Epi 182: Why "Free Quotes" Are Killing Your Profit (And How To Fix It)

Marti sits down with Damian and Katryna from Ellari Homes, a Melbourne-based building company that found a unique niche handling "takeovers" after the massive Porter Davis collapse. They share the reality of navigating that industry chaos and how they transitioned into a stable, profitable custom home business. They discuss the hard lessons learned about why "chasing every job" is a trap and how shifting their mindset to "chase margins, not jobs" changed their bottom line. Damian and Katryna reveal their specific "Trial Day" hiring process to stop hiring the wrong people, why they finally started charging for prelims to filter out time-wasters, and the incredible story of how they bounced back after their office was destroyed in an arson attack. 🕒 Timestamped Key Points [02:21] The Porter Davis collapse: Opportunity vs. Chaos [04:20] Charging for prelims: Why "free estimates" attract the wrong clients [08:16] The new mindset: "Markup, Margin, Markup, Margin" [12:28] Defining an A-Player: "Someone you don't have to babysit" [13:48] The "Trial Day" hiring hack: Pay them to prove it first [17:36] The win: Completing 8 takeover jobs successfully [20:44] Advice to past self: "Slow down" to speed up [21:38] Resilience: Turning an office arson attack into an upgrade - Our construction business coaching has helped 2,500+ building companies succeed. Subscribe to The Builder’s Ladder Podcast for weekly, actionable insights — tailored to help you grow a profitable construction business. Follow TPB for more: 👥 FB Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/professionalbuilder 📸 Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/theprofessionalbuilder/ 🖥️ Get your business health audit + free resources (including website audit) here – https://www.theprofessionalbuilder.com 🚀 Head to https://tpb.tools/pod-call to book your FREE strategy session. 📈 Resources For Builders – https://tpb.tools/resources  https://www.facebook.com/groups/TPBmember: https://www.facebook.com/TheProfessionalBuilderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.