The Builders Ladder: Business Growth Strategies for Residential Construction Businesses

The Professional Builder
  • 5.0 (2)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED DAILY

Welcome to The Builders Ladder, for residential builders and construction business owners who want to fast-track their results, scale their construction company, and create a systemized, profitable construction business. If you’re ready to free up your time, increase profit, and build a high-performing team, you’re in the right place. Your host, Marti Amos, has worked with over 5,000 building companies globally over the last 19+ years through builder coaching and proven business systems. His mission? To help you climb the builder’s ladder and run a predictable, high-margin construction business. Tune in to hear from industry experts and discover step-by-step strategies to become a strategic building business owner - and ultimately, achieve true wealth, time freedom, and financial freedom through your residential construction business.

  1. 6D AGO

    Epi 190: Why Hiring Carpenters To Estimate Is A Mistake

    Owen sits down with Haydn, founder of Price to Plan, who transitioned from running his own building company to managing a team of 25 staff and 18 estimators. Haydn shares the story of how a nine-month recovery from surgery forced him off the tools and into the office, where he realized most builders are reactive, stressed, and quoting jobs they actually hate. Haydn breaks down his "15 category" system for classifying project complexity and explains why he stopped hiring carpenters to do estimates and started hiring engineers instead. They also cover how to use "Love Letter" questions to filter out tire kickers and why getting a client to make a small time or emotional commitment upfront stops you from wasting weekends on free quotes. 🕒 Timestamped Key Points [02:37] The two biggest mistakes builders make: Reactive qualifying and rushing estimates [04:20] "I really don't want this job, but I need it" [07:30] The "Love Letter" question that filters out bad leads [12:30] Using Time, Emotional, and Financial micro-commitments [22:40] How a 9-month surgery recovery forced him off the tools [32:40] Why engineers make better estimators than carpenters [36:40] The 15-category system for project complexity *** The Professional Builder has helped over 3,100+ building companies around the world get more Profit, more Time and Succeed in Selling their Business. https://tinyurl.com/tpb-yt Subscribe to our channel for weekly, actionable insights. Tailored to help you grow a profitable construction business. Want to Join our coaching program? Or just speak to one of our team to see if it's the right fit for you? Hit the link below. Everything you need is there! https://tinyurl.com/tpb-yt https://www.facebook.com/groups/TPBmember: https://www.facebook.com/TheProfessionalBuilder See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    52 min

  2. FEB 9

    Epi 189: The Risk Of Ignoring AI In Construction (with Dmitry of Handoff AI)

    Owen sits down with Dmitry Alexin, founder of Handoff.ai, to discuss how artificial intelligence is finally fixing the most painful bottleneck in construction: estimating. Dmitry explains why "file cabinet" software is outdated and how AI agents can now handle the heavy lifting of back-office admin. They dive into the specific strategy of getting bids out faster, which is doubling close rates for builders. Dmitry reveals the dangers of using outdated pricing books (like RS Means) which can leave estimates off by hundreds of thousands of dollars. They also cover how to use detailed AI-generated scopes to charge premium fees for proposals instead of working for free. 🕒 Timestamped Key Points [03:00] Stop being an office admin: Delegate to AI agents [05:00] Why current software is just a "digital filing cabinet" [12:22] The danger of estimating with a physical book [16:50] How speed doubles your win rate [18:00] Why you don't need 100 leads if you fix conversion [19:20] How to charge $1,000 for a detailed bid [25:00] If your competitor uses AI and you don't, you lose   -   The Professional Builder has helped over 3,100+ building companies around the world get more Profit, more Time and Succeed in Selling their Business. https://info.theprofessionalbuilder.com/links Subscribe to our channel for weekly, actionable insights. Tailored to help you grow a profitable construction business. Want to Join our coaching program? Or just speak to one of our team to see if it's the right fit for you? Hit the link below. Everything you need is there! https://info.theprofessionalbuilder.com/links https://www.facebook.com/groups/TPBmember: https://www.facebook.com/TheProfessionalBuilder See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    35 min

