November 30, 2025

#47 From Carpentry to Structural Steel with Matt Warner - Part 1

25 minutes

What happens when a chippy with 19 years on the tools decides he can lift the game in structural steel? That’s the story behind Built Structural.

In this episode of the Build Insite Podcast, Luke and Dean sit down in Adelaide with Matt Warner from Built Structural. Matt shares how nearly two decades as a carpenter, a few side businesses, and one lightbulb moment on his own home led to building a multi-award-winning structural steel company in under four years.

You’ll hear how Matt’s carpentry background shapes the way Built Structural details, drafts, and installs steel – especially on complex renos where nothing is straight and everything moves. He breaks down the systems behind turning engineer’s plans into practical solutions on site, and why having in-house drafting and the right people in the right roles has been crucial to their growth.

The boys also dive into the human side of business – managing different personalities across boilermakers, site crews, draftees and sales teams, handling growing pains, and why the best engineers are the ones who listen to what’s really happening on site.

🔑 What You’ll Learn

• How Matt went from 19 years of carpentry to co-founding Built Structural

• Why carpentry experience can give you an edge in structural steel

• How to take engineer’s details and make them actually buildable on site

• The realities of growing a multi-award-winning structural steel business in under four years

• Practical tips for managing personalities, values, and stress as your team grows

• Why collaboration between engineers, builders, and steel fabricators saves clients money and headaches

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Welcome back from Adelaide & intros

00:50 – Matt’s story: nearly 20 years as a carpenter and chasing something new

02:19 – The lightbulb moment: doing his own steel and starting Built Structural

03:53 – How carpentry experience shapes better structural steel detailing

06:20 – From plans to install: Built Structural’s process, especially on renos

09:20 – Growing a multi-award-winning business in under four years

11:24 – Timber vs steel: what Matt had to relearn in the steel game

13:43 – Hot topic: should engineers have to go to site first?

17:15 – Managing people, values, and different personalities across the business

21:10 – In-house drafting, 3D models, and making life easier for site crews

24:34 – Wrap up, sponsors, and Build Insite disclaimer

Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke Callery

Guest: Matt Warner from Built Structural

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🌐 Explore more at: https://buildinsite.com.au/

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By Build Insite