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The Builders, Budgets, and Beers Podcast is on a mission to make project financials less intimidating for commercial and residential builders. We aim to give builders the confidence to take control of their business’ cash flow by bringing on relatable guests who share real stories of financial wins and losses from their journeys in the building industry.
Produced by the team at Adaptive, this podcast is here to help builders build smarter—one budget, one story and one beer at a time.
50 Episodes
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Builder and tech veteran Per Pettersson discusses how project management and financial clarity are essential for success and efficiency in the construction industry. Drawing on his experience, he shares strategies for better planning, cost tracking, and communication to deliver projects on time and improve client satisfaction. https://www.linmakconstruction.com Show Notes: Background and Introduction of Per Pettersson (0:00) Transition from Tech to Construction (6:46) Challenges and Opport...
Paul Atherton shares why most builders stall until they make an identity shift—from “in-the-field” carpenter to business owner—and how to use return on time vs. return on capital to scale. He breaks down hiring that first PM, simple systems, the five levels to a self-managed company, branding that actually works, the Four C’s (coaching, community, content, capital), and setting anti-goals so growth doesn’t cost your life. https://www.highspire.com Show Notes: Introduction and Background of...
Andrea Gallion shares how builders can use Work-in-Progress reporting, real-time job costing, and clean month-end processes to actually see where their projects stand and protect profit. She and Reece dig into invoices and pay apps, QuickBooks realities, retainage, and percent-complete so you can spot over- and under-billing early and keep cash moving. https://melton-melton.com Video Notes: 00:00 Processing invoices and pay apps 00:54 Meet Andrea Gallion 06:13 Month end and reconcilin...
Suman Cherry shares a no-BS playbook for hiring in construction. We get into the real cost of losing A-players, the first hires that buy back your time, and how SOPs, EOS-style accountability, and regulated leadership create capacity - not chaos. https://cherrytalentgroup.com Show Notes: 00:00 Intro and who Suman is 02:02 Headhunter fees versus hourly recruiting 04:45 Values and EQ over resumes 07:52 SOPs and onboarding to reduce chaos 12:29 Why A players q...
Allison O’Baker and Priscilla Thomasevich share how a CFO–CPA duo helps builders organize their books, budget with intent, and protect margins. We dig into chart of accounts vs. cost codes, fixed vs. variable spend, tax levers and accounting methods (cash, accrual, completed-contract), and when to lean on a bookkeeper, controller, or CFO. Connect with: Allison O'Baker: https://aodataflow.com Priscilla Thomasevich: https://sawgrasscpa.com Show Notes: 0:00 Cold open: why money talk ...
Cody & Kristen Dawson share how Patriot Custom Homes grew from a COVID-era handyman hustle into a legit remodel-to-custom operation—with corporate skills, clear lanes, and real systems doing the heavy lifting. They get into the spouse-run dynamics, hiring and delegation, and the call between doing a spec to show your chops or waiting on the right custom client. PatriotHomesTx.com Show Notes: 00:00 Cold open & intros 01:09 Meet Cody & Kristen Dawson (Patriot Custom Homes) 05:...
Operations pro Angie Aki joins Reece to demystify payroll tax savings, W-2 vs 1099 trade-offs, benefits that actually help retention, and the liability/insurance pieces builders overlook. We finish with a simple action plan—clean AR, right retirement setup, and a smarter way to pay yourself. https://angieaki.com Show Notes: 0:00 Welcome and who’s Angie 4:25 From “Go Ask Angie” to operations pro 5:54 Payroll taxes and benefits most builders miss 6:49 W-2 vs 1099: true costs ...
Brady Fenn shares how Fenn Rogers went from “tearing up floors” to a trusted luxury custom home builder in the Phoenix area by partnering with the right designers/architects and bidding to the actual spec, not the plan assumptions. He shares hard-won lessons on fixing budget misses, building a dependable subs bench, and using clear expectations and communication to keep clients confident through an imperfect, first-time build. https://www.fennrogers.com Show Notes: 00:00 Welcome + wha...
Victor Rybak shares how he moved from “bags-on” to building systems that protect profit—covering fixed price vs cost-plus, change orders, retainers, and allowances that don’t burn you. He also breaks down the House Pro workflow for bids, selections, invoicing, and job-cost clarity so builders stop giving away work and start pricing like a real business. https://simplyhomebuilders.com Show Notes: 0:00 Welcome & why this show exists 4:46 From bags-on to the office—why Victor changed lane...
