In this Listener Q&A episode of Contractor Cuts, we tackle real questions submitted by contractors.

From paying outstanding invoices with new job deposits… to firing a sub who threatens a lien… to handling hostile homeowners mid-project — this episode dives into the messy, uncomfortable situations contractors face every day.

We break down:

• What to do when cash flow is tight and you’re juggling deposits
• How to properly fire a sub (and protect yourself from lien threats)
• Why doing “free” work to be nice often backfires
• How to respond when clients demand to see invoices and receipts
• When to stand firm on pricing — and when to walk away
• The real line between finishing the job and firing the client

If you’ve ever dealt with payment standoffs, nitpicky homeowners, or midnight bank account panic… this one’s for you.

Struggling to grow your contracting business? The Foundations Program is designed to help contractors break free from the chaos and build a business that runs smoothly. You’ll get a customized training program, 1-on-1 coaching, and access to a full paperwork database—including contracts and the Client Engagement Agreement. Join the Foundations Program today! 🚀

Go to ProStruct360.com or s

Have a question or an idea to improve the podcast?
Email us at [email protected]

Want to learn more about our software or coaching?
Visit our website at ProStruct360.com

We lay out the 10-step project management process that creates a consistent client experience from intake to follow-up. We show how to document roles, refine estimates, use the Client Engagement Agreement, and run pre-construction to kill surprise change orders and scale with confidence.

• why a written 10-step system enables hiring and growth
• merging your current process with a proven framework
• step-by-step from client intake to follow-up
• using desk estimates to pre-qualify and set budgets
• turning site visits into “second dates” that build trust
• tightening numbers with estimate revisions
• setting expectations through a Client Engagement Agreement
• converting estimates to quotes in pre-construction
• running construction start with a 50-point checklist
• managing weekly cadence under construction
• closing out cleanly to avoid endless go-backs
• collecting reviews, referrals, and portfolio photos

Set up a free 30-minute call at ContractorCuts.com or ProStruct360.com.

Struggling to grow your contracting business? The Foundations Program is designed to help contractors break free from the chaos and build a business that runs smoothly. You’ll get a customized training program, 1-on-1 coaching, and access to a full paperwork database—including contracts and the Client Engagement Agreement. Join the Foundations Program today! 🚀

Go to ProStruct360.com or s

Have a question or an idea to improve the podcast?
Email us at [email protected]

Want to learn more about our software or coaching?
Visit our website at ProStruct360.com

We outline level one and level two of core process documentation, focusing on a 10-step project flow, weekly management, financial management, and product quality. The aim is to scale beyond owner-only decisions, improve cash flow, and deliver a better client experience.

• Seven-step operating system context and focus on step three
• Ten-step project flow from intake to final invoice
• Desk estimate to on-site estimate handoff and role clarity
• Adapting processes by niche while pressure-testing for scale
• Weekly management rhythm and calendar ownership
• Financial management processes versus financial metrics
• Projections, AR, and cash flow planning to avoid debt shuffling
• Product quality: crew onboarding, benchmarks, and client experience
• Benchmark walks to prevent rework and drive clear choices
• How processes interlock to create consistency and profit

If you want to have one of those intro calls, go to contractorcuts.com or ProStruct360.com and go to contact us

Have a question or an idea to improve the podcast?
Email us at [email protected]

Want to learn more about our software or coaching?
Visit our website at ProStruct360.com

Most contractors already have an operating system — it’s just undocumented, unduplicatable, and holding them back. We break down the first two steps of our operating system: write a usable vision and build a structure that supports hiring, training, and growth. Clear roles, documented handoffs, and a simple green-yellow-red task audit turn chaos into a plan you can execute this quarter.

• three-year North Star with a locked one-year plan
• using vision as a filter for yes and no
• opportunity cost of misaligned jobs
• structure before growth and future org chart
• splitting one owner into multiple role buckets
• mapping processes to roles and handoffs
• partners assigning clear ownership of tasks
• green-yellow-red exercise for task transfer
• revisiting job descriptions every six months
• preparing to hire without burning cash

Go to ProStruct360.com or contractorcuts.com to book a 30-minute intro call.

Have a question or an idea to improve the podcast?
Email us at [email protected]

Want to learn more about our software or coaching?
Visit our website at ProStruct360.com

We lay out the PS360 contractor operating system and use our retreat as a case study to show how to shift from chaos to clarity. The focus is direction over speed: build vision, roles, processes, and metrics before pouring gas on marketing or hiring.

• planning the 2027 retreat and waitlist perks
• new two-coach model and James joining as coach
• mini-retreat on 30 January and the 2026 course map
• why foundation beats fast growth and lead-chasing
• seven tenets overview and how to phase work
• vision and org structure for different growth paths
• role definition for owner vs operator vs PM
• 10-step project process and core documentation
• financial metrics that drive weekly decisions
• hiring playbook from sourcing to 90-day ramp
• leadership shift from boss to leader
• quarterly focus, monthly goals, and accountability

Come next Friday. January 30th, we’re doing a four-hour retreat sprint on Zoom. If you’re in coaching, it’s free. If not, it’s a couple dollars. Go to contractorcuts.com to sign up and we’ll ship you the 2026 course map.

Struggling to grow your contracting business? The Foundations Program is designed to help contractors break free from the chaos and build a business that runs smoothly. You’ll get a customized training program, 1-on-1 coaching, and access to a full paperwork database—including contracts and the Client Engagement Agreement. Join the Foundations Program today! 🚀

Go to ProStruct360.com or s

Have a question or an idea to improve the podcast?
Email us at [email protected]

Want to learn more about our software or coaching?
Visit our website at ProStruct360.com

We break down how to sell the real product clients want—project management, communication, and trust—and map a practical plan for 2026 with sales, process, marketing, hiring, and personal goals. We also share how our retreat builds systems, peers, and momentum that outlast the event.

