The Good Builder Podcast

All painted steel looks the same on the rack. According to Jason Voglis, it doesn't perform the same.

"When you actually break it down and you look at the different substrates and the coil coating technologies and the paints, they perform very differently."

In partnership with UniCote.

Jason is National Sales Manager at UniCote, part of INSPIRE, a division of Selection Steel. He joins Az to talk through what builders should know before they choose roofing and cladding, and why having a credible second supplier is about managing risk rather than ditching a supplier you're happy with.

In this episode:

• Jason's move from real estate into steel, and what his team does with builders, architects, installers and roll formers
• The misconception that all painted steel is the same, and how substrate, coating, warranty and price differ
• Supply shortages since COVID and why "delays could mean make or break" when builders are working on slim margins
• "Imported equals inferior, and it's not the case." Jason on reputable mills, specifications and independent testing
• How UniCote supplies through roll formers, and why Selection Steel uses two mills
• The UniCote range as Jason describes it: Select (everyday), Coastal (for corrosive environments), Lux (architectural finishes inspired by timber, Corten, zinc, copper and brass) and Extreme (aluminium for the harshest coastal sites)
• Choosing the right product for a coastal site, and weighing warranty against cost
• Why a premium product needs a premium experience to go with it

"You've got to have a premium product and then couple that with a premium experience for that customer. And that's what creates trust. That's what creates loyalty."

Company background as Jason describes it: Selection Steel has supplied steel into the Australian market since 1974 and launched its own UniCote painted range about 12 years ago.

This is The Good Builder Podcast.

#TheGoodBuilder #TheGoodBuilderPodcast #AustralianBuilders #UniCote #SelectionSteel #Roofing #Cladding #PrePaintedSteel #CoastalBuilding #BuildingMaterials #ResidentialConstruction

Chapters:
00:44 Welcome: Jason Voglis from Selection Steel
03:13 From real estate into steel
06:11 Why all painted steel isn't the same
08:29 Supply shortages: "delays could mean make or break"
28:24 "Imported equals inferior, and it's not the case"
33:04 The UniCote range: Coastal, Lux and Extreme
40:30 Coastal sites, warranty and cost
46:19 Premium product, premium experience

Find out more about UniCote: https://unicote.com.au

What does it really take to be a good builder? And we're not just talking about building great homes.

Every now and then, a conversation comes along that reminds us exactly why The Good Builder exists. This is one of them.

At just 32, Jordan Rogers has spent the past two and a half years building his Gold Coast construction business, J3 Built. He's already stepped off the tools, built a team and developed a genuine passion for leadership. But behind that progress is a young builder who's had to learn some pretty tough lessons about business, responsibility and knowing when to ask for help.

Recorded at The Professional Builder Summit, this conversation starts with Jordan's journey from AFL and carpentry into running his own building company. It quickly becomes something much more personal.

Jordan opens up about learning the financial side of construction, the importance of surrounding yourself with good people, why leadership is about more than giving instructions, and how seeking guidance helped him through a difficult period.

We also get into building systems, using AI properly, managing growth, protecting margins and why being a great tradesman doesn't automatically make you a successful business owner.

But it's Jordan's answer to one simple question, "What makes a good builder?", that completely changes the conversation.

He talks about the sleepless nights, the decisions nobody else sees, the families depending on you and the enormous responsibility of running a building business.

And for the first time in more than 350 episodes, Az finds himself fighting back tears.

This isn't a conversation about how big you can grow a building company.

It's about the person you become while building one.

An episode for every builder who's ever carried the weight of their business, questioned themselves or needed reminding that they don't have to do it alone.

This is The Good Builder Podcast.

#TheGoodBuilder #TheGoodBuilderPodcast #AustralianBuilders #BuildingBusiness #ConstructionLeadership #BuilderLife #ConstructionAustralia #YoungBuilders #BuilderMentalHealth #J3Built

We've spent the past few weeks travelling through Victoria, New South Wales and the Gold Coast, meeting builders, visiting businesses and hearing what's really happening across the industry.

And one thing keeps becoming clearer: there's an enormous amount we can learn from each other.

In this Monday solo episode, Az shares some of the conversations and lessons that have stuck with him, from Cheyne Hall's experience growing a national building business to Paul Hogan's approach to delivering better outcomes for homeowners.

