The ProfitDig guys talk about emerging technology trends for the construction industry for 2024, with Jeff Spencer, our resident construction project management expert, Jeff Givens, our resident engineering expert, and Jerry Work, who doesn't know much but he reads a lot of articles. Topics include: AI and robotics on the construction site The prob…

ProfitDig's Jeff Spencer talks about his preferred brands of heavy construction equipment (based on his extensive experience) and discusses the concept of "or equal to" materials. From ProfitDig - bid jobs, track costs, make more money. Easy!By ProfitDig LLC

Construction contractor, Luke Fielder, gives his advice for how to repair a damaged driveway. Any gravel driveway without a finished surface like asphalt will require period maintenance. Making sure your sub-grade is correct is the first step. Make sure your base stone is dropped on an even surface. Ditches need to carry your water away from the dr…

The ProfitDig guys talk about tilt-up construction, a form of construction in which concrete walls are poured in forms on the construction site and then lifted to form walls of a building. How does it work? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Watch now and find out. Another useful video from ProfitDig - bid jobs, track costs, make more money…

The guys talk about weird things they have seen on a jobsite - such as a guy who left to get a tool from his truck and then showed back up with it months later. Have a laugh with the guys as they talk about jobsite ridiculousness. From ProfitDig - bid jobs, track costs, make more money. Easy. Visit https://www.profitdig.com.…

Wally Rankin, from Trout Creek Home Inspections, LLC, gives his take on the state of the economy from his perspective as a home inspector. As Wally explains, home inspections have died down quite a bit in his market area, likely indicative of the overall market in an environment of inflation and higher interest rates. The guys have a laugh, as usua…

Being your own General Contractor on a construction project, such as a home build, is difficult if you are not highly experienced in the construction industry. Jerry explains the difficulties that someone he knows well has experienced while acting as her own GC. Jeff explains that the GC must elicit bids from subs for every part of the project that…

The ProfitDig guys break out into an economics discussion regarding interest rates. How are rising interest rates affecting the construction industry? How are they affecting new home construction? Home loan applications are at their lowest rate since 1995. A recent home building rebound likely reflects permits approved many months ago. Can the cons…

The ProfitDig guys talk all about easements, which are agreements to allow you to perform work on someone else's property. As Jeff Spencer explains, it is important to record, takes notes and time-stamped photos about the condition of the property before you do any work. Look for cracks in foundations and anything else that could be affected by you…

Don't get burned by the contracts you sign! In today's ProfitDig video, the guys discuss various topics including: On a project, you become part of the business of the General Contractor. Make sure your scope of work is specified in the contract. If it is a long contract with a company you have never worked with before, consult an attorney. Languag…

The ProfitDig guys talk about the importance of daily jobsite documentation. Jeff Spencer talks about using contractors' daily diaries to document information such as jobsite conditions, weather, or any other factors that might affect the work that gets done on a particular day. This information is invaluable in situations such as a court case. You…

In this non-construction episode of the ProfitDig Construction Show, our buddy, Wally Rankin, talks about his experience with chainsaw wounds and knife stabs - all incidents he has experienced with family members growing up in a logging town in Michigan, and with his children in Tennessee. This was supposed to be a Halloween episode, but better lat…

ProfitDig's Jeff Spencer discusses his invoicing strategies to make sure that you have the draws you need to pay the job bills along the way while maintaining healthy profit at the end of the job. Avoid overly aggressive billing! If you bill too aggressively, you may very well find yourself out of money by the end of the job and forced to pay expen…

ProfitDig's Jeff Spencer and Jeff Givens talk about power quality. As Jeff Givens explains, the U.S. is divided into three major grids, and generation of power is based on the demand by homes and businesses within those grids. Generated power has to align with the demands on the grid. Non-linear sources of power for drives, motors and electrical eq…

The guys talk about all subcontractors. If you are bidding on work that you do not self-perform, you will require subcontractors. A good subcontractor is hard to find, especially in a hot market. Having a well-established relationship with a subcontractor will help immensely. A sub is essentially an employee of the GC, so good relationships are cri…

“Dirty” power can cause expensive damage to the equipment in your shop. ProfitDig’s Jeff Givens, a former electrical engineer, explains what to do if you are not getting clean power to your shop. From ProfitDig - easy job bidding and costing for construction contractors. https://www.profitddig.comBy ProfitDig LLC

In years past, safety requirements were not so strictly enforced, but these days, OSHA is strict about enforcing those rules, and most companies take pride in keeping their employees safe. That is good news for employees, but from a job bidding standpoint, safety compliance must be accounted for in your bids. When you sign on to perform work for a …