Gabe Joseph shares how getting past ego made him a better builder—leaning into curiosity, standardizing specs, and scaling without bloat. We dig into procurement, margins, architect fit, permitting, and the upstream moves that erase change orders. https://www.jdbatx.com Show Notes: 0:00 Cold open — curiosity as the builder's edge 1:01 Gabe's background and Austin roots 6:08 Specs over one-offs: standardization that scales 10:36 Procurement: high-design without high cost 14:27 Margins, materi...
Tyler Grace shares how he shifted from over-delivering to running a lean, profitable small-shop—tracking every hour, pricing for reality, and choosing lifestyle over headcount. He breaks down T&M vs cost-plus in plain English, why “good enough” (when scoped) beats burnout, and how to design a business that actually pays you back. http://trghomeconcepts.com Find more of Tyler at "The Modern Craftsman" podcast: https://www.moderncraftsman.co Show Notes: 0:00 Good enough finally clic...
Adam Copenhaver shares how Cope Grand scaled from small cottages to ultra-luxury builds in Charleston by systematizing pre-construction, translating “ankle-grabber” chaos into clear scopes, and making budgets readable to clients. He dives into cost code organization, lessons from the COVID lumber spike, working with owner’s reps, and how he uses Buildertrend to keep accountability visible. https://www.copegrandhomes.com Show Notes: 0:00 What we’re tackling today 4:15 How high-end builds work ...
Trent Waldrop shares how confusing cash flow with profit can quietly sink a small builder—and why ruthless job costing is the only way to know if you’re actually making money. He breaks down moving from 75–80% cost capture to billing every line item (even the $25 ones), hitting budgets within ~5%, and choosing the right pricing model so you can net 10–12% (or better) on $200–$400K homes. https://waldropcompany.com Show Notes: 0:00 Hitting Budget Within 5% on Every Build 9:17 Building Homes ...
Would you jump on a plane if the pilot didn’t understand their cockpit dials? Randy Stanbury of 4 Level Coach shares how builders and remodelers can stop “flying blind” by mastering financial literacy, building systems, and creating a clear vision. Learn the steps to free yourself from day-to-day operations while scaling profitably. https://4levelcoach.com Show Notes: Opening Analogy & Randy’s Background (0:00) Breaking Down the Four Level Success System (2:53) Why Builders Struggle to Tr...
In this episode of Builders, Budgets & Beers, Reece sits down with Owen Drury of Bricks & Bytes to tackle the pressure from big-tech clients demanding lightning-fast delivery. They dig into UK vs. US timelines, the surge in HVAC/heat-pump installs, the chaos of forecasting & retainage, and how offsite prefab + AI-powered tools are turning 24-month schedules into predictable, profitable builds. https://bricks-bytes.com Show Notes: Welcome & Quick Intros (00:00) HVAC Boom ...
Chloe Brown, founder of Wildest Dreams, discusses the importance of accurate job costing and financial tracking in construction. She highlights that many builders fail to recoup thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars per job due to inadequate financial management. Brown emphasizes the value of using tools like Adaptive for better integration and efficiency, noting that Adaptive's user interface significantly outperforms QuickBooks. She also stresses the significance of optimizing the A...
Jake Bruton, from Aarow Building, talks about the painful $180,000 lesson that forced him to completely rethink his construction business pricing model. Learn how moving from fixed fee to cost plus saved his company, improved client relationships, and created a more transparent, financially sound business approach. This episode is a must-listen for builders looking to protect their profits and build trust with clients. https://www.aarowbuilding.com Find Our Hosts: Reece Barnes Matt Calvano ...
Rudy Marroquin, founder of Atlas Homes in Austin, joins Reece to break down how he went from a $500 startup budget to building luxury homes in Montecito and Malibu. Rudy shares how vertical integration, strategic hiring, and cultural fluency helped him cut costs, maintain quality, and scale fast — including flying his Texas crews out to California to keep margins tight. Whether you're just starting or looking to systematize and scale, Rudy's no-BS insight is packed with practical lessons and ...
Thomas Joseph, co-founder of Joseph Design Build, joins Reece to talk about moving from high-end custom infill homes to building at scale—with intention. He walks through how getting out of the “just wing it” mindset and leaning into systems, numbers, and rhythms changed how he runs his business—and why clarity is the difference between having a job and building an actual company. https://jdbatx.com Show Notes: Introduction and Background of Thomas Joseph (0:00) Challenges and Market Co...
Custom builder Will King of High Cotton Homes shares hard-earned lessons on how to actually make money in construction. From markup vs. margin to pre-con agreements and spotting bad clients early, this episode is packed with real talk and tactical advice for builders who want to run a profitable business. https://www.highcotton-homes.com Show Notes: Introduction and Overview of High Cotton Homes (0:00) Will King's Journey from Fireman to Builder (3:18) Joining the Southern Living Cust...
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