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

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
<ul>
<li>[02:37] The two biggest mistakes builders make: Reactive qualifying and rushing estimates</li>
<li>[04:20] "I really don't want this job, but I need it"</li>
<li>[07:30] The "Love Letter" question that filters out bad leads</li>
<li>[12:30] Using Time, Emotional, and Financial micro-commitments</li>
<li>[22:40] How a 9-month surgery recovery forced him off the tools</li>
<li>[32:40] Why engineers make better estimators than carpenters</li>
<li>[36:40] The 15-category system for project complexity</li>
</ul>
***
The Professional Builder has helped over 3,100+ building companies around the world get more Profit, more Time and Succeed in Selling their Business.
<a href="https://tinyurl.com/tpb-yt">https://tinyurl.com/tpb-yt</a>
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!
<a href="https://tinyurl.com/tpb-yt">https://tinyurl.com/tpb-yt</a>

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.

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&rsquo;re ready to free up your time, increase profit, and build a high-performing team, you&rsquo;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&rsquo;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.

The Builders Ladder: Business Growth Strategies for Residential Construction Businesses

Epi 190: Why Hiring Carpenters To Estimate Is A Mistake

Marti sits down with Stanley Henry, founder of The Attention Seeker in Auckland, New Zealand. Stanley's agency transforms standard companies into viral powerhouses, generating up to 10 million organic views a month. He explains why builders who rely purely on word of mouth are actually just subcontractors with no real equity. When the market dips, they end up bleeding cash and fighting on price.

Stanley shares the specific strategy of separating marketing content from sales content, explaining why showcasing finished projects only works for due diligence, not for getting discovered. They also discuss how building a personal brand allows you to become the most expensive option in your market, and why employee-generated content is the ultimate tool to attract better subbies and project managers.

🕒 Timestamped Key Points
[01:03] Why 10 million monthly views is the target
[04:00] The retention graph secret for organic growth
[08:19] Splitting audiences for personal and company brands
[12:20] Employee-generated content for hiring top tradesmen
[21:19] The easy, repeatable content system
[26:50] Why "document, don't create" fails without a team
[33:10] Why finished project photos are sales, not marketing

***

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

Marti sits down with Stanley Henry, founder of The Attention Seeker in Auckland, New Zealand. Stanley's agency transforms standard companies into viral powerhouses, generating up to 10 million organic views a month. He explains why builders who rely purely on word of mouth are actually just subcontractors with no real equity. When the market dips, they end up bleeding cash and fighting on price. Stanley shares the specific strategy of separating marketing content from sales content, explaining why showcasing finished projects only works for due diligence, not for getting discovered. They also discuss how building a personal brand allows you to become the most expensive option in your market, and why employee-generated content is the ultimate tool to attract better subbies and project managers. 🕒 Timestamped Key Points
<ul>
<li>[01:03] Why 10 million monthly views is the target</li>
<li>[04:00] The retention graph secret for organic growth</li>
<li>[08:19] Splitting audiences for personal and company brands</li>
<li>[12:20] Employee-generated content for hiring top tradesmen</li>
<li>[21:19] The easy, repeatable content system</li>
<li>[26:50] Why "document, don't create" fails without a team</li>
<li>[33:10] Why finished project photos are sales, not marketing</li>
</ul>
***
The Professional Builder has helped over 3,100+ building companies around the world get more Profit, more Time and Succeed in Selling their Business.
<a href="https://tinyurl.com/tpb-yt">https://tinyurl.com/tpb-yt</a>
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!
<a href="https://tinyurl.com/tpb-yt">https://tinyurl.com/tpb-yt</a>

Epi 191: If You Only Post Finished Projects, You Are BLEEDING Money (with Stanley Henry)

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

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
<ul>
<li>[03:00] Stop being an office admin: Delegate to AI agents</li>
<li>[05:00] Why current software is just a "digital filing cabinet"</li>
<li>[12:22] The danger of estimating with a physical book</li>
<li>[16:50] How speed doubles your win rate</li>
<li>[18:00] Why you don't need 100 leads if you fix conversion</li>
<li>[19:20] How to charge $1,000 for a detailed bid</li>
<li>[25:00] If your competitor uses AI and you don't, you lose</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
-
&nbsp;
The Professional Builder has helped over 3,100+ building companies around the world get more Profit, more Time and Succeed in Selling their Business.
<a href="https://info.theprofessionalbuilder.com/links">https://info.theprofessionalbuilder.com/links</a>
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!
<a href="https://info.theprofessionalbuilder.com/links">https://info.theprofessionalbuilder.com/links</a>

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

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

Marti sits down with Steve Glover from Paragon Homes in Toowoomba, Queensland. Steve shares his journey from battling in the "race to the bottom"&mdash;where the winner was whoever had the smallest number on the page&mdash;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
<ul>
<li>[09:26] The "Race to the Bottom" pricing trap</li>
<li>[11:56] Why volume builder tactics (margin creep) destroy trust</li>
<li>[14:56] Scrapping 50 plans to focus on custom design</li>
<li>[16:44] Charging a $3,300 base fee for prelims</li>
<li>[20:10] How to achieve a 90% conversion rate</li>
<li>[21:28] The danger of running at 150% capacity</li>
<li>[25:24] Using percentage-based overhead recovery</li>
<li>[06:13] The health wake-up call: From 128kg to fit</li>
</ul>
***
The Professional Builder has helped over 3,100+ building companies around the world get more Profit, more Time and Succeed in Selling their Business.
<a href="https://linktr.ee/theprofessionalbuilder">https://linktr.ee/theprofessionalbuilder</a>
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!
<a href="https://linktr.ee/theprofessionalbuilder">https://linktr.ee/theprofessionalbuilder</a>

Epi 190: Why Hiring Carpenters To Estimate Is A Mistake

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The Builders Ladder: Business Growth Strategies for Residential Construction Businesses

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