaboration prevent costly mistakes.
Price Per Square Foot is Lying to You
Mark Wille shares why durable construction matters more than price per square foot, and how better building science creates homes that truly last.
Mission Before Margin
How Croxall Construction scales with purpose, systems, and culture. Lessons on growth, leadership, and building beyond revenue.
Stop Guessing Your Margin
Discover how builder Jeremy Sloane transformed his business by ditching financial guesswork for real-time job costing. Learn why knowing your numbers is the key to construction profitability.
The Right People Protect Your Vision
In this episode of Builders, Budgets, and Beers, Tim Calderala shares why successful construction businesses aren’t just built on process — they’re built on people. Learn how putting the right team in place protects your vision, profit, and future.
Successful Projects are Built on Clarity
In this Builders, Budgets & Beers episode, PJ Antonik of Oak Development & Design shares how knowing your numbers, trusting your process, and refining your gut instincts can drive growth and reduce risk in construction.
Job Costing Mistakes that Break Trust
Job costing mistakes don’t just hurt margins—they break client trust. Learn the most common construction accounting errors and how real-time job costing helps builders avoid double billing, missed costs, and end-of-job surprises.
One Bad Hire Can Ruin Culture
Veteran coach Paul Sanneman joins Reece Barnes to share hard-won lessons on hiring, team building, and why recruiting is the most overlooked growth strategy in construction. A must-listen for builders serious about scaling.
Protecting Your Margins: What Builders Learn the Hard Way About Growth, Transparency, and Responsibility
Protecting your margins isn’t just about profit — it’s about responsibility. Learn how Salt Creek Homes reduced profit erosion, improved transparency, and scaled with confidence.
Making Systems Stick
Learn how Matt Brill of Bauen Build creates systems that stick—by building a team culture focused on clarity, craftsmanship, and continuous improvement. A must-listen for builders navigating change.
Fixed Price Vs. Cost Plus: The Truth About Pricing Models
Builder Chris Kerr joins Builders, Budgets & Beers to unpack the pros and cons of fixed price vs. cost plus contracts from risk and margin to trust and admin headaches. A real conversation for builders navigating how to price their work.
WIP Reports That Tell the Truth About Profit
Discover why WIP reporting is the financial lifeline every builder needs. In this candid episode, Miller Bradford shares real-world stories and insights that can save builders from costly mistakes.
Know Your Numbers, Protect Your Margin
Construction coach Shawn Van Dyke joins Reece to break down why knowing your numbers is the key to protecting your margin. In this episode, they discuss everything rom cost codes to clean data and how to build smarter, not just bigger.
Construction Accounting Success
Discover what top contractors do differently to succeed financially. Learn how modern construction accounting, clean books, and timely insights can protect profit and drive growth.
The Key to Project Success
When Alex Molkentin founded Fern Hill Construction, he set out to build more than homes. He built a process. In this episode of Builders, Budgets & Beers, Alex shares how preconstruction became his secret weapon for scaling a profitable, chaos-free construction business... backed by data, clarity, and stronger relationships across clients, subs, and designers.
Systems, People, and Profit
Isabel Affinito shares hard truths on scaling construction businesses: why systems matter, how to lead people better, and what it really takes to protect profit.
Building Financial Clarity
How Per Pettersson of LinMak Construction applies a tech-driven mindset to building, saving thousands in carry costs and cutting hours of admin per project—without overcomplicating his process.
Why Most Builders Stay Stuck at $2M
Discover why most builders hit a ceiling at $2M, and how shifting from tradesperson to business owner is the key to scaling with practical insights from coach Paul Atherton.
WIP, Job Costing, and Cash Flow
Discover how real-time job costing, monthly WIP reports, and daily cost tracking can transform your construction business. CPA Andrea Gallion shares insights on avoiding financial chaos and building a business worth buying.
Stop Bleeding Talent
Struggling to keep great employees? In this episode, recruiter Suman Cherry breaks down why builders lose talent and how better systems, clarity, and leadership can fix it.
Profit by Design: CFO + CPA for Builders
How to make your construction business more valuable, scalable, and tax-efficient—before it’s too late.
Building a Business with Your Spouse
Discover how Cody and Kristen Dawson built Patriot Custom Homes from a COVID side hustle into a thriving construction business while navigating marriage, risk, and entrepreneurship together.
Payroll Tax Savings Most Builders Miss
Builders miss $600–$1,000 per W-2 employee in payroll taxes. Learn how health management plans boost take-home pay—and how to track it.
From Grunt Work to Luxury GC
From tearing out floors to co-owning a luxury homebuilding firm, Brady Fenn’s journey shows how mentorship, relationships, and the right mindset can transform a career in construction.
Fixed Price vs. Cost Plus: Build With Confidence When Your Numbers Are Live
Nebraska builder Victor Ryback shares how documenting processes, tracking real-time costs, and shifting from “swinging a hammer” to running a business set his company on track for confident, scalable growth.
Curiosity Over Ego: Specs & Real Margins
Austin builder Gabe Joseph of Joseph Design Build shares how curiosity over ego fueled 30x growth, 40% cost savings through smarter procurement, and the systems needed to scale construction without losing margins.
