The Good Builder Podcast

The Good Builder
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This week in home building news! Catch up with Az and a colourful array of guests, to hear about who's killing it, who's innovating, and who's getting into strife in the world of new home construction.

  1. 19h ago

    The Daily Dose #345 | Sacked Before the Ambulance Arrived: Carrick from HazardCo on What Site Safety Really Costs

    At 23, Carrick was installing aerials when the ladder slipped out from under him. He fell two storeys onto a concrete driveway, broke vertebrae in his back and his wrist, and lost his job before the ambulance had picked him up off the ground. Six months off work. His mum washing him in the shower. Two decades on, that fall is why he does what he does. Now National Enterprise Manager at HazardCo, Carrick joins Az for what Az calls the darkest episode The Good Builder has recorded, and one of the most important. They get into: - Why the real damage of an incident is what comes after it, for families, crews and builders, sometimes for decades- Psychosocial risk, the safety category most builders haven't heard of yet, and why it's on its way to being mandated- Why leadership, not paperwork, is what actually makes a site safe- Toolbox talks done in minutes: take a photo, turn on voice to text, done- Az's own near miss, one step from a dropped crane load National Safety Month runs in October, and HazardCo will be right in the middle of it. Az's challenge to every builder listening: if you trust what we tell you, do something about your safety this month. HazardCo's details are in the links below. We work in an industry where bad luck doesn't pay off well. Everyone should go home safe at the end of the day. #thegoodbuilder #constructionindustry #australianbuilding #buildingbusiness #sitesafety #constructionsafety #hazardco #nationalsafetymonth #healthandsafety #whs #safetyleadership #buildersofaustralia

    The Daily Dose #345 | Sacked Before the Ambulance Arrived: Carrick from HazardCo on What Site Safety Really Costs

  2. 2d ago

    The Daily Dose #344 | The Pulse Trial Results Are In: Faster Fixes, Team Visibility and an Industry Benchmark

    Most builders only find out a customer is unhappy once it has already cost them. At the end of the build, in a Google review, or in the dreaded Facebook groups. And the referral goes with it. This week Az unpacks The Pulse by Australian Building Research and shares results from the builder trials that have been running quietly in the background. One short text at each stage of the build. Deposit, slab, frame, handover. Every reply lands in a live dashboard so you know exactly who to ask for a review, who to call, and what to fix. Then he gets into the three things most people don't know it does. It chases every issue until the loop is closed. Not quarterly reporting, a live workflow. A score drops, a recovery case opens, someone owns it, the outcome gets logged. Builders on the trials reported responding to issues 3.2 to 3.5 times faster.It reads your team and their workload. Communication, quality and care scores show who is driving a great experience and who needs a hand. One builder spotted a supervisor carrying too much, reallocated the work, and watched the scores lift.It benchmarks you against the industry. Every builder on the platform is measured on the same independent scale, so you can see where you sit at every stage rather than tracking against gut feel.Az also shares the strategy behind it all: the same customer experience approach he ran at GJ Gardner Homes during the Most Trusted Builder campaign. Whether you use the platform or not, the message is the same. Measure the experience, close the loop, and know how you stack up. Links below to take a look at The Pulse. View The Pulse #thegoodbuilder #constructionindustry #buildingbusiness #australianbuilding #customerexperience #homebuilders

  3. 5d ago

    The Daily Dose #343 | James Drever: How QA Build Became the Fastest Growing Builder in Queensland

    James Drever started as a chippy on the coast. Today he is CEO of QA Build, the fastest growing builder in Queensland, running more than 15 live projects across Australia with thousands of builds underneath them. In this episode, James joins Az to unpack how they did it. The philosophy is simple. See a roadblock, remove the roadblock, take control of the roadblock. When suppliers could not deliver, QA Build bought them. Their solar, electrical, air conditioning and cabinetry businesses now all sit in house, including a cabinetry operation that grew from 15 staff to more than 55, producing 60 to 70 kitchens a month with robotics on the floor. James and Az cover: - The journey from the tools to CEO, via national building manager at Gem Life- Why QA Build partnered with CSQ to launch its own trade college, and what the industry loses in 30 years if nobody captures the knowledge walking out the door- The family philosophy behind the QA name: if it is not good enough for our own, it is not good enough for our clients- Holding the quality bar above the industry standard while building at scale- Why they are putting on a race day for their trades, and what most builders get wrong about subbie relationships- James's answer to the signature question: what makes a good builder? The Good Builder is Australia's construction industry media platform. Free for the builder community. #thegoodbuilder #constructionindustry #australianbuilding

