Builders, Budgets, and Beers
The Builders, Budgets, and Beers Podcast is where the construction industry comes to talk about the financial side of building — the decisions, the mistakes, and the systems that separate profitable companies from the rest. From regional GCs and high-volume builders to construction accountants and industry tech leaders, our guests share what's actually working and what they wish they'd known sooner.
Produced by the team at Adaptive, it's real talk on the financial operations behind growing, scaling, and running a complex construction business. One budget, one story, and one beer at a time.
Episodes
84 episodes
Stop Promoting People Into Failure with Andrew Amrhein
Reece and Andrew Amrhein of Precision SME talk about why builders struggle to turn strategy into real execution, and why the missing layer is often management.Andrew breaks down how contractors can connect numbers to meaningful action, a...
When Contractors Become The Bank With Aaron Dearborn
Reece sits down with Aaron Dearborn, president of Amerail Systems, to talk about one of the strangest cash flow problems in construction: why GCs and subs often end up financing the project before owner money arrives.They get into delay...
Why Builders Leave Profit On The Table with Russ Stephens
Reece sits down with Russ Stephens, co-founder of the Association of Professional Builders, to talk about why so many builders look successful on paper but still miss the profit sitting inside their business. Russ breaks down work in progress, ...
Stop Making Decisions With Bad Numbers with Scott Franchini
Reece sits down with Scott Franchini of RedHammer to talk about why contractors often blame their software when the real issue is messy job costing, unclear WIP, and financial reports they cannot trust.They cover indirect costs, overhea...
Build A Business That Buys Back Time with Brad Stokes
Reece sits down with Brad Stokes of Highspire to talk about the shift from owner operator to strategic owner, and why top-line revenue alone does not mean a construction business is healthy.They get into real estate development, market ...
How Building Science Reduces Costly Callbacks with Sam Myers
Reece sits down with Sam Myers of Retrotech to talk about why comfort issues, humidity problems, and buckled floors often turn into expensive callbacks for builders. They cover how air tightness, HVAC design, ventilation, and testing all work t...
How Contractors Can Adopt AI Agents Without Chaos with Ryan Rademann
Reece is joined by Ryan Rademann from Wipfli to talk about why contractors cannot treat technology, AI, and systems as random tools anymore. As builders grow, weak integrations, messy data, and outdated processes can quietly limit cash flow, re...
Your Tech Stack Needs To Start With Strategy with Dustin Stephens
Reece sits down with Dustin Stephens, CEO of Alliance Solutions Group, to talk about why contractors cannot treat AI like a shortcut around broken systems. As labor gets tighter and construction businesses get more complex, the companies that u...
How AI Speeds Up Profitable Bids with Deepti Yenireddy
Reece sits down with Deepti Yenireddy, founder and CEO of Boon AI, to talk about the real business case for AI in estimating: tighter bid timelines, thin margins, and why speed matters when builders are chasing more work. They get into how Boon...
Why Contractors Need Better Accounting with Chris Murphy
Reece sits down with Chris Murphy of Breakaway CAAS to talk about why so many contractors struggle with bookkeeping, payroll, and job costing, and what better financial systems can unlock for a growing business. It matters because weak accounti...
How Builders Can Raise The Standard with Andrea and Brian Seymour of Springdale Custom Builders
Reece sits down with Andrea and Brian Seymour of Springdale Custom Builders to talk about the systems, pricing discipline, and process thinking it takes to build a company that is actually worth something. For builders, this matters because bad...
Don’t Let Weak Process Stop Your Growth with Archibald McLellan
Reece sits down with Archibald McLellan of CBIS to talk about why weak process can quietly hold a construction business back long before the owner realizes it. For builders trying to grow without losing control, this episode gets into why bette...
Build Wealth Before You Step Away with John Steiger
Reece sits down with John Steiger of Wealth Planning Resources to talk about a problem a lot of builders avoid until it gets urgent: how to build real wealth outside the business before it is time to step away. For owners thinking about success...
The AI Opportunity In Construction with Julie Adams
Reece sits down with Julie Adams of Sage to talk about how AI is changing the way builders manage jobs, data, and decision-making across the business. They get into why this matters right now as builders face labor shortages, pricing pressure, ...
Funding Big Builds Without Losing Control with Brad Robinson
Reece sits down with Brad Robinson for his second time on Builders, Budgets, & Beers to talk about funding bigger projects without giving up the driver’s seat. They break down equity vs debt, what investors actually expect after you take th...
When Growth Outruns Cash Flow with Christian and Deanne Lawson
Reece sits down with Christian and Deanne Lawson of Lawson Development to talk about the real cash flow squeeze behind fixed price custom builds, and why draw schedules can quietly force builders to finance jobs. They break down deposits, miles...
Strategic Partners That Reduce Risk And Help You Scale With David Werschay
Reece sits down with David Werschay of Werschay Homes to break down how builders can punch above their weight in land development and spec building without blowing up cash flow. They talk strategic partners, exclusive builder agreements, and a ...
The Tech Stack Upgrade Contractors Need With Connor Watumull
Reece sits down with Connor Watumull from Miter to talk about the biggest labor money leak most builders miss: getting every hour, burden, and benefit tied back to the right job. They break down what “contractor built” payroll and HR actually m...
Why the Design to Bid System Fails with Trapper Roderick
Reece sits down with Trapper Roderick of Roderick Builders to talk about why most custom homes blow up on budget before they ever break ground. They discuss the broken “architect first, builder later” pipeline, and how to pull the builder into ...
Price Per Square Foot is Lying to You with Mark Willie
Reece sits down with Mark Willie to break down why price per square foot can wreck budgets on custom homes, and what builders should lead with instead. They get into expectation setting, where costs are really climbing (hint: the envelope), and...
Mission Before Margin with Hayden Croxall
Reece sits down with Hayden Croxall to unpack how he built a multi-entity construction group by leading with purpose, not just profit. They discuss why residential work is so emotional, how Hayden thinks about holding companies and cross-servin...
Stop Guessing Your Margin with Jeremy Sloane
Reece sits down with Jeremy Sloane of Sloane Construction Company to talk about job costing, cost codes, and why clean data is the difference between protecting margin and getting blindsided. They get into hiring lessons and the simple systems ...
The Right People Protect Your Vision with Tim Calderala
Reece sits down with Tim Calderala of Apex Homes Florida to talk about the money impact of hiring, leadership clarity, and building a bench of talent. Tim shares what four acquisitions taught him about systems, KPIs, and why “right people in ri...
Successful Projects are Built on Clarity with PJ Antonik
Reece Barnes sits down with PJ Antonik of Oak Development to talk about the real difference between “having a gut feel” and actually knowing your job costs. PJ breaks down how he audits past projects, tightens his funnel, and uses budget vs act...
Job Costing Mistakes That Break Trust with Joel Route
Reece Barnes sits down with Joel Route of Mark D Williams Custom Homes to talk about the real cost of messy job costing and how it wrecks trust with clients. They break down how miscoded invoices can turn into double billing, end of job surpris...