Know Your Numbers, Not Just Your Craft
Remodeler Tyler Grace shares why tracking numbers matters more than chasing perfection in construction.
Pre-con Without the Chaos
Learn how Cope Grand Homes’ Adam Copenhaver keeps pre-construction organized with clear job costing, strong systems, and client trust.
Cash Flow Isn’t Profit: Job-Cost It
Mississippi builder Trent “The Country Builder” Waldrop proves you don’t need million-dollar projects to succeed. By focusing on semi-custom homes for everyday families, he’s creating affordable housing, healthy margins, and generational wealth.
You’re Flying Blind in Business (Here’s How to Fix It)
Discover how builders can scale without burnout. Randy Stanbury shares the keys to financial clarity, systems, and vision that transform contractors into entrepreneurial leaders.
From Budget Nightmare to Profit Machine
Owen Drury shares why construction forecasting is broken, how tech giants are reshaping timelines, and what the future holds for smarter, faster, and more profitable builds.
Uncovering Hidden Profits
Accounting expert Chloe Brown shares how her team uncovers thousands (or millions) in missed job costs, and how builders can stop margin erosion before it scales.
The True Cost of Fixed Fee vs. Cost Plus Models
Discover why builder Jake Bruton switched from fixed fee to cost plus pricing after a $180K loss, and what every builder can learn about protecting profits, improving transparency, and running a healthier business.
How He Built a Construction Empire Overnight
How Rudy Marroquin built a luxury construction business from $500 to $200K profits using grit, vertical integration, and financial discipline.
How to Scale from 15 Homes to 150 Homes
Discover how Joseph Design Build scaled from luxury specs to hundreds of homes in pipeline by focusing on margins, systems, and smart design—proving growth doesn’t mean sacrificing quality.
How to Actually Make Money in Construction
Discover how Will King of High Cotton Homes transformed his custom building business by mastering financial discipline, pricing strategy, and smart systems.
From DIY to $3M: What Builders Learn the Hard Way
Discover how Salt Creek Homes grew from DIY remodeling to a $3M business—without software. Learn their financial strategy, pitfalls, and what’s next.
When Your Systems Don’t Match Your Strategy
Dirk van der Velde shares how clearer culture, better systems, and fewer manual processes helped him scale Momentasize from burnout to momentum.
Bringing Commercial Precision to Custom Home Building
NS Builders’ Julian Miller shares how bridging the gap between operations and finance helps prevent profit erosion, streamline payments, and scale smarter. Learn how better systems lead to better margins.
The Most Common (and Costly) Mistakes Builders Make
Learn how to avoid the most common construction accounting mistakes—from job costing errors to duplicate payments. Expert Melissa Leediker shares tips to help builders improve accuracy, reduce cost leaks, and run a more profitable business.
How Multi-Entity Builders Stay on Top of Every Dollar
Shayne Glass from Shrock Companies breaks down how to manage complex construction financials across multiple companies with clarity and control.
Rebuilding After Helene
After Hurricane Helene devastated Asheville, JAG Construction’s Noi Calhoun shares how her team navigated the chaos, supported their community, and rebuilt with resilience. A must-listen episode on leadership and survival in the wake of disaster.
Insights From a Top Construction CPA
Discover how smart financial systems—straight from a top accounting firm—can help your construction business grow profitably. Dorrie Franzello-Kurtz shares practical strategies on job costing, cash flow, and building a back office that actually supports growth.
COPE-ing with Overhead and Cost Codes
Discover the COPE method for smarter estimating and job costing. Learn how to track overhead, categorize costs, and increase profitability in your construction business.
It Is What It Is
In our latest episode, we sat down with Ryan Hansen of Sustainable 9 Design to talk about the realities of cost-plus vs. fixed-price building, the risks each model carries, and why high-end custom homebuilders like Sustainable 9 have leaned into cost-plus as their preferred approach.
The Key to Bigger Projects? Understanding Construction Bonds
Learn how construction bonding can help you win bigger projects, build credibility, and scale your business. In this episode of Builders, Budgets & Beers, Shayne Glass breaks down what it takes to get bonded and why strong financials are the key to unlocking new opportunities.
Why Builders Shouldn't Wait Until Tax Season to Get Their Finances in Order
Tax season shouldn’t be a last-minute scramble. In this episode of Builders, Budgets & Beers, we chat with Tim Savre about why staying on top of financials year-round helps builders avoid cash flow issues, improve profitability, and eliminate tax-time stress.
The Role and Importance of CFOs in Construction
We discussed the critical role CFOs play in construction in our latest episode of Builders, Budgets & Beers featuring Mark Phillips of V Fine Homes. Learn when to bring in a CFO, the differences between bookkeepers, controllers, and CFOs, and how financial leadership can drive business success.
Streamlining Cash Flow Management: Lessons from Hamed Homes
Discover how Hamed Homes streamlined cash flow management, improved vendor payments, and optimized job costs with real-time tracking and automation.