    The Daily Dose #343 | James Drever: How QA Build Became the Fastest Growing Builder in Queensland

  4. Sep 15

    The Daily Dose #342 | Why Has the Building Market Gone Quiet? Plus Bathla, Tiny Homes & Ausbuild

    Why does the building market suddenly feel quieter? Builders across Australia are reporting slower enquiries, longer decision times and clients holding off on signing contracts. In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Az looks at what may be driving that hesitation — including interest rates, consumer confidence, construction finance, affordability and the growing gap between housing approvals and actual building contracts. The key point is that housing demand has not disappeared. But clients are taking longer to make major financial decisions, and that delay can have a significant impact on builder pipelines, pre-construction, cash flow and project scheduling. Az also breaks down three important industry stories. First, the fallout from the Bathla Group collapse and what the administration process could mean for subcontractors and suppliers further down the creditor queue. Then, a New South Wales court decision involving a tiny home on wheels — and why calling something a caravan does not necessarily remove planning and land-use requirements. Finally, the episode looks at Sekisui Chemical’s move to acquire a controlling 51% stake in Queensland builder Ausbuild, and what Japanese manufacturing and industrialised construction knowledge could potentially bring to the Australian residential building market. For builders, the message is not to panic or start discounting work. In a more cautious market, knowing your numbers, managing your pipeline, tightening pre-construction and giving prospective clients greater certainty becomes even more important. In this episode: Why builders are reporting slower enquiriesWhat consumer confidence means for residential constructionWhy approvals do not automatically translate into contractsInterest rates, affordability and delayed building decisionsThe impact of longer sales cycles on builder cash flowWhat the Bathla administration could mean for subcontractors and suppliersTiny homes, caravans and planning lawSekisui Chemical’s investment in AusbuildPrefabrication and industrialised home constructionConstruction finance and project feasibilityWhy builders should avoid discounting simply to stay busyHow trust and certainty can help hesitant clients make decisions References:Chris Baskerville Podcast on BathlaA Tiny Home on Wheels Was Ruled a Caravan and Still Lost. Planning Law Follows the Use, Not the Structure.Sekisui Chemical Buys 51 Per Cent of Ausbuild, Bringing Japanese Factory Housing Into Queensland’s Private Market Sponsors:A big thank you to our sponsor, Australian Business Research for being the sponsor of this podcast. Check out their platform The Pulse that will keep you ahead of the game: https://australianbuildingresearch.com.au/the-pulse-cep

  5. Sep 13

    The Daily Dose #341 | The Bathla Collapse: What Subbies and Suppliers Need to Know Now With Insolvency Expert Chris Baskerville

    This episode belongs to you. When the $3.4 billion Bathla Group collapse hit, we emailed every builder and tradie in our community and asked one thing: what do you actually want to know? The questions came in fast, and some of them were spicy. Where did the money went is one thing. Whether the administrators always get paid while you get nothing is another. So we put them straight to insolvency practitioner Chris Baskerville of Jirsch Sutherland, the leading voice on this collapse across the national media. Ten questions from real subbies, suppliers and builders. Chris only saw five in advance. The rest he answered cold. No filtered corporate answers. Just the questions you asked: whether the money owed to you is coming back, how to work out your exposure, what the second meeting of creditors decides, how to check any builder or developer before you sign with them, and what to do this week if you're feeling the pinch. This is the first episode built entirely from your questions, and it won't be the last. Chris returns after the administrators' report drops to decode it in plain language. If you've got a question for that one, reply to any of our emails or get in touch. We'll put it to him. Learn more about Jirsch Sutherland: https://www.jirschsutherland.com.au/ Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by MyConstruct, the job management software built for Aussie builders and tradies. Start your free 30-day trial at myconstruct.com with your CODE: GOODBUILDER #thegoodbuilder #constructionindustry #australianbuilding

  6. Sep 10

    The Daily Dose #340 | AI and Marketing for Builders with Vinnie Vecchio (The Professional Builder): Fill Your Pipeline 12 Months Ahead

