#115: Construction Estimating 101 - Teach Me Dirt

We're dropping another straight-from-the-trenches episode. Host Luke Eggebraaten brings on Brad from Teach Me Dirt, the channel dedicated to exposing the real, often gatekept techniques in dirt work, excavation, and civil construction. Brad's straight-up mission: "I teach all of the gatekept methods of the dirt work, excavation, and civil construction industries for you." On his YouTube (@TeachMeDirt), he delivers practical breakdowns—takeoffs, grading, bidding, stormwater calcs, and the kind of operator know-how that actually gets jobs done right and profitable. Expect no-nonsense discussion on excavation tricks, civil site realities, and hard-won lessons from the field. Raw, useful, and zero fluff. Check out Brad's channel: www.youtube.com/@TeachMeDirt IG - @teachmedirt TikTok - @teachmedirt Book a free strategy call with Phaser Marketing (775) DIRT-BAG : https://calendly.com/d/cm59-rf4-hgq/investing-in-a-new-construction-website?month=2025-05 Huge Thanks to our sponsors: Charlie Huff - Need a certificate of insurance? Done. Adding a new piece of equipment to the fleet? Consider it handled. Got an audit breathing down your neck? Charlie’s already on it. This is full-service insurance from people who care and understand—and it shows. Whether you’re a one-crew start-up or managing a multi-state operation, Charlie makes sure you’re covered right the first time so you can focus on growing, hiring, and hauling. Call (435) 764-4833 or visit https://trupointco.com/ Eljen - Revolutionizing Onsite Wastewater Management Backed by decades of engineering expertise, the Eljen GSF® A42 system uses a layered approach combining geotextile fabric and a plastic core to optimize effluent treatment. This modular leachfield design increases filtration efficiency, reduces the required installation footprint, and protects soil absorption capacity for the long term. Especially effective in space-constrained or environmentally sensitive areas, it offers a reliable, sustainable upgrade to traditional septic systems. Learn more at: eljen.com SludgeHammer - Enhancing Septic System Performance with Advanced Microbiology By introducing a proprietary blend of live bacteria into existing septic tanks, SludgeHammer systems biologically transform waste processing. This method restores failing leach fields, reduces sludge buildup, and supports environmentally friendly water recycling without the need for major system overhauls. Certified for performance and scalability, the solution is ideal for homes, businesses, and larger-scale applications. Discover the details at: sludgehammer.net Thanks for listening!