The Good Builder Podcast

Az unpacks five red flags to watch for before entering a business partnership.As The Good Builder has grown, the partnership approaches have grown with it. Some are worth taking. Many are not. This episode covers the signals that show up early, what each one actually reveals about the person across the table, and why backing yourself is the first defence.Covered in this episode:The love bomb. Three messages and a calendar invite the night you meet, and what that intensity says about their order book.The fluff. Product market fit, ecosystem, still working on that piece. The one sentence test that sorts the operators from the searchers.The profile sweep. Twenty seconds of thumb, zero seconds of thought.Bagging the last partner. Accountability as a filter, picking up the thread from Josh Tyrrell on responsibility.Vague on the money. Why nobody is ever vague about their own numbers.The through line is presentation over substance, and how to spot it before it costs you time.Hosted by Az.This episode is brought to you by The Pulse from Australian Building Research. The Pulse tracks the customer experience across the build, so builders find out what clients think while there is still time to act. Book a twenty minute walkthrough at australianbuildingresearch.com.au/the-pulse-cepComing up this week. Wednesday, Bec Askin and Alex Harris. Friday, Big Matt Hope from Wattle Court.#thegoodbuilder #constructionindustry #buildingbusiness

Josh Tyrrell signed with GJ Gardner Homes at twenty nine, opened in October 2016, and has since built around 250 homes across Warragul, Drouin, Morwell and Traralgon. Today he has 18 staff, an average contract price near $800,000, and a second office about to open in the Latrobe Valley.He got there by chasing the work the big builders avoid. Flat greenfield sites are a brutal fight against Metricon and Simonds. Ten metres of fall is not. Josh set out to be the volume builder for difficult builds, and now the competition sends those clients his way.He takes Az through all of it. The shift from builder to business owner. Bringing accounting inside the business and what tighter cashflow reporting exposed. Why he hires before he needs to. The year twenty five of thirty jobs triggered planning permits and he wore the hole rather than lay anyone off. Why nobody on his team quotes a price without standing on the block first.The Good Builder has recorded more than 300 episodes. This is the first time a guest has answered the question with a single word. Responsibility.Josh's own podcast is linked below.https://open.spotify.com/show/53fZLgWHZwu35jQwf3tIDeProudly brought to you by The New Home Electrical Specialist: https://tnhes.com.au/

Construction is one of the strongest performing sectors in the Australian economy right now. Louise Southall has the data to prove it.Louise is the Xero Economist. She joined Xero in 2020 and brings 30 years across economics and business advocacy, working with business organisations, councils, government agencies and charities. Her focus is Xero Small Business Insights, a program that uses anonymised and aggregated data from the Xero platform to show what is actually happening inside small businesses. Real sales, jobs and wages figures rather than survey responses. The Australian data set covers more than half a million small businesses.In this episode she joins Az to unpack the June quarter for construction. Sales up more than ten per cent on a year ago. Employment up more than five per cent. Wages up around three per cent. She explains why the sector is outperforming most of the economy, what is cushioning it against cost of living pressure, and why Queensland keeps showing up near the top of the table.The conversation goes well past the numbers. Louise makes the case that productivity is not one big step change. It is small changes at the margin. She talks about the red tape sitting inside your own business rather than in Canberra, the friction between quoting, doing the work, invoicing and getting paid, and why the Christmas shutdown conversation with your accountant needs to happen months before December.Her answer to what makes a good builder is worth the listen on its own, and it comes from three decades of watching small businesses succeed and fail. Most builders serve a trade apprenticeship. Very few serve the second one. Businesses rarely fail because the trade work is poor. They fail because the cash does not come in fast enough.Also covered: skills shortage as the sector's main headwind, why the five to twelve staff bracket is the hardest place to sit, what technology adoption actually looks like when you are running quotes from the ute, and what the New Zealand experience shows about a construction sector under pressure.Hosted by Az.This episode is proudly sponsored by MyConstruct, built by Australian builders for Australian builders. Get a 30 day trial at myconstruct.com with your CODE: GOODBUILDER