    Every builder is being told AI will change their business. Vinnie Vecchio is one of the few actually showing them how. Vinnie leads the coaching team at The Professional Builder, working with hundreds of builders across Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US. He joins Az ahead of the AI and Marketing Summit for Builders, on at The Star, Gold Coast, 15 and 16 October, where The Good Builder Podcast will be recording live. In this episode: - The real difference between a tradesperson and a business owner, and why your business can't grow if your identity doesn't- Why The Professional Builder coaches the person first and the problem second- The five levers you can pull before a job is even priced to lift your margin: positioning, marketing, sales, pricing and contracts- How to fill your pipeline at least 12 months in advance with profitable projects, and why you never stop marketing- The five levels of AI adoption, from a free ChatGPT subscription through to AI agents that work like team members- Simple AI wins any builder can set up today: a morning brief, inbox triage, quote follow ups, client updates and bookkeeping- The three new AI tools launching at the summit that build your offer, your lead magnet and your ad copy for you- Why every summit day includes a structured implementation session, so you walk out with the work done, not just a page of notes- Vinnie's answer to the question we ask every guest: what makes a good builder? Get $200 off your summit ticket with The Good Builder: https://event.theprofessionalbuilder.com/Gold-Coast-Summit-OCT2026?discount_code=GOODBUILDER Coming to the summit? Email admin@thegoodbuilder.com.au and we'll get you on the couch at our live recording.

    The Daily Dose #340 | AI and Marketing for Builders with Vinnie Vecchio (The Professional Builder): Fill Your Pipeline 12 Months Ahead

  7. Sep 8

    The Daily Dose #339 | Johno The Plumber: Saying What The Industry Won't

    He's one of the fastest growing construction profiles on Instagram, because he's saying what most of the industry won't. Johno The Plumber (real name Robert Cragg) has spent 24 years in the trade and runs Cragg Plumbing & Drainage in Melbourne, working across commercial and domestic. In this episode he sits down with Az to talk about the stuff that actually needs saying: falling standards, missing accountability, care factor between trades, and how we bring apprentices up instead of writing them off. Rob doesn't point the finger without pointing it at himself first. From copping a lesson from the ATO as a young subbie, to sitting in front of five directors and agreeing his work wasn't good enough — his message is simple. Failure is your best teacher, and integrity is what makes a good builder. In this episode: Why the older generation leaving is the industry's biggest threatThe Cassandra effect — why nobody listens until it's too lateCare factor: the real reason trades cost each other moneyWhat it takes to build apprentices into future leadersThe one word that makes a good builder Follow Rob:https://www.instagram.com/johno__the_plumber/[https://www.instagram.com/cragg_plumbing_and_drainage/ This episode is proudly sponsored by MyConstruct — built by Australian builders, for Australian builders. Get a 30-day trial at myconstruct.com with CODE: GOODBUILDER The Good Builder is Australia's independent construction industry media platform. Free for the builder community.https://linktr.ee/TheGoodBuilder #thegoodbuilder #constructionindustry #australianbuilding #plumbing #tradie

    The Daily Dose #339 | Johno The Plumber: Saying What The Industry Won't

  8. Sep 6

    The Daily Dose #338 | Where Did All the Prompt Engineers Go? 4 AI Features Builders Are Already Paying For

    Two years ago, prompt engineering was going to be the six-figure job of the future and blokes were buying Mac Minis to run AI agents next to the drop saw. Both gone — not because AI was a fad, but because the platforms built it all in. If you're paying for ChatGPT or Claude, you're probably using about 10% of it. This week, Az walks through the other 90%: four features already sitting in your subscription that can genuinely help your building business — this week, not someday. In this episode: Agent mode (Claude Cowork / ChatGPT agent mode) — the spec-vs-quote check: one question that finds unpriced work in a 90-page spec before you sign a fixed-price contract, plus how to rank tenders by riskScheduled tasks — the Monday 6am DA report that pulls every development application in your council area into a spreadsheet while you're still in bed. Every DA is a future job.Image & video generation — ending the "I can't picture it" conversation at the kitchen table with skillion-vs-gable concepts on the spot, and the hard rule: never pass off AI images as your finished workMemory & projects — set up a client comms project with five of your real emails and every draft your team sends sounds like your business, every time. No $3k/month agency required.Pick one. Try it this week. And if your Mac Mini is holding down invoices, you're in good company. How-to videos for all four are coming on TGB socials this week. Know a builder, tradie or supplier who'd get something out of this? Send it their way.

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This week in home building news! Catch up with Az and a colourful array of guests, to hear about who's killing it, who's innovating, and who's getting into strife in the world of new home construction.

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  • Creator
    The Good Builder
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    345
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Good Builder
  • Show Website
    The Good Builder Podcast