  3. JAN 28

    Epi 188: How To Hit A 90% Quote Conversion Rate

    Marti sits down with Steve Glover from Paragon Homes in Toowoomba, Queensland. Steve shares his journey from battling in the "race to the bottom"—where the winner was whoever had the smallest number on the page—to running a high-end architectural building company with nearly $20M in revenue. Steve reveals the specific "Design Experience" model that allows him to charge a $3,300 prelim fee and achieve a massive 90% conversion rate. They also discuss the dangers of "margin creep," the importance of transparent cost-plus pricing, and the personal health wake-up call that saw Steve drop 14kg to get his energy back for the business. 🕒 Timestamped Key Points [09:26] The "Race to the Bottom" pricing trap [11:56] Why volume builder tactics (margin creep) destroy trust [14:56] Scrapping 50 plans to focus on custom design [16:44] Charging a $3,300 base fee for prelims [20:10] How to achieve a 90% conversion rate [21:28] The danger of running at 150% capacity [25:24] Using percentage-based overhead recovery [06:13] The health wake-up call: From 128kg to fit *** The Professional Builder has helped over 3,100+ building companies around the world get more Profit, more Time and Succeed in Selling their Business. https://linktr.ee/theprofessionalbuilder Subscribe to our channel for weekly, actionable insights. Tailored to help you grow a profitable construction business. Want to Join our coaching program? Or just speak to one of our team to see if it's the right fit for you? Hit the link below. Everything you need is there! https://linktr.ee/theprofessionalbuilder https://www.facebook.com/groups/TPBmember: https://www.facebook.com/TheProfessionalBuilder See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    41 min

  4. JAN 21

    Epi 187: Stop The Brain Drain: How To Keep Tradies In New Zealand

    Marti sits down at the Beehive with Chris Penk, New Zealand's Minister for Building and Construction, to tackle the regulatory roadblocks slowing down sites across the country. Chris discusses the government's push to make building faster, easier, and more affordable by attacking the root causes of council delays. They dive into the "three P's" of his agenda: People, Products, and Processes. Chris explains the plan to overhaul the liability model so councils aren't paralyzed by risk, forcing accountability back onto designers and engineers. He also covers the potential for AI to replace "old mate with a clipboard" in consenting, and the strategy to stop skilled tradies from leaving for Australia. 🕒 Timestamped Key Points [01:49] From Navy submarines to Parliament [04:38] The goal: Faster, affordable, easier building [06:16] Copying Australia: Learning from our neighbors [09:03] Why councils are scared of liability [10:43] Using AI to speed up consents [15:19] Why it is easier for councils to say "No" [21:28] Avoiding the "boom-bust" cycle [22:04] Addressing the "brain drain" to Australia [27:08] The problem with Personal Grievances (PGs)   - The Professional Builder has helped over 3,100+ building companies around the world get more Profit, more Time and Succeed in Selling their Business. https://linktr.ee/theprofessionalbuilder Subscribe to our channel for weekly, actionable insights. Tailored to help you grow a profitable construction business. Want to Join our coaching program? Or just speak to one of our team to see if it's the right fit for you? Hit the link below. Everything you need is there! https://linktr.ee/theprofessionalbuilder https://www.facebook.com/groups/TPBmember: https://www.facebook.com/TheProfessionalBuilder See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    32 min