Most builders were never taught marketing. For most of the last decade they did not need to be. Orders came in, the phone rang, and whatever budget existed went to whichever sales rep called first.That market has tightened. New franchises are landing in established patches, buyers are researching harder than they ever have, and the builders who cannot be found are losing work to the ones who can.This is episode one of the Monday Marketing series. Az sits down with Paul from Viva Digital, an agency the industry does not hear much about but whose work sits behind some of the biggest names on the Sunshine Coast. Paul does not sell. If a builder does not need an agency, he tells them so and sends them on their way with the advice to do it themselves.In this episode:The three pillars of marketing spend, and why builders reach for the wrong one firstWhy the website is the only digital asset a builder actually ownsThe three second rule, and what a prospect decides before they read a single wordWhat a builder's website should genuinely cost, and where six figure quotes lose the plotThe apple tree analogy: Google Ads catches the fruit, Meta shakes the treeFacebook or Instagram, and the age where the audience splitsSEO explained without the jargon, and the one metric to demand from any agencyWhere AI search pulls its answers from, and why citations now matterLead tracking, and why almost no builder in the country can say where their work came fromChoosing an agency, and why Paul treats it like a marriagePractical, logical, and free of the usual agency noise. If marketing is the part of the business that has been sitting in the too hard basket, start here.Hosted by Az.This episode is brought to you by Viva Digital. vivadigital.comDownload the episode resource: https://leadtracker.thegoodbuilder.com.au/downloadSubscribe for a new episode every week, and follow The Good Builder for independent reporting on the Australian residential construction industry.#thegoodbuilder #constructionindustry #buildingbusiness #australianbuilding #marketingforbuilders #digitalmarketing #buildermarketing #constructionmarketing

Rod Gibbs has had three jobs in construction. He has done almost everything inside them.He started out tiling, switched to carpentry, and served his apprenticeship at Glover Building Group before becoming a partner in the business. Then thirteen years at Plantation, moving from supervisor to construction manager to building manager, running volume at a scale most builders never see. Fifty to sixty slabs a month. Fifty to sixty handovers. Supervisors carrying fourteen to sixteen jobs at a time.He has just been appointed General Manager of Construction at Bold, and he unpacks the move in this episode.The move is not the reason to listen. The reason is the hour of practical detail on how a building business actually runs when the people side is done properly.Rod covers why the five out of tens hold a team together better than the A graders. Why complacency in a good market shows up two years later as a problem you cannot fix. Why the supervisor is the most important link in the chain through the customer's eyes, and why that workload has roughly doubled since 2016. How to pass the baton between departments without dropping the customer at handover. What he looks for when he hires, and why a bloke who got knocked back twice is now a construction manager.There is also six years on the HIA technical committee, and what that taught him about getting ahead of code change instead of pulling bathrooms apart after it lands.Then the standing question. What makes a good builder? Rod's answer comes back to three things. Quality across every department, the customer journey, and communication that happens face to face.Hosted by Az.Sponsored by The New Home Electrical Specialist, the experts in new home electrical. Visit https://tnhes.com.au/ for more

Phil runs WD Constructions in Melbourne. He started in 2018 with one week of work at a mate's house and a first child on the way. Six years on he has never spent a dollar on advertising. Every job has come through word of mouth.He has also built a serious following on Instagram by showing what most operators keep off camera. The mistakes. The rectification. What sits behind the plasterboard.Az asks him why he spoke up about prefab, and what the public is actually being sold when a home gets promised in a month. Phil walks through display home finishes and lands on one word. Disappointing.The conversation turns to what the trade stopped teaching. Carpenters who have only hung doors and glued on skirting. Apprentices pushed through with modules missing. His trade school teacher's line that roofing is the difference between a carpenter and a handyman.Phil finished his apprenticeship without ever seeing a purchase order. He argues quoting, invoicing and basic business skills belong in every trade qualification.He also gives a straight read on Melbourne. Plenty of work about, a hard twelve to twenty four months ahead for anyone who rode the COVID wave, and renovation and extension work about to run hot as investors sell up and spend on their own home.His answer to what makes a good builder is two words. Care factor. Treat it like your own, or don't take it on.Hosted by Az.Sponsors:Head to MyConstruct for your 30-day FREE trial with code: GOODBUILDERLearn more about Phil and WD Constructions: https://wdconstructions.net/ | https://www.instagram.com/wdconstructions_/?hl=en

Most builders open an AI tab, type into it like it's Google, close it, and get back the same generic content everyone else is posting. Hard hat emojis. Crane emojis. Transforming spaces, one build at a time.Builders are publishing it, and audiences are picking it straight away. That does not just waste time. It chips away at trust in the brand.The tool is not the problem. The setup is.In this solo episode, Az walks through a one time setup that takes ten to fifteen minutes and improves everything the tool produces after it. Four things go in:Who you build for, and what they are actually scared of. The three things you post about, plus the one thing you never post about. How you actually sound, pulled from writing you have already done rather than a voice someone invented for you. And your rules, the never dos.Then he covers where each of those things goes. In Claude, that is Projects, and the two boxes you will find inside one. In ChatGPT, it is either custom instructions in your settings, or a project. No verdict on which tool is better. Just where things live.Do it once and you are done. No more hunting for the thousand best prompts.The free Setup Sheet that goes with this episode is at https://aidownload.thegoodbuilder.com.au/downloadAlso in this episode: the Milwaukee giveaway, and the State of the Land reports for Queensland and Victoria.Coming up this week, Phil from WD Constructions on Wednesday and Rod Gibbs on Friday.