The ProfitDig guys talk about trench boxes, chains and slings - essential safety equipment used on a jobsite to prevent injury from collapsing trenches. Chains and sligns are used to lift heavy items. Most trench boxes weigh 8 - 12 thousand pounds, so they are very heavy devices. They must be used correctly based on soil and OSHA requirements, whic…

ProfitDig After Dark... not really! But it is Chris and Jeff talking about pipes! As Jeff explains, come municipalities require certain brands or types of pipes for specific applications. If you are engaged in underground utility work, it is critical you understand the different types of pipe and when to use what. Jeff is an expert in underground, …

Highly experienced construction Project Manager, Jeff Spencer, talks about how to hire a foreman to help your company grow. As Jeff explains, it is hard to find workers in general, so finding a foreman is even more difficult. Jeff gives his tips for finding the right guy to run your crew. From ProfitDig - the world's easiest to use #construction jo…

Professional home inspector Wally Rankin of Trout Creek Inspections shares some of the weirder things he has seen and experienced while performing home inspections. Another fine video from your friends at ProfitDig - EASY job bidding and costing for #construction contractors. Try it today. $99/mo., no contract. Web-based. Cancel any time. https://w…

Wally Rankin of Trout Creek Inspections explains how there are limitations in every home which can make it difficult to examine everything. Every home inspector has a legal agreement detailing these limitations. It's extremely important to document everything discovered during the inspection. A home inspector isn't allowed to move items around with…

The ProfitDig guys talk with home inspector, Wally Rankin, about why you need a home inspector when purchasing a home. Most legitimate real estate agents want accurate home inspections and will advise their clients with regard to inspections. If a realtor supplies you with a list of inspectors, do your research and pick the best one, even if he is …

In the latest ProfitDig video, we continue our conversation with professional home inspector, Wally Rankin, of Trout Creek Home Inspections. We ask Wally how building codes affect the home inspection process. Home inspectors do not inspect to code - they code to home inspection standards, which are set at a national level. National codes such as th…

Special guest, Wally Rankin from Trout Creek Inspections, joins the ProfitDig crew to talk about what to look for when hiring a home inspector. Wally runs a successful business and knows exactly what makes a good inspector. Among the advice: A good inspection for an average size home should take about 3 hours. An inspector should be able to tell yo…

Today's ProfitDig video is all about silt fences and erosion control! Silt is runoff from a job site. Natural erosion control is best for slowing silt down, but silt fences are erosion matting attached to posts that is used to control runoff. The idea is for silt to pile up next to the fence. Silt fences often have to be redone to maintain control,…

The ProfitDig guys talk about bidding underground utility jobs - something Jeff Spencer knows a LOT about! When looking at a specific project, the specifications limit what you can and can't do on a project. Ease of accessibilty is a huge concern. How hard is it going to be do to get your equipment moved around? Where will you have to store your ma…

Starting a new construction job and unsure of the local codes? Codes apply to the location (city and/or county) of the job. You may have to take a drive to a local courthouse for an application or at times you may get lucky and have the option to apply and pay online. ...and don't forget to budget for these in your job cost!…

The ProfitDig guys talk about what to look for when buying construction equipment. Your equipment is a MAJOR expense, so you want to make sure you buy the equipment that is going to work best for your business and provide you years of service. Topics include: Making sure you buy equipment that suites the scope of work you are going to be doing. Wha…

The ProfitDig guys talk about "cut and fill," a concept that anyone engaged in construction needs to understand. It is a simple concept, but one that is essential for preparing a level construction site. It can also allow you to increase profits if you are strategic about it. From ProfitDig - easy job bidding for construction contractors. Starting …

The ProfitDig guys talk to contractor, Luke Fielder, about the process of interviewing job candidates. All three of these guys have experience hiring and firing, so they have a strong understanding of how to find and hire the best candidates for a job. Whether you are looking to hire or looking to get hired in the construction industry, you will ga…

Payment schedules are crucial for monitoring cash flow as you purchase materials and supplies and pay independent contractors and subcontractors throughout the course of a project. In this video, Jeff Spencer, a construction expert, gives tips to Luke Fielder on how to manage payment schedules. Just more wisdom from ProfitDig - easy job bidding for…

Chris and Jerry talk about how to set up an account with Google and add a Google Business Profile for your business, which GREATLY improves your chances of appearing highly in Google local search results related to your line of work. To improve your odds, they also discuss creating citations and using the Google Business Profile updates feature. Fr…

