Hammer & Grind : Built For Contractors

Empower your contracting business with vital tips on managing change orders, improving contractor profit, and addressing scope creep issues. From contractor marketing to business transition and cash flow management, this podcast delivers expert contractor advice and practical solutions for contractor business challenges. Elevate your contractor confidence and profit through effective decision-making and execution.In this episode, Brad talks about:The significance of executing decisions swiftly to gain a competitive edge.Understanding opportunity costs and the impact of indecision on your business.Practical strategies for setting decision deadlines and overcoming fear of failure.Real-life examples of how quick decision-making has led to success in Brad's own business.Join our new community on Skool: https://www.contractorprofitblueprint.skool.comGet your free ebook and labor burden worksheet for the first 100 sign-ups!Grab my free job costing worksheet and start job costing every job right away.https://go.hammercrm.com/widget/form/4Bws6E9GGX0RZPoED1bnWant to go deeper?Check out the Contractor Profit Blueprint: https://www.thecontractorprofitblueprint.com/Book a strategy call with Brad: https://hammerandgrind.com/qualification-websiteEnjoying the podcast? Visit our website at https://www.hammerandgrindpodcast.com for the latest episodes, resources, and more.Have a question, story, or topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a message here: https://www.hammerandgrindpodcast.com/voicemail.We'd love to hear from you, and your message could be featured on a future episode!Help us get the word out to other contractors by leaving us a review or sharing our podcast!

Discover the inspiring business transition journey of Cameron Matteucci as he masters kitchen remodeling and builds contractor profit through focused contractor advice and project management strategies. Learn how narrowing your niche and effective business transition can lead to remodeling success and contractor profit boost.In this episode, Brad talks about:Transitioning from handyman to kitchen remodelingThe importance of niching down in businessBuilding strong relationships with subcontractorsThe impact of client demographics on pricingThe benefits of streamlined systems in a focused business modelOvercoming the fear of change and saying no to certain jobsLinks to resourcesConnect with Cameron at Redtail RenovationsJoin our new community on Skool: https://www.contractorprofitblueprint.skool.comGet your free ebook and labor burden worksheet for the first 100 sign-ups!Grab my free job costing worksheet and start job costing every job right away.https://go.hammercrm.com/widget/form/4Bws6E9GGX0RZPoED1bnWant to go deeper?Check out the Contractor Profit Blueprint: https://www.thecontractorprofitblueprint.com/Book a strategy call with Brad: https://hammerandgrind.com/qualification-websiteEnjoying the podcast? Visit our website at https://www.hammerandgrindpodcast.com for the latest episodes, resources, and more.Have a question, story, or topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a message here: https://www.hammerandgrindpodcast.com/voicemail.We'd love to hear from you, and your message could be featured on a future episode!Help us get the word out to other contractors by leaving us a review or sharing our podcast!

Contractors face significant profit leaks due to scope creep. This episode breaks down practical solutions including clear change order processes, tracking free work, and managing client expectations to boost your bottom line.In this episode, Brad talks about:What scope creep is and how it happensThe hidden costs associated with extra workStrategies to prevent scope creep without alienating your customersThe importance of having a clear change order processTips for training your team to handle customer requests effectivelyLinks to resourcesJoin our new community on Skool: https://www.contractorprofitblueprint.skool.comGet your free ebook and labor burden worksheet for the first 100 sign-ups!Grab my free job costing worksheet and start job costing every job right away.https://go.hammercrm.com/widget/form/4Bws6E9GGX0RZPoED1bnWant to go deeper?Check out the Contractor Profit Blueprint: https://www.thecontractorprofitblueprint.com/Book a strategy call with Brad: https://hammerandgrind.com/qualification-websiteEnjoying the podcast? Visit our website at https://www.hammerandgrindpodcast.com for the latest episodes, resources, and more.Have a question, story, or topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a message here: https://www.hammerandgrindpodcast.com/voicemail.We'd love to hear from you, and your message could be featured on a future episode!Help us get the word out to other contractors by leaving us a review or sharing our podcast!

