Contractor Cuts

Hosted by ProStruct360

Business Management

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Episodes

200

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Join the ProStruct360 team on the Contractor Cuts podcast as we delve into the ins and outs of building and sustaining a thriving contracting business. Gain valuable insights and actionable tips from our experts who have successfully grown their own contracting company from the ground up. Our show is dedicated to helping contractors like you unlock the secrets to increased profitability, efficient organization, and seamless processes within your company. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, our episodes cover key topics essential for your business growth and long-term success. Make the most of your time between job sites by tuning in to our podcast and learn firsthand how to navigate the challenges of the contracting industry. Get ready to transform your business with valuable information that can potentially change the trajectory of your success. Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain the knowledge and strategies you need to take your contracting business to new heights. Subscribe to Contractor Cuts today and empower yourself with the tools and insights to thrive in the industry.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 17, 202630 min

The Difference Between a Good Boss vs a Great Boss

Your subs choose you every time they pick up the phone. Some say yes because they want to work with you. Some say yes because they have nothing else. The gap between those two is the difference between a good boss and a great one. In this episode of Contractor Cuts, Clark and James break down what separates a project manager crews tolerate from one they're loyal to — and why you don't need 30 years of trade knowledge to lead well. They cover: Why you can lead a crew without knowing more about construction than they do Good bosses pay — great bosses pay on time, every time, and lead the hard conversation Giving crews three weeks of visibility instead of "here's this week's work order" Why telling a crew what went right earns you the right to coach what went wrong Building a bench of crews instead of relying on one favorite Knowing the line between coaching a crew up and letting them go Why most crews who "screw up" were never told where the bar was Being trusted vs. being liked — and why only one of them lasts Most contractor-sub relationships die from neglect, not conflict. This is how you stop that. 🚧 2027 Growth Conference — Austin, TX | Jan 10–12. Two days diving deep into your company — what's working, what's broken — ending with your 2027 blueprint. Day 3: hands-on electives like financial management and estimate writing to make it real. Early Bird (very limited): 30% off + 3 hotel nights covered. Sign up at contractorcuts.com Contractor Cuts is a weekly podcast for contractors who want to build a better business — covering sales, operations, hiring, finances, and everything in between. 🔗 Book a free call: contractorcuts.com 🔗 ProStruct360 software + coaching: prostruct360.com

August 10, 202635 min

6 Things Profitable Contractors Do That Clients Never See

Description: You're selling two products: the kitchen, and the experience of getting the kitchen. The second one is built almost entirely out of work your client never watches you do. In this episode of Contractor Cuts, Clark and James walk through six habits that separate profitable contractors from busy ones — the invisible work that protects your margin and quietly earns you the referral. They cover: The pre-con coffee — sitting down before a job starts and asking "what's going to go wrong here?" The Tuesday job card pass — the three questions to ask on every active job, every week PAL meetings — a weekly 30,000-foot view of each job (and how to run one on yourself if you're a one-man show) Benchmark walks — catching problems at the stage where they cost $500 instead of $5,000 Documentation emails — how eating a cost on purpose builds leverage you'll need later Pre-start crew walkthroughs — the 50-point checklist that answers questions before anyone asks them Why clients don't see any of this, but absolutely feel it How to charge for planning work when the deliverable isn't something you can hold If you're doing good work and still watching profit disappear, the gap is probably in the six things nobody sees. Contractor Cuts is a weekly podcast for contractors who want to build a better business — covering sales, operations, hiring, finances, and everything in between. 🚧 2027 Growth Conference — Austin, TX | Jan 10–12. Two days diving deep into your company — what's working, what's broken — ending with your 2027 blueprint. Day 3: hands-on electives like financial management and estimate writing to make it real. Early Bird (very limited): 30% off + 3 hotel nights covered. Sign up at contractorcuts.com Contractor Cuts is a weekly podcast for contractors who want to build a better business — covering sales, operations, hiring, finances, and everything in between. 🔗 Book a free call: contractorcuts.com 🔗 ProStruct360 software + coaching: prostruct360.com