Az runs through the week that was.Every state is quoting a big housing number. Queensland says 100,000 homes. New South Wales says 150,000. Victoria says 300,000 unlocked. South Australia says 50,000. Add them up and they clear the 1.2 million National Housing Accord target. The problem is that none of them are counting the same thing.Victoria's figure is zoning capacity measured out to 2051, and nobody has proposed those homes yet. New South Wales is counting projects handed a faster assessment pathway, which is permission to apply, not permission to build. Queensland is counting land where water, sewer and road capacity has been funded. New South Wales is the only state that published what happened next: 484 projects granted the faster pathway, and 14 approved after 18 months.Also in this episode. New published guidance on artificial intelligence and digital tools in the workplace, and why job management apps, automated scheduling, site cameras, fatigue wearables and anything that drafts your quotes now sit inside your safety obligations. The risks flagged are psychological, not physical. New South Wales has legislated first and Safe Work Australia has asked other states to follow. Az gives three things to do about it this week, including the one most builders get wrong: buy the software from a supplier and the obligation is still yours.Work has started on the first homes at North Harbour in Burpengary East, about twelve months after the priority development area was declared. That is quick by Queensland standards. The site runs to 3,700 homes across two precincts, one residential and one an investigation area where housing is not permitted until the development scheme is finalised. Anyone working the Moreton Bay corridor should plan against 250 lots for now.Plus the first winners of the Milwaukee heated jacket giveaway are announced, and week two is open.And the first two State of the Land reports are live, covering Queensland and Victoria, built on land data from Terralytics. They track blocks that actually sold inside active estates across six and a half years, twelve corridors in Queensland and seven in Victoria, with an outlook across the next six years. In Queensland, 97 percent of remaining blocks are titled and ready. In Victoria it is 46 percent. Where you are moves the numbers more than which state you are in. Logan and Brisbane are forty five minutes apart and they do not look the same.Most people tell builders what happened to the land after the land is gone. These reports do it beforehand.Get the report: https://stateoftheland.thegoodbuilder.com.au/This episode of The Good Builder Podcast is proudly sponsored by MyConstruct, built by Australian builders for Australian builders. Thirty day free trial at myconstruct.com. by using code: GOODBUILDER

Two states. Same data. Same method. Queensland doubled and Victoria did not. That is the headline from the first State of the Land reports, and it is close to the least useful thing in either of them.In this episode Az walks through what is actually inside the Queensland and Victoria editions, section by section, and what to look for when you open them. The reports are built on 26 straight quarters of real lot sales inside active estates. Not building approvals. Not median house prices. Every release and every unsold lot is counted and sorted by frontage and area, which is why these reports can tell you what a lot format costs instead of what a suburb costs.The six things to look for:Median lot price, and the direction and pace behind itMonths of supply, and whether you can buy land at allAbsorption rate, the early warning sign for where the work is headingTitled stock, the number most people skip and the one that wrecks a programThe corridor breakdown, 12 corridors in Queensland and seven in VictoriaThe lot itself, frontage, format, and what you pay per square metreQueensland is sitting at 1.6 months of supply. Victoria is at 5.4. Same country, two completely different markets.Builders, suppliers and trades usually find out what the land market did after it has already done it, and usually from someone with something to sell off the back of it. This is the benchmark instead.State of the Land is produced in partnership with Terralytics. Links to both reports are below.Hosted by Az. The Good Builder.

Most builders treat a communication breakdown as a people problem. Dan Okart says it is a clarity problem, and it starts at the top.Dan from A Thousand Feet Deep is back with Az for a third Monday in a row. The brief was simple. What does effective communication actually look like inside a building business. The answer went a long way past a five point checklist.Dan opens with the line that frames the whole conversation. The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.From there, three things to do about it.First, a communication agreement. Not a vibe. A written set of non-negotiables that says this is how we communicate around here. How fast an internal email gets answered. How quickly a client call gets returned. One builder built theirs around the word BRAVE, because they knew their team had to get braver about asking questions. Dan's own rule was that bad news never goes to a client on a Friday. SpaceX bans abbreviations. Different rules, same principle. If it is not a non-negotiable, it is flexible. Anything flexible is sporadic.Second, know who you are talking to. There is always a communicator and a comprehender, and both carry responsibility. Dan uses DISC profiles to map how people take in information, because the bloke who wants three words and the person who needs the full picture will not meet in the middle on their own.Third, paint the picture and keep painting it. Dan's rule of thumb is seven. People need to hear something around seven times before it lands. Say it once and you have not communicated it. You have mentioned it.Then Az asks a question neither of them planned. What about the way we talk to ourselves. Dan calls it the most important thing the two have ever covered. He tells the story of his young fella coming home from footy after an adult on the sideline had torn into him, and what it takes to put context around words before they set. Take your thoughts captive, or they will take you captive.The conversation lands where these ones always land. Culture is how you do what you do. Leaders build people, and people build homes. And when a building business goes under, the mind usually finishes before the numbers do.Also in this episode. Master Builders workshop nights across northern New South Wales. Why men and women hear the same conversation differently. And a champion of the 1980s who played an entire career carrying doubt nobody knew about.Hosted by Az.For more head to: https://www.1000feetdeep.com.au/

