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 how finishes can quietly 4x a plan in one showroom visit. You will walk away with a clearer way to talk budgets, scope, and durability without getting trapped in a single number.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-build-small-casitas-wille
https://www.instagram.com/wille.build

Show Notes:
00:00 Notice what’s right
01:12 Meet Mark Willie
03:44 Lumber acronyms decoded
06:48 How they met
09:55 Consulting role
11:43 Saying no
16:51 Price per foot
29:01 Costs shifting
34:52 Finish budget blowup
43:54 Where to spend
53:30 Where to find Mark

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast Produced By:
Motif Media

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-serving trades, and what his tech stack changed for job costing and AP. You will walk away with a clearer filter for growth, culture, and hiring. If this one hits, share it with a builder who needs the reminder.

https://www.croxallcommercial.com

Show notes:
00:00 Money and purpose
00:49 Meet Hayden
01:51 From recession to resilience
04:53 Teaching to painting
07:42 Tornado to roofing
14:10 Four companies
16:45 Why residential's emotional
21:19 Holding company setup
24:55 Adaptive saves hours
32:02 Diversify or focus
39:43 Hiring for character
43:30 Culture you enforce
45:59 Final thoughts

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast Produced By:
Motif Media

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 that keep projects on track. You’ll walk away with practical ways to tighten up billing, align your cost code “language,” and price future work with confidence. If this helps, subscribe and share it with a builder friend who’s tired of guessing.

https://www.sloaneconstruction.com

Show Notes:
00:00 Intro and why job costing matters
01:12 Jeremy and Sloane Construction
06:12 Luxury costs explained
09:04 What scale takes
13:13 Hiring burn story
17:36 Builders helping builders
21:31 Daily logs system
24:31 Remote coordinator shift
35:41 Growth without chaos
44:34 Rebuilding pay apps
50:31 One cost code
55:07 Burden rate reality
56:54 Wrap and takeaway

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast Produced By:
Motif Media

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 right seats” beats any process on paper. You will hear how he launched a custom home company from scratch and what builders can do today to stop letting team gaps wreck margin.

https://www.apexhomesfl.com

Show Notes:
00:00 Right people first
03:43 Tim’s builder path
06:30 Acquisitions lessons
09:51 Clarity and vision
14:23 OKRs and KPIs
17:44 Starting Apex Homes
23:45 Pipeline and priorities
31:00 Build your bench
38:15 Jobsite leadership
43:54 One big takeaway
45:16 Where to follow

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast Produced By:
Motif Media

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 actuals to catch mistakes before they wreck cash flow. If you have ever felt unsure whether you can safely spend what is in the bank, this one will help you get your confidence back. Subscribe and share this with a builder friend who is still estimating off vibes.

https://oakdd.com
https://www.instagram.com/oak_development

Show Notes:
00:00 Intro
03:03 Who is PJ
06:29 Picking the right jobs
11:52 Deal breakers and filters
13:44 Red flags and fit
18:01 Process improves over time
21:12 Cleaner back office
26:16 Finding missing costs
31:04 Stop pricing on gut
35:27 Setting sub numbers
37:07 The Nantucket case
46:09 TV shows and brand
50:04 Final advice and wrap

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast Produced By:
Motif Media

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 surprises, and $60K to $70K hits to margin. You will hear simple process rules, how to keep draws clean, and why real time cost tracking changes everything. If this helped, subscribe and share it with a builder who is still doing this in spreadsheets.

https://www.mdwilliamshomes.com

Show Notes:
00:00 Intro
01:01 Joel’s role
02:34 Where costs broke
05:46 Keep it simple
07:04 Double billing damage
12:10 Fixed vs cost
17:02 Change resistance
23:39 Weekly client updates
26:39 The $70K lesson
33:24 Stop end change orders
39:34 Process takeaway

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast Produced By:
Motif Media

Reece sits down with Paul Sanneman of Contractor Staffing Source to talk about the real cost of hiring mistakes, and why marketing and recruiting are no longer optional if you want to protect profit. They break down how AI is changing the game, plus Paul’s step by step recruiting process you can run in house if you have to. You will leave with clearer standards for who to hire, how to onboard them, and why one “almost good enough” employee is costing you way more than you think. If this helps, share it with a builder friend and check the links for Paul’s resources.

https://contractorstaffingsource.com

Show Notes:
00:00 Culture Can Break
00:42 Meet Paul Sanneman
04:08 Marketing Mindset Shift
09:04 Recruiting Isn’t Optional
11:30 Replace Yourself First
14:12 DIY Recruiting Steps
20:40 Onboarding Matters Most
25:00 Hire For Integrity
33:46 Cut Toxic People
35:09 Final Three Rules

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast Produced By:
Motif Media

Reece sits down again with Garrett Goldsberry of Salt Creek Homes for round two, now that Garrett has been using Adaptive for a few months. They break down what changed after moving from Excel and QuickBooks into real job costing, and why it matters if you are trying to protect margin. You’ll hear how Garrett builds cost plus draw packages, improves transparency with clients, and catches missed costs before they quietly erode profit. If this helped, subscribe and share it with a builder who is still “making it work” in spreadsheets.

https://www.saltcreekhomesco.com

1st Episode with Garret: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2344845/episodes/17328423

Show Notes:
00:00 Responsibility matters
02:39 Who is Garrett
04:29 Spec house win
09:00 Why part two
11:06 Wish sooner
14:16 Software resistance
18:40 Cost plus draws
21:43 Catch missed costs
35:09 Hiring confidence
39:16 Podcast habits
42:12 Family time wins
44:26 Wrap up

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast Produced By:
Motif Media

Reece sits down with Matt Brill of Bauen Build to break down change management for builders, from new software to new build standards, without losing the team along the way. They talk about what actually drives buy in, how to keep craftspeople focused on the work they love, and why clarity is so important. You will leave with practical ways to tighten budgets, approvals, and communication while still building a great product. If this hit home, share it with a builder friend and check out the links for more.

https://bauenbuild.com

Show Notes:
00:00 The 80% Rule
00:42 Matt Brill Intro
02:58 Continuous Improvement
07:52 Culture and Cadence
13:59 Products vs Systems
19:29 Make Systems Stick
25:12 Right Roles
29:38 Commercial Process
37:01 Clarity Wins
46:35 Teach The Why

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast Produced By:
Motif Media

Reece sits down with Chris Kerr of White Oak Home to debate fixed price versus cost plus, and what each model really means for risk, profit, and client trust. They get into the real reason fixed price feels simpler for a small team, why missing receipts can quietly kill margin, and how job costing changes the whole conversation. You’ll also hear how to think about overhead, project management fees, and change orders when the client is still deciding mid build. If this helped, share it with a builder buddy and check out Adaptive for tighter job cost tracking.

https://www.whiteoakhomenewengland.com

Show Notes:
00:33 Fixed vs cost plus
05:13 Meet Chris Kerr
08:17 Admin burden is real
14:38 Risk and upside
19:28 Budget vs actuals
22:03 Overhead and profit
26:17 Fixed fee PM
30:59 Trust and ethics
46:13 First draw next

Find Our Hosts:
Reece Barnes
Matt Calvano

Podcast Produced By:
Motif Media