August 3, 202639 min

The Difference Between a Good Estimator vs a Great Estimator

Most contractors aren't running bad companies — they're running good ones that have hit a ceiling. The same is true of estimates. Plenty of contractors write a good estimate. Far fewer write a great one. In this 200th episode of Contractor Cuts, Clark and James break down the specific differences between a good estimator and a great one — and why that gap is where your profit quietly lives. They cover: Why the estimator role looks completely different for a GC than for a trade company Good estimators price the drawings — great estimators price what's actually going to happen Spotting pinch points and design problems the architect and homeowner missed Why inclusions AND exclusions are what protect your margin Writing an estimate three audiences can read: the client, the crew, and a future project manager Why markup shouldn't be the same percentage on every line item How risk and time — not just cost — should drive what you make on a line The 48-hour turnaround and the estimate delivery process that wins jobs Why an estimate that starts at $50K and ends at $90K burns your reputation If you've ever landed the job and then watched the profit disappear, the problem probably started on the estimate. 🚧 2027 Growth Conference — Austin, TX | Jan 10–12. Two days diving deep into your company — what's working, what's broken — ending with your 2027 blueprint. Day 3: hands-on electives like financial management and estimate writing to make it real. Early Bird (very limited): 30% off + 3 hotel nights covered. Sign up at contractorcuts.com Contractor Cuts is a weekly podcast for contractors who want to build a better business — covering sales, operations, hiring, finances, and everything in between. 🔗 Book a free call: contractorcuts.com 🔗 ProStruct360 software + coaching: prostruct360.com

July 27, 202619 min

Why Your Price Isn't the Problem — It's How You Present It

Your quote comes in higher than the other guy's, the client balks, and suddenly you're on the defensive. But the price was never the real issue — it's that you're being treated like a vending machine instead of a guide. In this Coaching Cuts episode, Clark breaks down a mindset shift that changes how you present money to clients — both in your estimates and in your change orders. Stop being the bad guy. Start being the advocate who curates exactly what the client wants, at the budget they actually have. Clark covers: Why detailed, honest contractors almost always look "more expensive" The steakhouse analogy that reframes how you handle price objections How to align a client's scope with their budget instead of chasing a cheaper bid Why you never go source a "$10 steak" just to land the job The single most important shift: empathy, not apology How to deliver a change order without taking blame that isn't yours Why acting scared or guilty makes the client think it's your fault How to meet a client's disappointment without owning a problem you didn't cause If you've ever felt guilty quoting your real price or apologized your way into eating a change order, this is the episode that fixes your mindset. 🚧 2027 Growth Conference — Austin, TX | Jan 10–12. Two days diving deep into your company — what's working, what's broken — ending with your 2027 blueprint. Day 3: hands-on electives like financial management and estimate writing to make it real. Early Bird (very limited): 30% off + 3 hotel nights covered. Sign up at contractorcuts.com Contractor Cuts is a weekly podcast for contractors who want to build a better business — covering sales, operations, hiring, finances, and everything in between. 🔗 Book a free call: contractorcuts.com 🔗 ProStruct360 software + coaching: prostruct360.com

July 20, 202633 min

Who's Wrong Is It Anyway? The Deck That Ruined a Wedding

A contractor eats a rotted-post surprise, throws in free extras, burns a weekend, and blows his margin to hit a wedding date. The deck gets done. Then the homeowner withholds 25%, demands a discount for "the embarrassment," and posts a review calling the job unfinished. So who's actually in the wrong? In this episode of Contractor Cuts — recorded from a cabin in the North Georgia mountains — Clark and James try out a new format: read a real-world horror story, break down what went wrong, and figure out how you avoid ending up there yourself. They dig into: Why "we'll sort out the price later" is how good contractors lose money The documentation email that turns free work into social capital How to sequence the conversation when a client is withholding your final draw Separating the emotion from the actual contract terms Why you never negotiate a bad review before you get paid How to respond publicly to a review that's unreasonable — and why an insane review can actually help you The back-order call you should be making the second you hear the news Why bringing the client into the hard decision protects you when it goes sideways The contractor didn't do wrong by the client. He did wrong by himself — and that's the part you can fix. 🚧 2027 Growth Conference — Austin, TX | Jan 10–12. Two days diving deep into your company — what's working, what's broken — ending with your 2027 blueprint. Day 3: hands-on electives like financial management and estimate writing to make it real. Early Bird (very limited): 30% off + 3 hotel nights covered. Sign up at contractorcuts.com Contractor Cuts is a weekly podcast for contractors who want to build a better business — covering sales, operations, hiring, finances, and everything in between. 🔗 Book a free call: contractorcuts.com 🔗 ProStruct360 software + coaching: prostruct360.com

July 13, 202621 min

How Much Free Work Should You Really Give a Client?