• redefining the product as process, advocacy, and experience
• diagnosing the coffee stain and building guardrails
• designing a 10-step sales path from first contact to signature
• using preconstruction to prevent scope creep and delays
• creating consistency so jobs scale across teams and cities
• planning 12 months across six critical areas
• setting realistic goals before accelerating spend or hiring
• stage-specific marketing and when to add headcount
• quarter planning and weekly action for steady progress
• live estimate training to show value and win trust
• community, peer support, and night sessions that spark ideas

Struggling to grow your contracting business? The Foundations Program is designed to help contractors break free from the chaos and build a business that runs smoothly. You’ll get a customized training program, 1-on-1 coaching, and access to a full paperwork database—including contracts and the Client Engagement Agreement. Join the Foundations Program today! 🚀

Go to ProStruct360.com or s

Have a question or an idea to improve the podcast?
Email us at [email protected]

Want to learn more about our software or coaching?
Visit our website at ProStruct360.com

Fred Mancuso walked away from a successful career as a Chef and built FM Contracting in Chicago, IL. This interview is about how he moved from using a paint brush as a side job to running a real general contracting business with systems, subs, and large projects. We discuss his experience at our Annual Planning Retreat last year and how what he learned lead to doubling his revenue in just a year.

• moving from labor to leadership
• learning to leverage subcontractors
• building systems for estimates and agreements
• scheduling site time with intent
• creating a predictable pipeline
• preparing for first project manager hire
• targeting consistent six-figure months
• applying for a Chicago GC license
• doubling revenue through discipline
• the value of community and coaching

If you want to come hang out with Freddie and Clark, we'd love to see you guys at the retreat in January. Go to ProStruct360.com/annual-growth-retreat/ to sign up.

Struggling to grow your contracting business? The Foundations Program is designed to help contractors break free from the chaos and build a business that runs smoothly. You’ll get a customized training program, 1-on-1 coaching, and access to a full paperwork database—including contracts and the Client Engagement Agreement. Join the Foundations Program today! 🚀

Go to ProStruct360.com or s

Have a question or an idea to improve the podcast?
Email us at [email protected]

Want to learn more about our software or coaching?
Visit our website at ProStruct360.com

We walk through real contractor dilemmas and show how to stop scope creep, protect profit, and keep clients happy without losing control. From Pinterest-driven changes to midnight texts, we share scripts, policies, and tools that set clear rules and smooth exits.

• explaining the cascade effect of late design changes
• using preconstruction to set rules for change orders
• writing the first small change order to set precedent
• tracking zero-dollar line items for visibility and leverage
• handling “I know a guy” pricing pressure mid-project
• offering managed carve-outs with markup and documentation
• setting communication hours and moving repeat offenders to email
• using lien releases and mutual non-disparagement to exit cleanly

If you have any situations like these you'd like us to read and discuss on the podcast, send an email at [email protected]!

Struggling to grow your contracting business? The Foundations Program is designed to help contractors break free from the chaos and build a business that runs smoothly. You’ll get a customized training program, 1-on-1 coaching, and access to a full paperwork database—including contracts and the Client Engagement Agreement. Join the Foundations Program today! 🚀

Go to ProStruct360.com or s

Have a question or an idea to improve the podcast?
Email us at [email protected]

Want to learn more about our software or coaching?
Visit our website at ProStruct360.com

We break down the toughest leap for contractors: moving from swinging a hammer to running projects with foresight, systems, and steady cash flow. We share a practical plan for calendars, crews, invoicing, and client updates that lowers stress and raises profit.

• delayed gratification as the new mindset
• calendar as the core tool three to six weeks out
• weekly rhythm with Tuesday and Friday anchors
• energy-based time blocking and audit habits
• the revenue math of leaving field labor
• onboarding and replacing new crews with standards
• pre-construction as paid risk prevention
• pay-as-you-go invoicing tied to progress
• sub pay based on scope completion, not need
• client communication cadence that scales

Go to contractorcuts.com if you’re interested in the retreat. You can register there.

Struggling to grow your contracting business? The Foundations Program is designed to help contractors break free from the chaos and build a business that runs smoothly. You’ll get a customized training program, 1-on-1 coaching, and access to a full paperwork database—including contracts and the Client Engagement Agreement. Join the Foundations Program today! 🚀

Go to ProStruct360.com or s

Have a question or an idea to improve the podcast?
Email us at [email protected]

Want to learn more about our software or coaching?
Visit our website at ProStruct360.com

We sit down with Grant Doubell to unpack how a South African contractor rebuilt in Georgia, blending commercial planning with residential service to cut years off the learning curve. We get honest about “coffee stains,” preconstruction discipline, and the financial habits that keep builders in business.

• origin story from development to GC
• early scrappy jobs and learning by doing
• moving to the US and translating skills
• lingo shifts and trade expectations
• client advocacy over good old boys
• three-bid procurement and backup subs
• commercial-grade preconstruction for homes
• residential care on commercial projects
• COVID shock and the forced reset
• fixing coffee stains in quoting and closeout
• cash flow, retainage, and profit discipline
• acting big before you are big
• horizon thinking and value of coaching

Struggling to grow your contracting business? The Foundations Program is designed to help contractors break free from the chaos and build a business that runs smoothly. You’ll get a customized training program, 1-on-1 coaching, and access to a full paperwork database—including contracts and the Client Engagement Agreement. Join the Foundations Program today! 🚀

Go to ProStruct360.com or s

Have a question or an idea to improve the podcast?
Email us at [email protected]

Want to learn more about our software or coaching?
Visit our website at ProStruct360.com