Beyond the Build by QBS

Deer season is back, and Gaffney takes over the mic with Jimbo and Alex for a hunting-only episode of Beyond the Build by QBS. With velvet season in the rearview and bow season approaching, they swap stories, talk target bucks, and share what they’re seeing on trail cameras as the weather starts to shift.

The first week of a 2-episode conversation covers the highs and frustrations of early-season hunting: hot temperatures, changing deer patterns, nocturnal bucks, food plots, acorns, row crops, and the challenge of finding a deer worth targeting. They also compare cellular camera setups—including Tactacam, Moultrie, and Wise Eye—and talk about how service coverage can make or break a camera location.

A major part of the episode is devoted to saddle hunting. Gaffney, Jimbo, and Alex share their experiences with different saddle systems, sticks, climbing methods, platforms, and mobile setups—plus why saddle hunting can create opportunities in places where a traditional stand simply will not work. They also emphasize the importance of practicing your setup, minimizing noise, preparing your gear before the hunt, and using proper fall protection.

Whether you hunt from a saddle, a ladder stand, a bucket under a cedar tree, or somewhere in between, this episode is a candid kickoff to deer season with plenty of stories, gear talk, and practical lessons from the woods. Part two of the conversation is coming next week.

What does it take to keep the interior side of a turnkey home build moving? In this episode of Beyond the Build by QBS, Kaci & Jeff sit down with Kaylee, who moved from kitchen design into full-time purchasing for the turnkey department. Together, they pull back the curtain on the systems, coordination, and problem-solving behind ordering everything from cabinets and interior doors to fixtures, hardware, countertops, and the small details that complete a home.

Kaylee shares how QBS tracks customer selections, organizes special-order materials, manages purchase orders, and works to make sure the right products reach the right job site. They also discuss the growing pains that come with scaling a turnkey operation—and why clear systems, communication, and a strong team matter when dozens of homes are moving at once.

The conversation also explores current interior trends, including warmer, cozier color palettes, sage green, brown tones, and champagne-bronze finishes. They talk through the difference between choosing what is trending and choosing what makes sense for your budget, functionality, and long-term style.

Later, the episode shifts to the spec-home and land-investment side of the business with Summit Investment Group. Jeff shares what makes a property attractive for development, why road frontage and creative land use can matter, and a few hard-earned reminders to research utilities, water access, restrictions, and even unexpected features—like an old cemetery—before buying land.

If you’re curious about the details behind a turnkey build, want fresh interior-design inspiration, or are thinking about buying land for your own home or investment, this episode offers a candid look inside the process.

Ready to build but not sure where to start? In this episode of Beyond the Build by QBS, Kaci and Jeff sit down with sales team members Jimbo and Mason to break down the shell-build process from the first phone call through framing, dry-in, and beyond.

They explain how to begin narrowing down your home plan, use the QBS website and inspiration photos to establish a realistic budget, and understand why a preliminary estimate is different from a finalized quote. The conversation covers common pricing surprises—from rooflines, windows, doors, porches, siding, and added upgrades—and why it’s important to get a ballpark price before investing in blueprints.

You’ll also hear what happens after plans are finalized: the 10% deposit, material lead times, financing preparation, site prep, concrete, deliveries, framing, field coordination, inspections, and weather-related delays. Jimbo and Mason share practical context around realistic timelines, especially why “working days” can differ from calendar days when weather, material availability, or inspections enter the picture.

Finally, they clear up one of the most common questions QBS receives: what is actually included in a shell package. They cover the slab and footers, exterior framing, interior framed walls, doors, windows, roofing, and siding—along with popular optional additions such as rough-in plumbing, gutters, and spray-foam insulation.

If you’re considering a shell build and want a transparent look at pricing, planning, scheduling, and what to expect at every stage, this episode is a great place to start.

What really happens after you decide to build a turnkey home? In this episode of Beyond the Build by QBS, Jeff sits down with turnkey sales specialist Brad and former customer-selections coordinator Briley for an honest, behind-the-scenes look at the building experience.

They break down the QBS turnkey process—from signing your contract and choosing finishes in the showroom to understanding what is included, preparing site work, and moving into project management. Brad explains the competitive world of turnkey sales, while Briley shares how she went from filing paperwork to helping homeowners design their spaces, working on spec homes, and remodeling her own QBS-built home.

You’ll hear practical advice on choosing upgrades that make sense, including standing-seam roofing, range hoods, backsplashes, paint colors, and custom details. The conversation also explores current design trends, why timeless choices often matter more than what is popular today, and how to avoid being overwhelmed by the number of available options.

Most importantly, they talk about one of the biggest parts of any home build: trusting the process. Construction is full of moving pieces, and not every stage looks finished while work is still underway. If you’re considering a turnkey build—or are already in the middle of one—this episode offers a real look at what to expect and how to make the experience smoother.