We also reflect on our time around Newcastle with Mark Sutton from Goop Guys, meeting the next generation of builders at the TPB Summit, and why getting out on site tells us things the industry data doesn't always reveal.

It's a conversation about growth, doing things properly, learning from mistakes and why sharing real experiences matters.

Also coming up this week: Jason Voglis from Selection Steel UniCote joins us for our Friday feature, plus a conversation with young builder Jordy from J3 Built, who we met at the TPB Summit.

At The Good Builder, we're not here because we've got all the answers. We're here to listen, learn and share the experiences of the good builders out there.

The Good Builder Podcast is proudly brought to you by The Pulse by Australian Building Research.

#TheGoodBuilder #AustralianBuilders #ConstructionAustralia #BuildingIndustry #ResidentialConstruction #BuildingBusiness #BuilderLife #ConstructionPodcast #TPBSummit #AustralianConstruction

AI can help builders produce estimates faster than ever. But when your margins, cash flow and reputation are on the line, who's checking the numbers?

Recorded live from the TPB Summit, Az sits down with Haydn, founder of Price A Plan, for a conversation about the future of construction estimating, the growing influence of AI and why experienced people still matter.

Haydn didn't set out to build an estimating business. After an operation left him unable to return to the tools for nine months, he started helping other builders with their quotes. Eighteen years later, Price A Plan supports more than 500 builders annually, employs 32 people and has accumulated approximately $6 billion in project history.

And while Haydn is investing heavily in AI, he's taking a different approach to businesses looking to replace people with technology. His view is that faster estimating actually creates a greater need for experienced eyes and proper quality control.

In this episode, we get into:

• The risks of relying on AI-generated estimates without experienced oversight.
• Why getting your estimating right is about more than winning the job.
• How Price A Plan uses $6 billion in project history to support cost forecasting.
• The importance of qualifying clients before spending hours preparing detailed quotes.
• When builders should consider outsourcing their estimating.
• How AI can improve productivity without sacrificing accuracy or relationships.
• Why Haydn would spend his first $1,000 on improving his sales process rather than advertising.
• The surprising quality Haydn believes makes a genuinely good builder: empathy.

There's plenty of honest conversation about AI, including the pressure to keep up, the risk of handing over too much control and the importance of remembering what actually makes a building business work.

Because at the end of the day, technology might help you produce an estimate, but someone still needs to stand behind the numbers.

Another great conversation from the TPB Summit, bringing together the people, ideas and experiences shaping the Australian residential building industry.

Proudly sponsored by The PULSE from Australian Building Research.

The PULSE helps builders track the customer experience throughout the build, identify issues early and act before they become bigger problems.

Discover The PULSE and book a walkthrough: https://australianbuildingresearch.com.au/the-pulse-cep

The Good Builder Podcast. Real talk. Real numbers. Real builders.

#TheGoodBuilder #TPBSummit #PriceAPlan #AustralianBuilders #ConstructionEstimating #AIinConstruction #BuildingBusiness

We're taking The Good Builder Podcast on the road.

In this special series recorded at The Professional Builder Summit, Az sits down with builders from across Australia for honest, unscripted conversations about running a building business, the challenges they're facing and what they're learning along the way.

No presentations or rehearsed answers. Just real conversations with the people doing the work.

In this episode, Az meets Leithen, Jordan and Ange from Brisbane-based Baihn Construction. What starts with a fairly hilarious introduction quickly turns into a conversation about AI, marketing, customer relationships and what makes a good builder.

The team shares how they've introduced AI-generated renders into their quoting process, helping homeowners visualise renovations before committing to a project. At one point, they were converting every quote they presented.

They also discuss why authentic marketing works for their business, how they've become more selective about the clients they take on, and why communication and transparency remain central to delivering a good building experience.

It's a conversation full of laughs, but there's plenty for other builders to take away too.

About the series

The Good Builder at TPB is a special series recorded at The Professional Builder Summit, bringing together the experiences, ideas and perspectives of builders who are actively working to improve their businesses.

From technology and systems to people, profitability and the realities of running a construction company, we're sharing conversations that don't always happen on the main stage.

A big thank you to The Professional Builder for bringing the building community together, and to Leithen, Jordan and Ange for being so generous with their time and experiences.

The Good Builder Podcast. Real talk. Real numbers. Real builders.

Australian Building Research

Independent research and industry intelligence focused on understanding the Australian residential construction industry through real data, builder insights and customer experiences.