  5. JAN 14

    Epi 186: Why "Word Of Mouth" Is A Dangerous Construction Business Model

    Marti sits down with Nick Avery from Avery Construction, a Victoria-based building company specializing in high-end architectural new builds ($2M–$4M+). Nick shares his journey from starting out "flying by the seat of his pants" after being denied a pay rise, to running a sophisticated operation that no longer relies on hope marketing. They discuss the massive bottleneck of estimating complex jobs and how Nick reduced his quoting time from 50 hours down to just 10 hours using a Quantity Surveyor (QS). Nick also reveals why he stopped relying on "word of mouth" and proactively targeted 25 local architects, and how implementing a "Default Diary" stopped the daily chaos of being "available all the time." 🕒 Timestamped Key Points [02:29] Starting the business after being denied a pay rise [08:40] Why staying in the office stops "lag" on site [12:00] Current margins: 22% markup vs 12.5-15% cost plus [13:05] Why 95% "word of mouth" is a bad business model [13:35] The strategy: Sending "Wow Packs" to 25 local architects [15:51] Cutting quoting time from 50 hours to 10 hours using a QS [16:30] The value of a QS report labeled "A to Z" [19:25] Advice for stuck builders: "Be a sponge"   -   The Professional Builder has helped over 3,100+ building companies around the world get more Profit, more Time and Succeed in Selling their Business. https://linktr.ee/theprofessionalbuilder Subscribe to our channel for weekly, actionable insights. Tailored to help you grow a profitable construction business. Want to Join our coaching program? Or just speak to one of our team to see if it's the right fit for you? Hit the link below. Everything you need is there! https://linktr.ee/theprofessionalbuilder https://www.facebook.com/groups/TPBmember: https://www.facebook.com/TheProfessionalBuilder See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    21 min

  6. JAN 7

    Epi 185: Stop "Guessing" Labor Hours: How To Fix Massive Profit Leaks (With Martin & Helen)

    Marti sits down with Martin and Helen, a father-daughter team from NFL Construction in Auckland. Martin opens up about the brutal reality of a rapid growth phase where the business went from 3 to 20 staff, resulting in mistakes that cost "close to a million dollars." They discuss the specific pricing disaster where a fixed-price project estimated at 8,000 hours blew out to 13,000 hours. Martin and Helen reveal how they stripped the business back to a lean contractor model to slash overheads, implemented rigorous back-costing systems, and now use physical "Lookbooks" to win high-end work without competing on price. 🕒 Timestamped Key Points [01:31] From landscaping to commercial decking contracts [03:00] Family dynamics: "Whatever doesn't involve a hammer, I do" [11:11] The growth trap: Scaling to 20 staff and losing $1M [14:40] The blowout: Allowing 8,000 hours for a 13,000-hour job [16:29] Using WonderBuild for real-time back costing [27:00] Losing a job by $80k to a builder who "starts Monday" [27:40] Marketing pivot: Using "Lookbooks" to prove value [30:51] Winning high-end work without price resistance [33:28] Moving beyond "the accounts lady" label [39:16] The goal: Hitting $10M turnover by 2029 The Professional Builder has helped over 3,100+ building companies around the world get more Profit, more Time and Succeed in Selling their Business. https://linktr.ee/theprofessionalbuilder Subscribe to our channel for weekly, actionable insights. Tailored to help you grow a profitable construction business. Want to Join our coaching program? Or just speak to one of our team to see if it's the right fit for you? Hit the link below. Everything you need is there! https://linktr.ee/theprofessionalbuilder https://www.facebook.com/groups/TPBmember: https://www.facebook.com/TheProfessionalBuilder See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    44 min

  7. 12/19/2025

    Epi 184: What the Acting Prime Minister of New Zealand say about “Bad Employees” - David Seymour

