Construction Secrets

Work With Me - Click Here Get The Subcontractor's Edge Book - Click Here (Book comes with the free audiobook and a full video masterclass) - 0:00 The lie killing your construction profit margin - 1:25 What every losing subcontractor project has in common - 2:44 What a mentor in Iraq taught me about real margin - 3:40 Two electrical subs, same $10M job, only one made money - 5:28 Margin isn&#39...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in May 2023. If you've ever held back on a notice or a variation because you didn't want to "rock the boat," read this. The subs who get taken advantage of are the quiet ones. The ones who absorb the hits, mitigate the delays, and never tell anyone. Lovely humans. Terrible business owners. You've got to tell everyone. Every delay. Every variati...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in May 2023. You can sit at the table having spent 500 grand. Or you can sit at the table having spent a tenner. Same argument. Very different leverage. That's the whole game when a variation isn't getting approved. Tune in! Struggling with unfair contracts or slow payments in construction? With 6,000+ contracts reviewed and $20 billion in cont...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in May 2023. The truck driver on the mining site who heard about self-driving trucks had two choices. Do nothing and get made redundant. Or learn the tech and end up running five trucks from a joystick. That's where construction is with AI right now. Hit the play button now. Struggling with unfair contracts or slow payments in construction? Wit...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in May 2023. Three things the longest-lasting subs all do: They negotiate hard, every single time. They walk away from risky contracts, even good ones. They protect their margin like it's oxygen. That's it. That's the whole game. Listen up. Struggling with unfair contracts or slow payments in construction? With 6,000+ contracts reviewed and $20...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in April 2023. Most subs think the money is made on site. It's not. It's made in the terms. I've seen tier ones win projects at a loss because they know they can claw the margin back post-award through variations and EOTs. Meanwhile the subs underneath them are signing the worst version of the contract, because nobody told them there was a game...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in April 2023. Two electrical subs. Same project. Same scope. One made a killing. The other nearly went under. And here's the thing, right? The one that nearly collapsed actually did the better job on site. But their variations never got approved. Their EOTs weren't submitted properly. Their scope looked late on paper. And the head cont...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in April 2023. Most construction companies don’t go broke because they can’t build. They go broke because of the contracts they sign. Risk gets pushed down the chain, and the smaller the contractor, the harder the hit when things go wrong. Relationships and good work are no longer enough when the paperwork decides who gets paid and who absorbs...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in April 2023. Great builders still go broke when they ignore the contract. This episode explains how cash flow, risk, and payment terms decide whether you make profit or lose it, even when the work is done perfectly. It also covers why so many construction companies fail and how smarter contracts can change the outcome. If you want to protect...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in March 2023. Most projects don’t hurt you early. They hurt you at closeout. In this episode, find out what “squeaky bum time” is and why the final quarter is when notices, EOTs, and paperwork decide if you get paid or get cut back. Also, dive into how AI will shape construction and why the smartest companies make the complex simple. Click pla...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in March 2023. You are not just building the project, you are playing a contract game whether you realise it or not. In this episode, you'll learn why so many subcontractors get bullied contractually, lose money, and sometimes go out of business even when the work itself is solid. If you want to understand how the biggest players really think a...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in March 2023. You can deliver a flawless job and still lose money if you lose the contract game. In this episode, we unpack how the biggest construction companies actually think, and why they invest heavily in contracts teams before a single tool hits site. Because the truth is simple: the returns are in the terms, and once a dispute starts, i...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in March 2023. Most contractors don’t go broke from bad work, they go broke from the downside risk they never saw coming. In this episode, Cian sits down with Kieran Moran who breaks down how he started as a teenage laborer, learned the “33/33/33” rule, and watched good operators get wiped out by one nasty contract hit. He explains what actuall...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in Feb 2023. Tier 1s are playing the contracts game whether you join in or not. Part 2 with lawyer Michelle Cirson gets real about why subbies get gaslit for “being contractual,” then hammered at the end when the money gets tight. You’ll hear a smart notice trick to make claims feel procedural, not personal, plus why reading a contract is no di...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in Feb 2023. If you “get contractual” in the last quarter, you’ve already lost the relationship. In this episode, Cian sits down with Michelle Cirson and breaks down the ugly truth: Tier 1s will smile all job, then closeout teams roll in and suddenly it’s “back to the contract” and “you didn’t comply.” They talk about why risk is silent until i...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in August 2024. This one clause can bankrupt a profitable project overnight. Consequential damages can make you liable for your client’s loss of profit, even when your own margin is razor thin. With 65% of construction companies facing unexpected claims averaging over $500,000, this risk is far from theoretical. In this episode, we break down w...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in August 2024. Getting paid late is not a client problem. It’s a systems problem. If your payment terms are loose and your follow-up is weak, you’re training your client to pay you last. In this episode, we walk through how to set shorter terms, follow up like a pro, and make timely payments the norm, not the exception. Listen up. Struggling w...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in July 2024. Submitting all your changes at once is the fastest way to lose them all. Bundling variations might seem efficient, but it often backfires when the client picks them apart and delays payment. In this episode, we walk through the real cost of slow approvals, why your dispute resolution clause might be setting you up to fail, and how...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in July 2024. If you don’t negotiate the contract, they see you as green. You might think skipping the tough talk gets the job started faster, but it’s what gets you paid slower and respected less. In this episode, you’ll learn how smart subcontractors turn contracts into leverage, getting paid quicker, securing repeat work, and building trust...

Most construction businesses don’t fail on-site. They fail in the contract. In this special episode of Construction Secrets, Raine Gerber sits down with Prometheus Siddiqui to unpack how commercial discipline, risk awareness, and clear documentation protect your margin long before the work even starts. They discuss: Why understanding risk allocation is critical before signing any contract How poor...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in July 2024. Most subcontractors are stuck on the tools when they should be building the business. There is a point where hard work stops growing the company and starts trapping the owner inside it. In this episode, we unpack why stepping back into leadership is the move that unlocks bigger contracts, stronger cash flow, and a business that ru...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in June 2024. Most subcontractors don’t lose money because of bad work. They lose it because of silent risks in the contract. In this episode, we break down the hidden traps that kill your margin and how to stop it from happening on your next job. Tune in. Struggling with unfair contracts or slow payments in construction? With 6,000+ contracts...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in June 2024. Almost 40% of subcontractors lose money on project changes and most do not see it coming. Slow approvals drain your cash flow. Vague clauses block you from getting paid for extra work. In this episode, we share 5 practical contract tips to take back control of your cash flow and approvals. Learn how top subcontractors cut delays,...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in June 2024. Want to get paid before the project starts? In this episode, we break down how to secure upfront payments, shorten terms, and move to the front of the queue. Tune in and take control of your cash flow. Struggling with unfair contracts or slow payments in construction? With 6,000+ contracts reviewed and $20 billion in contracts man...

This episode is a re-run. It was originally published in June 2024. What if your construction site could run round the clock without paying for night shift? One client cut survey time by 80% just by switching to drones. Another used remote staff in a different timezone to fix issues before the site crew even started work. With smart project software, their jobs finished faster and cost less. These...