Every contractor knows the trap: you pour hours into an estimate, walk the job with your trades, do all the planning — and then lose the bid to a cheaper guy. So where's the line between free work and paid work? In this Coaching Cuts episode, Clark tackles one of the questions he gets asked most: how much should you do for free, and when do you start charging? The answer is the pre-construction due diligence line item — and this is how you build it, price it, and sell it. Clark breaks down: What belongs in a free estimate vs. paid due diligence How to build a 90% estimate before you ever ask for a dime Why the due diligence line item eliminates change orders and protects the client The deliverables that make your due diligence worth every dollar — selections, Gantt charts, finalized numbers How to get ballpark trade pricing without wasting your subs' time The strategic free work (like a surprise Gantt chart) that wins you the job How to price due diligence based on the size and complexity of the project Why locking a client into due diligence gives you the room to truly impress them If you're tired of giving away your best work for free and watching jobs walk, this is the episode that draws the line. 🚧 2027 Growth Conference — Austin, TX | Jan 10–12. Two days diving deep into your company — what's working, what's broken — ending with your 2027 blueprint. Day 3: hands-on electives like financial management and estimate writing to make it real. Early Bird (very limited): 30% off + 3 hotel nights covered. Sign up at contractorcuts.com Contractor Cuts is a weekly podcast for contractors who want to build a better business — covering sales, operations, hiring, finances, and everything in between. 🔗 Book a free call: contractorcuts.com 🔗 ProStruct360 software + coaching: prostruct360.com

July 6, 202630 min

The Halftime Reset Every Contractor Needs for the Second Half of the Year

You've made it to July — the exact halfway point of the year. So the question is: are you winning? In this episode of Contractor Cuts, Clark and James walk through a halftime reset for your contracting business — the same quarterly review they run with coaching clients. Whether you're slammed with work or staring at an empty calendar, this is how you zoom out, find the holes, and set up the second half of the year to win. They cover: Why both the overwhelmed and the slow contractor need this reset The 5-part halftime scorecard: revenue, pipeline, profit, team, and you How to honestly measure your profit drift from bid to final invoice The "keeper test" — the Netflix CEO's brutal question for evaluating your team Why being burned out matters even when the numbers look great The 3 adjustments most contractors need now: pricing, pipeline, and systems How to build a simple month-by-month plan for July through December Why you fix one operational crack per quarter — not all seven at once If you've been running hard for six months without looking up, this is the episode that gets you a game plan for the back half of the year. 🚧 2027 Growth Conference — Austin, TX | Jan 10–12. Two days diving deep into your company — what's working, what's broken — ending with your 2027 blueprint. Day 3: hands-on electives like financial management and estimate writing to make it real. Early Bird (very limited): 30% off + 3 hotel nights covered. Sign up at contractorcuts.com Contractor Cuts is a weekly podcast for contractors who want to build a better business — covering sales, operations, hiring, finances, and everything in between. 🔗 Book a free call: contractorcuts.com 🔗 ProStruct360 software + coaching: prostruct360.com

June 29, 202633 min

How to Stop Stressing About Cash Flow on Every Job (Part 2)

