In this episode of Finance at the Jobsite, Rishi sits down with Mark Schwab, CEO & founder of CivilTakeoff.ai and operations leader at Elite Earthworks. Mark shares his unlikely journey from studying cinematography to becoming a construction tech founder — and why grading contractors desperately need better estimating and takeoff workflows.

Drawing from his firsthand experience in HR, payroll, dispatch, job costing, equipment reporting, and IT, Mark explains why contractors misunderstand reporting, where finance teams struggle, and why estimating is still one of the most painfully manual parts of construction.

We dive deep into:

• How writing SOPs exposed hidden workflow inefficiencies

• Why most contractors misuse reporting (and the one report that really matters)

• How equipment profitability truly drives decisions in grading

• Why accurate job costing is life-or-death for Earthwork contractors

• The AI gap in takeoff — and why CivilTakeoff.ai chose to train custom vision models

• Common misconceptions about AI in estimating

• What early users taught them about intuitive UX in construction

• The challenges of building a contractor-first software company

• Why now is the best time for construction professionals to start tech companies

Mark also opens up about the complexity of multi-step invoice approval, retention risks, and the hidden operational burdens many outsiders miss. Toward the end, he shares practical advice for construction leaders looking to build technology — even if they don’t have a coding background.

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