Website: https://australianbuildingresearch.com.au/

The Pulse

Helping builders better understand the customer experience through independent feedback and research gathered throughout the building journey.

Website: https://australianbuildingresearch.com.au/

The Professional Builder

Helping residential builders build stronger, more profitable businesses through coaching, practical systems and a community of builders learning from one another.

Website: https://theprofessionalbuilder.com/

Thank you to our sponsors and partners for supporting these conversations and their ongoing contribution to the Australian building industry.

#TheGoodBuilder #TheProfessionalBuilder #TPBSummit #BaihnConstruction #AustralianBuilders #BuildingBusiness #AIinConstruction #TheGoodBuilderPodcast

Sydney home values are falling, but the NSW Government is pushing ahead with faster housing approvals and new measures to get projects off the ground.

In this Monday edition of The Good Builder Podcast, Az is heading to Sydney to find out what's happening on the ground and what it means for residential builders.

According to figures discussed in the episode, Sydney home values have fallen 8.6% from their February peak. That's not just a concern for homeowners. Falling valuations can create problems at the final claim, leaving builders exposed when clients struggle to secure the finance needed to settle.

Meanwhile, NSW is accelerating development approvals and using government-backed pre-sale guarantees to help unlock construction finance.

Az looks at three questions facing the industry:

• What happens to builders when property valuations fall before the final payment?
• Can faster approvals actually translate into more homes being built?
• How are government-backed pre-sale guarantees helping projects secure finance?

Plus, a wrap-up of The Professional Builder's AI and Marketing Summit, where The Good Builder recorded 26 conversations with builders, and a look at GRAYA's latest Brisbane River project, Ivory.

A quick look at the numbers, the decisions behind them and what they could mean for builders over the next 12 to 24 months.

The Good Builder Podcast. Real conversations. Real builders.

#TheGoodBuilder #SydneyBuilders #ConstructionAustralia

Growing a building business should mean more opportunity, more profit and hopefully a little less pressure on the owner. But as many builders have discovered, more work and more staff don't always deliver those results.

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Az sits down with Cheyne Hall, founder of Build Launch, to talk about one of the biggest challenges facing growing construction businesses: getting the right people into the right roles without letting overheads get out of control.

Cheyne knows the pressures firsthand. After growing his own construction business to 60–70 staff across multiple states, he experienced the challenges of managing people, maintaining quality, controlling costs and keeping a growing operation profitable.

Those lessons eventually led him to establish Build Launch, a business helping Australian builders access trained offshore talent for roles including estimating, contract administration, project support and finance.

But this conversation goes well beyond offshore staffing.

Az and Cheyne discuss why builders often hire too late, how poor onboarding and training can undermine even the best recruits, and why saving money on back-office roles could allow builders to invest more in the supervisors, construction managers and tradespeople delivering the work.

They also explore the growing role of AI in construction, the importance of having proper systems before introducing new technology, and a surprisingly simple question every builder should ask before deciding to grow.

It's a conversation about building a better business, not necessarily a bigger one.

In this episode:

• Why growing headcount doesn't guarantee growing profit
• The hidden costs of scaling a construction business
• Which roles builders should consider keeping in-house
• How offshore teams can support estimating, administration and project delivery
• Why training, mentoring and management matter more than where someone works
• The risks of hiring when your business is already overwhelmed
• Where AI and automation genuinely fit into a building business
• How to make better decisions about growth, staffing and your own future

Whether you're a one-person operation looking for your first team member or an established builder trying to get your overheads under control, there's plenty worth considering in this conversation.

Guest: Cheyne Hall, Founder of Build Launch

Build Launch: https://buildlaunch.com.au/

Host: Az Ng, The Good Builder

The Good Builder: https://thegoodbuilder.com.au/

#TheGoodBuilder #AustralianBuilders #ConstructionBusiness #BuilderProfitability #BuildLaunch

Being busy doesn't necessarily mean you're running a healthy building business. In fact, chasing more sales, taking on the wrong projects and carrying too much overhead can be exactly what gets a builder into trouble.

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Aaron Ng sits down with Mark Vassallo and Paul Hogan, directors of Dixon Homes Sydney, who bring a combined 60 years of experience across residential construction, land development, finance, sales and business leadership.

Between them, they've worked with some of Australia's biggest building and development businesses, including McDonald Jones, Mojo Homes, Mirvac and Stockland. Now they're applying those lessons to running and growing their own residential building business.

