Precon Geeks

John and Jared sit down with Grant Stucker, Beck Technology Strategic Account Executive, to discuss the path to precon, the path out of precon, and how cost estimators are more storytellers than they are number crunchers.

John represented Beck Technology (and the Precon Geeks) at the 2023 Advancing Preconstruction Conference and him and Jared discuss John's biggest takeaways and what trends he sees emerging in precon after attending.

Burnout is a big deal. And precon is feeling it. In this episode, John and Jared address the question, "As an estimator, how do I care about everything?" John spent nearly 15 years in estimating and construction and knows well the pressures you can face. He gives advice on how to stay focused on your current job while also keeping your eyes on the future, and how to take care of yourself and prevent estimator burnout. This episode will be of particular interest to those who are new to estimating and preconstruction. We'd love to hear how you "care about everything," including yourself. Drop us a line!

And for a shameless plug, check out our construction estimating software, DESTINI Estimator. It really does make your estimating life a lot easier:

Are y'all going to Advancing Preconstruction this year? If so, we can't wait to see you. Stop by booth 130 and meet Precon Geeks co-host John Reich! He'll be on hand to talk precon with you.

We’re also really excited to have our own Grant Stucker, Strategic Account Executive, present with Jason Fuhrmann, a senior estimator at Miron Construction on Thursday, May 25th at 2:25 p.m. They’ll be talking about estimating team alignment and how to focus on your team’s biggest risks and finding solutions to close the gaps. You won’t want to miss it.

On this week's episode, John and Jared talk about the upcoming Advancing Preconstruction conference and what you won't want to miss if you are attending.

For more info, visit the Advancing Preconstruction event page:

On this week’s episode of Precon Geeks, Jared talks to special guest Matt Dowling, Executive Vice President of The Pinyan Company.

Matt and Jared discuss the importance of sub-contractor management in preconstruction. We rely so heavily on our sub-construction that maintaining a trusted relationship is critical. If we lose relationships with our subs, we lose the edge over our competition.

So, how does preconstruction manage their relationships with subs? It’s all about communication.

Listen in to learn about giving too much versus not enough information. You will also hear what the risks are when you don’t communicate with your subs and how bringing in your subs during the precon phase of a project will help you in the long term.

This week, John and Jared host Gareth McGlynn, CEO of Niche SSP and host of the Preconstruction Podcast. They talk about the changing shift of focusing more value on preconstruction teams, how to recruit people into precon, and most importantly, they discuss football—soccer to Americans.

If you are looking for a position in preconstruction, reach out to Gareth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garethmcglynn/

Is AI taking over your job? In this episode, John and Jared ask CHATGPT for questions regarding AI and the construction industry. They also discuss how AI can help an estimator do their job…not how AI is taking over their job.

If you are interested in 80% faster takeoffs, check out Togal.AI here:

What are owners looking for in a general contractor? This week, John reveals what he’s learned about what owners are looking for and what you can

If we have any owners listening, send us an email and let us know what you look for in a contractor: General Business Inquiries & Questions | Beck Technology (beck-technology.com)

To read more about what owners want, visit our blog here:

When was the last time you heard “good job?” Most feedback estimators receive is when you’ve gotten a number wrong. There is rarely any positive feedback in our profession. Also, preconstruction is unique in the construction industry because you need to be available to PMs in the field and to owners, which can require 12-hour + days.

There is the perception from the younger generations entering construction that preconstruction promotes a workaholic culture and that it is a profession that isn’t particularly rewarding.

How can we counter this stereotype?

John provides his expertise on how to counter the perception that precon isn’t rewarding in this episode of Precon Geeks.

We have dived deeper into this conversation in a blog post. Read it here:

Are you doing value engineering right? Are you just reducing costs by cutting scope out of the project? If so, that is not value engineering done right.

When owners work for months or years with an architect to design the dream, are you the guy who has to tell them they can’t afford their building? There is a better way.

Value engineering brings back the art in estimating. John and Jared discuss how to bring better value to owners by doing value engineering the right way.