Aligning Back Office and Field for Growth
We sat down with Tonya Schulte of the Profit Constructors. Learn how contractors can streamline accounting, improve cash flow, and align teams for scalable growth with actionable tips from the 90-Day Remodel.
Spec Home Success: Expert Tips on Markets, Lots, and Calculated Risks
Learn spec home building strategies from Scott Turner and Amanda Trevino. Get expert tips on market research, evaluating lots, and taking calculated risks to grow your construction business while staying lean and profitable.
How to Grow Your Construction Business Without the Overhead
Discover how Dominick Thompson, founder of Watershed Builders, uses technology to streamline operations, maintain healthy cash flow, and grow his construction business with clarity and control. Learn actionable tips for real-time job costing, cash flow management, and building win-win partnerships.
Why Builders Must Embrace AI for Recruiting and Beyond
We sat down with Paul Sanneman, founder of Contractor Staffing Source and a straight-shooting industry veteran. Paul shared some tough love about where most builders are missing the mark on recruiting and how the industry is evolving with AI.
How Smart Operations Set Top Builders Apart
Learn how Levi Joseph of Ladisic Fine Homes stays competitive by streamlining back-office processes, building strong vendor relationships, and effectively managing costs. Practical insights for builders looking to improve efficiency and profitability.
Building Your Dream Construction Business: Practical Steps to Achieve Your Vision
Discover how to build a successful construction business by mastering the business side of the industry. Learn from Chris Atwood's insights on setting a vision, knowing your numbers, delegating, and leveraging community support to achieve growth and profitability.
Three Pillars for Successful Spec Home Building: Finances, Market Knowledge, and Investment
Learn the three pillars of successful spec home building—understanding the market, mastering your numbers, and securing the right investors. Insights from expert builder Scott Turner, with tips on how Adaptive helps manage project financials, control costs, and streamline change orders.
How Custom Builders Can Strengthen Project Financials from the Ground Up
Discover how custom home builders can strengthen project financials by focusing on document control, communication, and managing change orders. Learn insights from Nathan Marsala and how Adaptive’s tools streamline financial management to keep projects on time and on budget.
How to Leverage Purchase Orders to Stay On Time and On Budget
Discover how builders can leverage Purchase Orders (POs) to streamline projects, manage risks, and stay on budget. In this blog, Tyler Brabec, Founder of Brabec Custom Homes, shares how using POs has transformed his custom homebuilding business and how tools like Adaptive make managing POs easier than ever.
Four Stages of Financial Maturity for Builders
Discover the four stages of financial maturity for builders, as outlined by Luke Holcomb from Apparatus. Learn how to scale your construction business with strategic financial controls and long-term growth planning.
Mastering the Foundations of Construction Accounting: Chart of Accounts, Cost Coding, Markups, Margin, and More
Learn the fundamentals of construction accounting, including how to create a chart of accounts, calculate markups, and manage your profit margins. This guide helps builders understand their financials, price projects correctly, and boost profitability with clear, actionable steps.
The Vital Role of Liquidity in Speculative Building
Bryan Uhler, Owner of Pioneer Builders, emphasizes the importance of maintaining liquidity in speculative building, highlighting that it allows builders to weather market downturns, adapt strategies, and seize investment opportunities, ensuring financial stability and long-term success in the custom home building industry.
Cost Plus vs. Fixed Price Contracts: Breaking Down the Key Factors for Success in Construction Projects
In this episode of the Builders Budgets and Beers podcast we discuss the pros and cons of Fixed Price vs. Cost Plus building models in the construction industry. Builders Brad Robinson, President of Bradford Custom Homes & Remodeling, and Scott Bland, Owner of Jim Bland Construction, debate the merits of each approach, considering factors like risk, profit potential, overhead, client satisfaction, and quality control.
The Importance and Benefits of Approval Workflows in Construction
In the construction industry, managing scope creep, change orders, and unaccounted bills is crucial, especially when cash flow tightens towards the end of a project. Adam Martin of Martin Building Group emphasizes the importance of real-time approval workflows to avoid these issues. These workflows ensure that every bill is systematically reviewed and approved at multiple levels, leading to accurate job costing, timely decision-making, and prevention of costly mistakes, ultimately maintaining the project's financial and operational integrity.
Building a Competitive Advantage in Construction through Tight Financial Controls
Kalpana Oommen has achieved a 92% conversion rate in the competitive construction industry, even with the highest bids, by leveraging her precise project cost understanding and strong operational procedures. Early in her career, she revitalized a struggling company, driving it to $15 million in annual revenue through rigorous financial management, transparent communication, and integrity.
Work in Progress (”WIP”) Made Simple
Zack Kelly, founder of Home Builders Financial Partners, a specialized bookkeeping and accounting firm for luxury custom home builders, joined our podcast to discuss Work in Progress (WIP) reporting.
What Builders Need to Know About Debt
With his wealth of experience, Mark shared some valuable lessons around how to think about debt, which is often called “leverage” because it allows you to buy more stuff. In this post, we’re sharing three key factors to understand when evaluating whether you should take out debt.