    Marti sits down with David Seymour, Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand and Leader of the ACT Party, inside the Beehive. David opens up about his background in an electrical contracting family, learning early on that "you come in at the end of the job when most of the screw-ups are already made." They discuss the "unbalanced relationship" of current employment laws, where employers face massive risks just to part ways with underperforming staff. David explains why he believes "no one really knows very much" and why the government needs to stop promising to build 100,000 houses and start letting businesses use "trial and error" to succeed. He also shares the success of Charter Schools (like Vanguard) and why removing rigid union contracts was the key to their performance. 🕒 Timestamped Key Points [01:42] Background: Recovering electrical engineer in a contracting family [02:00] The reality of construction: "Copper prices" and "screw-ups" [03:05] The philosophy: "No one really knows very much" [04:44] Winning power without promising "other people's money" [10:26] Charter Schools: Why Vanguard Military School works [13:15] Union contracts vs. Accountability: The Anzac Day example [21:37] The "Bad Relationship": Why firing someone costs $20k [22:09] Why more security for employees means fewer job choices [26:18] Government as a "Better Owner": Do we need to own a radio station? [33:12] Why governments fail when they try to "pick winners"   - Our construction business coaching has helped 2,500+ building companies succeed. Subscribe to The Builder’s Ladder Podcast for weekly, actionable insights — tailored to help you grow a profitable construction business.   Follow TPB for more: 👥 FB Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/professionalbuilder 📸 Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/theprofessionalbuilder/ 🖥️ Get your business health audit + free resources (including website audit) here – https://www.theprofessionalbuilder.com 🚀 Head to https://tpb.tools/pod-call to book your FREE strategy session. 📈 Resources For Builders – https://tpb.tools/resources   https://www.facebook.com/groups/TPBmember: https://www.facebook.com/TheProfessionalBuilder See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    42 min

  8. 12/17/2025

    Epi 183: From "10% of 10 Tasks" To Getting It Done: The Default Diary System (With Jamie & Brady)

    Marti sits down with Jamie and Brady, best mates and founders of a Brisbane-based bathroom renovation company. They share their journey from running separate sole trader businesses to joining forces over a "drunken conversation" and building a specialized renovation brand. They discuss the harsh reality of their first year where they acted more like a "marketing agency" than a building company—spending big to block in jobs but realizing at the end of the year they had nothing to show for it. Jamie and Brady reveal how they cut their overheads, implemented a strict "Default Diary" to stop the chaos, and shifted from being "good builders" to actual business owners. They also break down their specific tiered pricing model (marking up jobs under $50k by 60%) and how they are scaling to 13 jobs starting in the new year. 🕒 Timestamped Key Points [02:18] Joining forces over a "drunken conversation" [04:40] The first year mistake: Acting like a "marketing agency" [05:28] First fix: Recalculating overheads and "spending minimization" [07:03] Tiered pricing: 60% markup on jobs under $50k [08:23] Leadership: Getting subbies to provide solutions (PSR) [10:52] The "Default Diary": From doing "10% of 10 tasks" to completion [12:01] Why the 10-step sales process is a "Bible" [14:32] Scaling to 13 jobs in the new year [16:00] Future goal: Expanding down the coastline - Our construction business coaching has helped 2,500+ building companies succeed. Subscribe to The Builder’s Ladder Podcast for weekly, actionable insights — tailored to help you grow a profitable construction business. Follow TPB for more: 👥 FB Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/professionalbuilder 📸 Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/theprofessionalbuilder/ 🖥️ Get your business health audit + free resources (including website audit) here – https://www.theprofessionalbuilder.com 🚀 Head to https://tpb.tools/pod-call to book your FREE strategy session. 📈 Resources For Builders – https://tpb.tools/resources   https://www.facebook.com/groups/TPBmember: https://www.facebook.com/TheProfessionalBuilder See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    17 min
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About

Welcome to The Builders Ladder, for residential builders and construction business owners who want to fast-track their results, scale their construction company, and create a systemized, profitable construction business. If you’re ready to free up your time, increase profit, and build a high-performing team, you’re in the right place. Your host, Marti Amos, has worked with over 5,000 building companies globally over the last 19+ years through builder coaching and proven business systems. His mission? To help you climb the builder’s ladder and run a predictable, high-margin construction business. Tune in to hear from industry experts and discover step-by-step strategies to become a strategic building business owner - and ultimately, achieve true wealth, time freedom, and financial freedom through your residential construction business.

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