Episode 7 breaks down hard bid vs. negotiated work beyond the usual hot takes. With Ben (Fite Building), we define what “hard bid” and “negotiated” really look like in practice, where each model works, and the hidden assumptions that cause breakdowns (document quality, risk transfer, bid fatigue, owner sophistication). We discuss how incentives shape behavior, how trade partners experience each process, and why the real differentiator is a strong precon process + cost narrative that clarifies scope, assumptions, and deltas—regardless of procurement method.

Every budget, every early estimate, every "can you just take a quick look at this?" — it all costs someone something. But in most cases, that cost is invisible. Welcome to FreeCon.

In this episode, Troy and Trey sit down with Mike Navarro, CTO and Co-Founder of Ediphi, a 20-year construction veteran who went from lead estimator on complex high-rise projects to building the software he always wished he had. Together, they dig into one of the most quietly frustrating dynamics in the industry — pre-construction work that is deeply valuable, rarely compensated, and almost never talked about openly.

In this episode:

• What "FreeCon" actually is — and why it's not always a bad thing
• Why the pre-construction timeline stretches to 30 months when it shouldn't
• The PETA Factor: how endless pricing rounds inflate sub costs and erode trade partner relationships
• How scope clarity drives cost down — and scope mystery drives it up
• Why the estimator's voice needs to be in the room before the design is finished
• The shift from "flat line estimates" to true pricing models where everything is interdependent
• Strategic FreeCon vs. subsidizing an owner's decision-making — where's the line?
• Why Mike went from "pry Excel from my cold dead hands" to building cloud-first pre-con technology

Fast Five closes out the episode with rapid-fire takes on tools vs. behavior, owner mindset shifts, and finishing the sentence: "The estimate stops being just a number when..."

If you've ever priced the same project five times under a verbal commitment and a prayer — this one is for you.

🔗 Learn more about Ediphi at ediphi.com

In this episode we recap the Super Bowl of events for preconstruction, Advancing Precon 2026.

What happens when the developer is also the GC? Mill Creek Residential's Director of Pre-Con, Justin Valentim joins Troy and Trey to break down what pre-con looks like when you own the estimate, the trade partner relationships, and the investor conversation — all at once. Episode 4 of Proper Precon.

Powered by Ediphi

Every project has a number. Not every project has a story behind it. In Episode 3, Troy Simon and Trey Darnell dig into the cost narrative — what it actually is, why most GCs aren't delivering it, and what changes when you get it right.

They cover the three layers of a real cost narrative: the number, the context behind it, and the decision points that let an owner actually do something with it. Trey breaks down why owners always remember the first number you give them — and what happens when that number isn't backed by anything. Troy draws the parallel to technology sales: you're not presenting a conclusion, you're building a case. And if the owner can't walk out of the room and explain your number to someone else, you've already lost.

They also get into what it looks like in Ediphi — how tracking estimates across milestones, building cost per unit and cost per use group, and running variance reports between estimates gives pre-con teams the foundation to tell a cost story that holds up across the entire pre-con lifecycle.

If you've ever handed an owner a budget and watched them push back on a number you know is right — this one's for you.

Powered by Ediphi — ediphi.com

The construction industry has been talking about a labor shortage for 30 years, but the office side of the problem doesn't get nearly enough attention. In Episode 2 of Proper Precon, Troy Simon and Trey Darnell dig into the estimator shortage hitting pre-construction teams right now: why we're just trading talent instead of growing it, what happens when your senior estimators retire and take their knowledge with them, and what GCs can actually do about it.

They also break down the latest construction tech acquisitions (Nemechek/HCSS, Trimble/Document Crunch, Autodesk/Rumbix), what volatile material costs mean for pricing risk, and a deep dive into a major Cal Poly student housing project to show what a real pre-con team looks like at scale.

Plus: how construction management programs are falling short, what a better university curriculum could look like, and a live look inside Ediphi to show how the right tool can carry context — not just math — so knowledge doesn't walk out the door when your best estimator retires.

Proper Precon is powered by Ediphi — the only true cloud-native pre-construction platform built by estimators, for estimators. Learn more at ediphi.com.

Preconstruction is one of the most critical phases in construction…and one of the most broken.

In Episode 1 of Proper Precon, we break down the real challenges facing estimators and preconstruction teams today:

Rebuilding estimates over and over again
Losing context between project milestones
Relying on spreadsheets that don’t scale
Long, drawn-out precon cycles that cost real money.

The reality is, most teams are stuck in workflows that haven’t evolved, while clients are demanding more sophisticated insights and faster decisions.

So what does “proper preconstruction” actually look like?

We cover:

How precon workflows break down at scale
Why tools don’t get adopted across teams
The role of people, process, and technology
What a modern, connected precon workflow should be
Why faster estimates lead to better conversations

If you’re an estimator, precon manager, or construction leader, this episode will challenge how you think about preconstruction and where it’s headed.

Because it’s not just about getting the number right.
It’s about carrying the context behind it.

Subscribe for weekly conversations on what “great” preconstruction really looks like.