Thinking about building a turnkey home? In this episode of Beyond the Build by QBS, Kaci and Jeff sit down with turnkey sales specialist Scotty Duncan to walk through what the turnkey process really looks like—from your first conversation and financing decisions to selections, customization, construction timelines, and move-in day.

They cover why QBS focuses on full turnkey builds or shell packages rather than partial turnkey projects, how using outside friends or subcontractors can create delays and added costs, and why understanding the payment schedule matters. They also explain what buyers should have prepared before getting started, including a realistic budget, site prep plan, financing strategy, and a Pinterest board full of ideas.

You’ll also hear about common upgrades and requests—larger kitchen islands, custom showers, siding options, flipped floor plans, and more—plus the real impact of making changes late in the build. If you’re planning a custom home in Tennessee and want practical, honest insight into the process, this episode is for you.

Dave's first job at Quality Building Supply was cleaning the bathrooms. He did it for free — his girlfriend at the time, now his wife, was in charge of cleaning the office, and he'd come in evenings to help. Six years later he's the number one salesman at a company that's grown from roughly 25 employees to 150.

Jeff and Kip sit down with Dave to talk about how he got here from Pennsylvania by way of roofing, deliveries, and some broken dozer windows — and what actually drives his numbers. Spoiler: it isn't better pricing. Dave sells at the same prices as everyone else. What he does differently is answer fast, know his numbers cold, and quote people before they have time to call a competitor.

He also gets honest about the parts nobody posts about. Competing against himself instead of the other salesmen. Passing his kids and a plate of food through his office window so he can get a little family time and get back at it. Which customers stay in the back of his mind at night, and which ones he's learned to let go.

Along the way, Jeff breaks down how A+ and QBS Contracting actually work — why bringing the labor side in-house and putting 10 to 12 coordinators on the road across Tennessee turned the whole operation around — plus how turnkey has roughly doubled the company since January 2024, why house-and-shop combos like the Cobalt package blew up the phones overnight, and how much wiggle room there really is on a combo deal.

Dave's advice for the next 24-year-old trying to build a career: go with the flow, put in the grind, and show up again the next day.

Beyond the Build by QBS — building, investing, hunting, real life. Follow the show so you don't miss an episode.

In this episode, Kip and Mason join Kaci to talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of social media — the platform that put a company on Cane Creek with no cell service on the map.

Mason got hired at 21, straight out of UT Martin, with a chicken coop as his only building experience — and explains why walking in green turned out to be an advantage. He also gets into what's landing on his desk now: AI-generated floor plans customers paid $1,000+ for that simply can't be built, roof pitches and window walls that don't work in the real world, and why QBS still has actual humans doing every material list.

From there: why negative reviews outnumber positive ones, the fake "customers" they investigated and found had never done business with the company, and how Facebook groups set customer expectations before anyone walks through the door.

Then Kip lays out the customer service philosophy that took them from 40–50 employees to triple that — treat the guy buying one 2x4 exactly like the family building a $500,000 home — plus the honest conversation about communication: what's "enough" updates varies wildly from customer to customer, why your project platform is for questions rather than minute-by-minute updates, and why subcontractor schedules can't be promised two weeks out.

Nobody here claims to be perfect. As Kip puts it, it's not about being perfect — it's about how you handle it afterward.

Beyond the Build by QBS — building, investing, hunting, real life. Follow the show so you don't miss an episode.

Thomas has been selling for Quality Building Supply for almost five years — and he still remembers walking in to buy two pieces of ridge cap and a half bag of screws before Joseph fed him a plate of fish and showed him the whole lumber yard.

In this episode, Jeff and Kaci sit down with Thomas to talk about what actually makes a build go smoothly, and what makes one drag out for months. He breaks down real numbers for shell builds, porches and garage space, and finished custom homes. He also explains why a 2,400 sq ft Smith home and a 2,400 sq ft Elite are nowhere near the same price.

From there the conversation gets into the stuff people don't think about until it costs them: getting pre-approved before you fall in love with 50 floor plans, finding a bank that allows self-contracting (and why swapping banks can cost you 30 days but save you six months), permits that can run $25,000, site prep and what your land will actually allow, and the OSB-versus-2x4 debate now that local codes are tightening up. Plus siding and roofing upgrades worth the money, and realistic timelines.

New episodes of Beyond the Build by QBS drop regularly. Like, subscribe, and drop a comment with what you'd like us to cover next.

Every company has a moment when it could have gone either way. In this episode of Beyond the Build, we go back to the early days of Quality Building Supply — when the business was struggling, there was no insurance, and employees clocked in on a printed Excel sheet. Hear what it took to convince good people to walk away from stable jobs and bet on a company that "may or may not make it," and why that leap of faith became the foundation everything else was built on. A candid look at risk, loyalty, and building a team before you can offer them anything but a vision.