The Modern Contractor Podcast

After 23 years running a contracting business, I've learned that customer experience has a lot less to do with one big "wow" moment than most people think. In this Q&A, Shannon asks me about what we've learned at Buresh Home Solutions before, during and after the job. We get into why good workmanship isn't enough by itself, what homeowners are actually nervous about, why we've never focused on high-pressure closing, how we set expectations before work starts, why we call every completed customer, and what to do when a project doesn't go perfectly. We also talk about some of the customer experience ideas that didn't work, the systems we've built because of mistakes, where contractors may be going too far with AI, and the simple things I'd put in place immediately if I started another contracting company tomorrow. For me, the goal is pretty simple: when the truck leaves the driveway, I want the customer to feel like we did what we said we were going to do, and that they'd feel comfortable recommending us to somebody else.

Brian Buresh sits down with Travis Smith from Decks & Docks to get the supplier’s perspective on what the best contractors consistently do differently. And surprisingly, a lot of it isn’t complicated: show up when you say you will, call people back, follow through, own your mistakes, and make it easy for customers and suppliers to trust you. They also get into why so many contractor sales processes are still undefined, how simplifying the sales process can make closing easier, where AI can help a contracting business and where it can damage the customer experience, plus what organized contractors do that makes suppliers want to go the extra mile for them. If you’re trying to build a contracting business with stronger referrals, a cleaner sales process, better supplier relationships, and less chaos, there are a lot of practical ideas in this conversation.

Brian Buresh sits down with Mike Young and Keegan Bianchi from Watercress Financial to talk about how home improvement contractors can use financing as a sales and growth tool. One of the biggest ideas from the conversation: stop thinking about financing as something you have to “sell.” For many homeowners, it's simply a way to make a project easier to afford without draining their cash. They discuss why successful contractors offer financing consistently, how monthly payments can change the sales conversation, common financing marketing mistakes, dealer fees, what contractors need to know about marking up prices, and why financing can lead to larger average job sizes. Mike and Keegan also explain why financing isn't only for homeowners who can't afford the project. Even customers with cash may prefer to keep that money in savings or investments while spreading the project cost over time. They finish with a broader lesson from working with thousands of contractors: long-term success often comes down to providing a customer experience that is consistent every single time.

Brian Buresh sits down with Lewis Lundy, Pella Certified Contractor Program Manager and Trade Sales Manager in Omaha, to talk about what he sees inside some of the most successful contracting companies. Lewis has spent years working directly with contractors and homeowners, giving him a unique view of the habits that separate strong contracting businesses from the rest. They cover why follow-up often matters more than the perfect sales pitch, why contractors should know their numbers, the danger of trying to offer every service, how supplier relationships affect the customer experience, and how AI may change the way homeowners find contractors. They also share a simple post-project follow-up idea that could reduce callbacks while giving homeowners a better experience.

Mario shares what he’s learned through nine years of running a 100% retail roofing company, including when to stop saying yes to every job, why the cheapest customers can become the hardest customers, and how systems like a CRM and an answering service helped him get more off his plate. Brian also shares his own experience staying at roughly the same revenue for 13 years while trying to control everything—before growing from 8 employees to 44 in four years. They also get into pricing, protecting the customer’s property, same-day estimates, why high-pressure kitchen-table selling isn’t always necessary, and what an eight-week wait for a contractor’s quote might be telling the homeowner. If you’re a contractor trying to grow without every job, call, and decision depending on you, subscribe for more practical conversations from The Modern Contractor.

In this episode of the Modern Contractor Podcast, Ryan Heath of Right Hand Roofing and Gutter shares the systems and decisions that helped him move beyond the owner-does-everything stage. We cover trust and delegation, building demand without relying on storms, centralized estimating, protecting job margins, customer communication, CRM workflows, and why a small group of the right people can beat a much larger team chasing weak leads. Ryan also explains why his salespeople do not build their own estimates, how his team uses follow-up systems, and why contractors should look inward before blaming every difficult customer.

A bigger marketing budget doesn’t automatically grow a home service contracting business. Brian and Jordan break down what actually helped drive 412% growth — and what contractors should be paying attention to in 2026. In this episode, they talk through the marketing moves that actually matter: local service ads, SEO, Google Business Profile, reviews, tracking, TV, AI, and why “more leads” won’t fix a business that can’t follow through. You’ll also hear why some contractors stay stuck on discount-driven advertising, why AI may not be the revenue driver people think it is yet, and how to build a marketing system that supports real business growth — not just more activity.

In this episode, Brian shares the books, podcasts, newsletters, and ideas that have helped shape how he builds his home improvement company and coaching business. This is a different style of episode — part resource list, part business reflection. Brian walks through the ideas behind Purple Cow, Profit First, Founders Podcast, Finding Mastery, and Farnam Street, and explains how they apply to contractors trying to build a stronger, more profitable, more differentiated business. These are some of the resources Brian has used while growing his home improvement company by 400% over the last four years, as well as tools he uses with coaching clients.

What happens when a corporate executive with zero construction experience buys a trades business? That's exactly what Paul Van Bergen did, and in this episode, he breaks down everything he's learned in the first few months of owning BW Construction, a premium window installation company in Chicago. From earning the trust of a 29-year veteran foreman, to why he believes customer experience beats lead generation every time, Paul brings a refreshing outsider's perspective to an industry that's often stuck in its ways. If you're a contractor, a business owner, or thinking about buying a business, this episode is packed with practical takeaways.

Most contractors never scale past $3M. Not because of bad leads. Not because of the economy. Not because labor is expensive. It's because of something much closer to home. Pella's Brandon, Mitchell, and Morgan have a combined 42+ years working alongside builders, remodelers, and contractors across the US. In this episode of the Modern Contractor Podcast, they reveal exactly what they've seen hold good contractors back — and what great ones do differently.

Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro & Meet the Pella Team

02:15 – What separates a good contractor from a great one?

04:28 – What struggling contractors blame (that isn't the real issue)

06:29 – Why customer experience beats leads every time

07:06 – The $3M revenue plateau (and why Brian sat there for a decade)

08:53 – How to create a "marquee" customer experience

11:07 – What top contractors are doing with AI right now

12:12 – The leadership bottleneck no one talks about

13:57 – Why hiring is an investment, not an expense Whether you're a solo operator or running a multi-million dollar remodeling business, this conversation is packed with actionable insight from people who've seen thousands of contractor businesses from the inside.