Most contractors live in a state of Thursday-night panic — money flying in and out, never quite sure if there's enough to cover tomorrow. It doesn't have to be that way. In part 2 of this two-part series, Clark and James pick up where part 1 left off and move from tracking your money to predicting it. This is the level-up that lets you see the storm coming weeks out instead of scrambling the day a payment is due. They cover: Why bigger revenue often feels tighter than ever The weekly invoicing system that keeps you a step ahead of your cash How to handle bank and lender draw schedules without losing control Using Gantt charts to predict cash flow and make clients comfortable paying How PAL meetings turn projections into real accountability for your PMs Why your project managers should set their own bar — not you The GM accounting worksheet that lets an office manager run your weekly cash The smart way to use a line of credit (and the way that sinks companies) Tracking profit drift from signature to final invoice — and capping your loss If you've ever lain awake doing math in your head about tomorrow's bills, this is the episode that finally lets you sleep. 🚧 2027 Growth Conference — Austin, TX | Jan 10–12. Two days diving deep into your company — what's working, what's broken — ending with your 2027 blueprint. Day 3: hands-on electives like financial management and estimate writing to make it real. Early Bird (very limited): 30% off + 3 hotel nights covered. Sign up at contractorcuts.com Contractor Cuts is a weekly podcast for contractors who want to build a better business — covering sales, operations, hiring, finances, and everything in between. 🔗 Book a free call: contractorcuts.com 🔗 ProStruct360 software + coaching: prostruct360.com

June 22, 202637 min

The Financial Setup Every Contractor Needs Before Hiring (Part 1)

The moment you hire your first project manager, you lose control of your money — unless you've built the systems to track it first. In part 1 of this two-part series, Clark and James break down the financial foundation every contractor needs before bringing on help. Because the truth is, your employees see money completely differently than you do — and if you can't track your own dollars now, you'll never be able to hold someone else accountable to them. They cover: Why your project managers treat money as a tool, not as profit out of your pocket How hiring exposes every financial leak you've been ignoring The real cost of "I'll just eat it" once you're running three crews How profit-based raises get your employees bought into your numbers The 3 steps to get hire-ready: connect QuickBooks, categorize weekly, lock in work orders Why tying every material purchase to a job is the key to real job costing How sub agreements and work orders stop cash from leaking out of every job The patterns you'll start spotting once your numbers are actually visible If you've ever finished a job 8% below where you started and couldn't say exactly where it went, this is the episode that fixes it. Part 2 drops next week — projections, cash flow, and the general manager's accounting worksheet. 🚧 2027 Growth Conference — Austin, TX | Jan 10–12. Two days diving deep into your company — what's working, what's broken — ending with your 2027 blueprint. Day 3: hands-on electives like financial management and estimate writing to make it real. Early Bird (very limited): 30% off + 3 hotel nights covered. Sign up at contractorcuts.com Contractor Cuts is a weekly podcast for contractors who want to build a better business — covering sales, operations, hiring, finances, and everything in between. 🔗 Book a free call: contractorcuts.com 🔗 ProStruct360 software + coaching: prostruct360.com

June 15, 202644 min

How to Turn Your Subs Into Real Partners (Not Just Vendors)

Most contractors treat their subs like an Uber driver — squeeze them, burn them, replace them. And then they wonder why their best crews stop picking up the phone. In this episode of Contractor Cuts, Clark and James break down how to build sub relationships that actually last — the kind that make your crews choose you over everyone else, refer other good trades your way, and deliver the product your reputation is built on. They cover: Why your subs are choosing you every time they answer the phone How to plan weeks ahead so crews can build their calendar around you Coaching subs on cleanliness and efficiency without micromanaging them What to do when a great crew outgrows your jobs The 4-step loyalty loop that keeps your best subs coming back Why you should always be talking to one new crew a week How to test new crews without risking a client relationship Building pricing templates per crew so estimates take minutes, not hours The direct conversation that saves a cold sub relationship 90% of the time Why the way you run subs has to change before you hire your first project manager If your business depends on a couple of crews you can't afford to lose, this is the episode that builds you a real bench. 🚧 2027 Growth Conference — Austin, TX | Jan 10–12. Two days diving deep into your company — what's working, what's broken — ending with your 2027 blueprint. Day 3: hands-on electives like financial management and estimate writing to make it real. Early Bird (very limited): 30% off + 3 hotel nights covered. Sign up at contractorcuts.com Contractor Cuts is a weekly podcast for contractors who want to build a better business — covering sales, operations, hiring, finances, and everything in between. 🔗 Book a free call: contractorcuts.com 🔗 ProStruct360 software + coaching: prostruct360.com