And they've got some interesting perspectives on what actually makes a building business successful.

In this conversation, we cover:

• Busy versus profitable: Why a full sales pipeline can be misleading, particularly when projects are sitting on unregistered land.
• Knowing your numbers: The importance of accurate estimating, understanding margins and keeping overheads under control.
• The real cost of land: Why the cheapest block doesn't always produce the cheapest build, and what builders often overlook.
• Growing without losing control: When scaling makes sense, when it becomes dangerous and why some projects are better turned away.
• Lessons from the big builders: The systems, reporting and management disciplines smaller builders can adopt without carrying big-business overheads.
• Building customer trust: Why being upfront about difficult conversations can save builders and homeowners enormous problems later.
• The Sydney housing market: What's happening across knockdown rebuilds, duplex developments and new housing opportunities.

Mark and Paul also share why they've deliberately built a business with lower overheads, strong systems and direct involvement in their customers' projects.

One of the strongest messages from this conversation is that every sale is a promise the rest of the business has to deliver.

And sometimes the smartest decision a builder can make is to say no.

This is a conversation about building a better business, not simply a bigger one.

About The Good Builder

The Good Builder shares real conversations, industry insights and experiences from the people building Australia's homes.

Real talk. Real numbers. Real builders.

Proudly Brought To You By Australian Building Research: The program tracks the heartbeat of customer satisfaction and team performance across every job in real time, so you fix the small stuff before it becomes a bad review, a variation blow-out, or a client who won't refer you: https://australianbuildingresearch.com.au/

Most builders can tell you who their customer is. But there’s a big difference between knowing your customer and actually designing your business around them.

In this short episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Az looks at Queensland builder Mayde and the strategy behind its first-home buyer model.

Mayde has built a clearly defined offering: 26 home designs, published pricing, two specification levels, narrow-lot options, standard facade choices and a simplified selections process. None of those things is revolutionary on its own — but together they reveal something interesting about the way the business has been designed.  

The bigger question for builders is: how much of your business has genuinely been designed around the customer you say you serve?

Az explores what builders can take from Mayde's approach, including product strategy, reducing unnecessary choice, simplifying the customer journey and whether greater standardisation could also play a role in construction productivity.

Because sometimes growing a better building business isn't about adding more.

It might be about getting much clearer on who you're trying to be really good for.

Episode proudly brought to you by Australian Building Research.

#TheGoodBuilder #BuildingBusiness #AustralianBuilders #ConstructionBusiness #BusinessStrategy #HomeBuilders #ConstructionIndustry #BuilderProductivity #CustomerExperience #ResidentialConstruction #BuildingIndustry #QueenslandBuilders

What actually makes someone a good builder?

For Ben from Stroud Homes Brisbane North, it isn’t simply knowing how to build a house. It’s knowing how to bring the right people together.

Ben’s path through construction is anything but conventional. From roofing and carpentry to concreting, rigging, major commercial projects and eventually residential building, he’s built his career by taking on difficult jobs, backing himself and learning along the way.

In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Az sits down with Ben for a conversation that goes well beyond construction.

They talk about discipline, resilience, building strong relationships with trades, why transparency matters with clients, the difference between commercial and residential construction, and why Ben believes building someone’s home is a privilege.

Ben also explains why he believes a good builder is ultimately a connector of people — bringing together the right trades, team and clients to deliver the right result.

They also get into:

• Ben’s unconventional journey through the construction industry
• Moving from commercial construction into residential building
• Why discipline outside work carries into business
• Building long-term relationships with trades and suppliers
• Why transparency and fixed pricing matter
• The problem with “smoke and mirrors” in residential building
• Why builders need to spend time on site
• Designing homes around how families actually live
• Knockdown rebuilds, sloping blocks and difficult sites
• Why Ben sees building a client’s home as a privilege
• The culture behind Stroud Homes
• What Ben believes actually makes a good builder

It’s one of those conversations where the lessons about building, business and life end up being pretty closely connected.

The Good Builder
Real conversations with the people building Australia.

For more head to: https://franchise.stroudhomes.com.au/

Proudly brought to you by https://australianbuildingresearch.com.au/

#TheGoodBuilder #AustralianBuilders #ConstructionAustralia #ResidentialConstruction #HomeBuilding #BuilderPodcast #StroudHomes #BrisbaneBuilders #ConstructionBusiness