Using job bidding software can be beneficial for a new construction company owner. It can help streamline the bidding process and provide a more professional and accurate bid proposal. In this video, Luke Fielder, owner of TriStar Land Solutions, gives feedback on ProfitDig as their job bidding software. We also talk about how ProfitDig makes it ea…

In the construction industry, the efficient management of your crew is crucial for delivering projects on time, within budget, while maintaining high standards of quality. At some point in your business, you need to know when you need to hire more crew or people. From ProfitDig - easy job bidding and costing for construction contractors. https://ww…

All employers make sure that their employees are well-compensated. So in this video, the guys talk about the things to consider when raising labor rates. From ProfitDig - easy job bidding for #construction contractors. Bid jobs. Track costs. Make more money with ProfitDig. https://www.ProfitDig.comBy ProfitDig LLC

Chris Work, who is highly experienced in the world of Internet marketing, talks about using display advertisements to cheaply promote your construction company in your target markets. He also talks about the requirement to upgrade Google Analytics on your website to the new version, GA4. From ProfitDig - easy job bidding for #construction contracto…

Jeff Givens discusses "physical penetraction testing," which is the process of penetrating the security of a company in a real world sense - in other words, not just security from a computer standpoint, but literally engaging in real world, walking through the door security. If you are responsible for securing documents, you need to make sure someo…

The guys continue their conversation on how to absolutely destroy your construction business and ruin your reputation. This is based on a recent actual event that took place in which a young contractor just starting out made NUMEROUS mistakes. Items discussed in this episode include: Having to install a driveway multiple times to pass inspection No…

Jerry talks to Jeff and Chris about the problems he is experiencing with a young excavation contractor who was hired by a friend to perform grading and build the pad for a new home construction. Among the mistakes made include: Poor communication between the contractor and his crew Failing to strip topsoil Building a pad way too small for the proje…

Chris Work and Jeff Spencer talk about the state of the construction industry as of May, 2023. The guys have a couple of laughs, but also talk some serious business. Jeff says construction in Middle Tennessee is still going strong, but he is seeing a decline in bid invites. Jeff expects there is a seasonal aspect to it, but it is something he is ke…

Jeff Spencer talks about newer technology that is helping secure and monitor construction equipment on the jobsite, along with strategies for preventing theft of materials and other items on the jobsite. From ProfitDig - easy job bidding for construction contractors just like you. More and more contractors are making the switch to ProfitDig. Give i…

The ProfitDig gang talks about how virtual reality and augmented reality might soon be used in the construction industry. Jeff Givens also discusses an actual use case related to electrification with which he is currently involved. Brought to you ProfitDig - easy job bidding for construction contractors just like you. https://www.ProfitDig.com…

Jeff Spencer talks about the need to get up very early in the morning if you want to productive and successful in the construction business. From ProfitDig - easy job bidding for construction contractors just like you. $99/mo. No contract. https://www.ProfitDig.comBy ProfitDig LLC

Luke Fielder, owner of TriStar Land Solutions, talks about using ProfitDig to create his job bids. We also talk about how ProfitDig makes it easy to track your job costs. From ProfitDig - used by contractors just like you! https://www.ProfitDig.comBy ProfitDig LLC

ProfitDig co-founder Jeff Spencer gives ten tips for bidding construction jobs for inexperienced company owners or estimators. The list includes the following suggestions: Make sure you have the necessary resources. If you are awarded a project, you are going to have to fund it. Make sure you are not overstepping your boundaries and you are able to…

Construction company owner, Luke Fielder, discusses the challenges he has faced in his first year as a contractor. Topics include: The seasonality of excavation Finding work during slow periods What Luke has learned about running a business Targeting heavy civil work Competing with uninformed, low budget competitors Tracking job costs The mentality…

Following is a partial transcript of some of the key points in the conversation between ProfitDig's Jeff Spencer and Marlana Martinez from Under the Mountain Underground, LLC (https://utmu.rocks) about bidding excavation work. From ProfitDig - https://www.ProfitDig.comBy ProfitDig LLC

The ProfitDig guys answer a question a viewer had asked in a video comment. When you bid a GMP ("guaranteed maximum price") contract, you are guaranteeing a maximum price for the customer. However, sometimes change orders are required that will affect your scope of work. You must be careful to qualify your bids to make sure you are protected in suc…

The guys talk about how interest rates are affecting the construction industry. As Jeff explains, one major effect of rising interest rates is a shift from single-family home construction to mult-family construction. People would rather lease during times of high interest than be saddled with a high interest mortgage. Rising interest rates and fall…