If you’re paying an employee $30 an hour, they don’t actually cost your construction business $30 an hour.In this episode of the Hammer & Grind Podcast, Brad Huebner breaks down how contractors can calculate their true labor costs and use the right labor burden rate to protect their profit margins. Your employee’s hourly wage is only one part of the total cost. Payroll taxes, workers’ compensation, employee benefits, paid time off, training, meetings, and other non-productive paid hours can significantly increase what that employee actually costs your business.You’ll learn how to:Calculate your true labor burden rateSeparate employee wages from total labor costsAccount for payroll taxes and workers’ compensationFactor in employee benefits and other direct labor costsCalculate the cost of non-productive paid timeDetermine your true cost per productive hourUnderstand the difference between markup and gross profit marginAvoid underpricing labor on construction estimatesIdentify hidden labor-related profit leaksPrice your labor correctly across multiple employees and crewsIf you’re a contractor who wants better construction estimating, stronger profit margins, and a clearer understanding of what your employees actually cost your business, this episode is a must-listen.Get the Labor Burden Worksheet:Use the worksheet to calculate your labor burden rate and understand your true labor cost per hour, day, week, month, and year. The worksheet can also help you calculate costs for different employee teams and crews.Links to resourcesGrab my free job costing worksheet and start job costing every job right away.https://go.hammercrm.com/widget/form/4Bws6E9GGX0RZPoED1bnWant to go deeper?Check out the Contractor Profit Blueprint: https://www.thecontractorprofitblueprint.com/Book a strategy call with Brad: https://hammerandgrind.com/qualification-websiteEnjoying the podcast? Visit our website at https://www.hammerandgrindpodcast.com for the latest episodes, resources, and more.Have a question, story, or topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a message here: https://www.hammerandgrindpodcast.com/voicemail.We'd love to hear from you, and your message could be featured on a future episode!Help us get the word out to other contractors by leaving us a review or sharing our podcast!

What if your contracting business is losing money before your crew ever steps onto the job site? A job doesn’t always become unprofitable during production. Sometimes, the profit was already gone the moment you sold it.In this episode, Brad talks about:The importance of accurate job costingCommon estimating mistakes: guessing labor and material costsUnderstanding true labor burden ratesThe impact of non-productive time on project timelinesThe dangers of pricing based on competitionThe necessity of a clear scope of workStrategies to avoid discounting correct estimatesLinks to resourcesGrab my free job costing worksheet and start job costing every job right away.https://go.hammercrm.com/widget/form/4Bws6E9GGX0RZPoED1bnWant to go deeper?Check out the Contractor Profit Blueprint: https://www.thecontractorprofitblueprint.com/Book a strategy call with Brad: https://hammerandgrind.com/qualification-websiteEnjoying the podcast? Visit our website at https://www.hammerandgrindpodcast.com for the latest episodes, resources, and more.Have a question, story, or topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a message here: https://www.hammerandgrindpodcast.com/voicemail.We'd love to hear from you, and your message could be featured on a future episode!Help us get the word out to other contractors by leaving us a review or sharing our podcast!

You can be bringing in more revenue and still wonder where all the money went. For contractors, profit doesn’t always disappear because of one big mistake. Sometimes, it leaks out through bad pricing, scope creep, underbidding, wasted time, poor job costing, change orders, and other small issues that quietly add up.In this episode, Brad talks about:The difference between revenue and profitBad pricing strategiesFully burdened labor ratesScope creep and its impactThe costs of callbacks and reworkManaging overhead effectivelyThe owner's role in profit leaksLinks to resourcesGrab my free job costing worksheet and start job costing every job right away.https://go.hammercrm.com/widget/form/4Bws6E9GGX0RZPoED1bnWant to go deeper?Check out the Contractor Profit Blueprint: https://www.thecontractorprofitblueprint.com/Book a strategy call with Brad: https://hammerandgrind.com/qualification-websiteEnjoying the podcast? Visit our website at https://www.hammerandgrindpodcast.com for the latest episodes, resources, and more.Have a question, story, or topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a message here: https://www.hammerandgrindpodcast.com/voicemail.We'd love to hear from you, and your message could be featured on a future episode!Help us get the word out to other contractors by leaving us a review or sharing our podcast!

Your next decision could make or break your construction business. Lower prices. Take every job. Avoid the hard conversation. Sound familiar? These short term decisions can quietly hurt your profit, growth, and freedom.In this episode, Brad talks about:Every decision shapes your future: building the life you want vs. escaping the one you don’t.Stop optimizing for immediate comfort; think long-term.The importance of making decisions that buy freedom rather than steal from your future.The three decision filters:Does this move me closer to my goals?Can this be done better, faster, or simpler?Does this decision buy freedom or steal from my future?Links to resourcesWant to go deeper?Check out the Contractor Profit Blueprint: https://www.thecontractorprofitblueprint.com/Book a strategy call with Brad: https://hammerandgrind.com/qualification-websiteHelp us get the word out to other contractors by leaving us a review or sharing our podcast! https://www.hammerandgrindpodcast.com

Creating a mission-driven workforce is the key to unlocking contractor confidence and boosting your business growth. This episode shares actionable contractor advice on building employee engagement and fostering a strong contractor marketing presence to scale your operations effectively.In this episode, Brad talks about:Understanding the difference between tasks, projects, and purpose in employee engagement.The importance of a clear mission statement and core values.Empowering employees through ownership and accountability.Recognizing and rewarding desired behaviors to foster a positive culture.The impact of leadership on employee motivation and performance.Creating an environment where the right people thrive and the wrong people are removed.Links to resourcesWant to go deeper?Check out the Contractor Profit Blueprint: https://www.thecontractorprofitblueprint.com/Book a strategy call with Brad: https://hammerandgrind.com/qualification-websiteHelp us get the word out to other contractors by leaving us a review or sharing our podcast!