Aaron Applefield has worn nineteen different hats in twenty years at Brett's. Ask him what he does and he reframes the question. His core, he says, is simpler than any job title. He is a coach.In this episode Az sits down with the man they call Apps. Business Development Manager at Brett's. Baseball coach. Mentor with Live Life Build. It is a conversation that runs well past building.They get into stoicism and the daily practice of it. Kaizen, and why direction matters more than the size of your steps. Reframing anxiety as excitement, and the language we use on ourselves. Harmony over balance, because a scale only holds two things and life throws more than that.And the one answer Apps gives to our signature question. What makes a good builder is communication. Not build quality. It matches what builders keep telling us. They think clients care most about the build. Ask the clients, and it comes back to communication.A rare Good Builder episode about the foundations under the foundations.Hosted by Az.This episode is proudly sponsored by MyConstruct. Built by Australian builders for Australian builders. Get a 30-day free trial at myconstruct.com with your exclusive code: GOODBUILDER

A big week at The Good Builder. Az runs through three announcements and three headlines moving the residential building industry right now.The announcements first. The Milwaukee Tools Winter Sucks campaign kicks off, with [20] pieces of heated gear going out over four weeks. Tell TGB why winter sucks and you go in the running. It is a game of skill, so get creative. Pulse opens to a small group of builders. It is a customer experience program that surveys your build clients at key stages, then hands the data back to you. Because most of what goes wrong between a builder and a client is not the build. The slab is fine. The frame is fine. What breaks is the experience around it, and the communication sitting behind it. And a new State of Australian Land report is close. It maps where land is being released across two states, how supply and pricing are actually moving, and where builders should be looking over the coming years. A lookback across six years, built so you can forecast off it. Then the headlines. Dreamworld's master plan on the northern Gold Coast has been approved by the state. It covers 55 hectares, four precincts, and staging across roughly a decade. The theme park keeps running and gets room to grow, alongside a big slab of housing, apartments and mixed use. Victoria has started teaching the country's first prefab installation qualification, a Certificate III at Melbourne Polytechnic. Good news on the face of it, with a catch sitting in the paperwork. Google has quietly started tracking social profiles inside Search Console. A signal of how much of the customer journey now runs through Instagram, reels and reviews, not just your website. Plus a look ahead to next week's guest from Brett's Timber and Hardware.Links:Milwaulkee Giveaway: https://milwaulkee.thegoodbuilder.com.au/winThe New Home Electrical Specialist: https://www.tnhes.com.au/The Pulse: https://australianbuildingresearch.com.au/the-pulse-cep

Burnout. Staff churn. Chasing defects. A team that only works when you're standing over it. Dan from One Thousand Feet Deep says none of those are the real problem — they're the cracks that show up when a building business has no foundation under it.Dan joins Az as co-host for this one, tackling real questions pulled from past episodes with some of Australia's top builders, Kyle Zanetto (Zanetto Builders), Tony Gall (Creation Homes), James Stroud (Stroud Homes) and Peter Wood (Avid Property Group).What's covered: • The first cracks that appear when you're working in the business, not leading it • Why sales, cashflow and retention are byproducts — not targets • "Structurally sound" vs "momentarily stable" — the hit-by-a-bus test for your business • Tensions to manage vs problems to solve (and why you can't fix a tension) • The four steps that make hard conversations professional, not personal: set the expectation, empower the outcome, measure the results, hold people accountable • What the Penrith Panthers and Toyota can teach a building company about cultureDan's take is simple: you're not a builder of homes, you're a builder of people who build homes.Connect with Dan and One Thousand Feet Deep: https://www.1000feetdeep.com.au/Proudly sponsored by:The New Home Electrical Specialist - https://www.tnhes.com.au/MyConstruct - Get your 30-day FREE trial with your code GOODBUILDER at https://myconstruct.com/ More from The Good Builder: thegoodbuilder.com.au#TheGoodBuilder #ConstructionLeadership #BuildingBusiness #ConstructionCulture #AustralianBuilders

While the rest of the industry went backwards in FY26, Stroud Homes was the only franchise in our Top 100 report to grow — in both revenue and numbers. So we sat down with James Stroud to work out why.It's not a growth-hack story. James talks about Kaizen, the Toyota-born habit of fixing every small thing that goes wrong, no matter how lame it seems, and why panning a hard client's feedback for that one fleck of gold beats getting your feelings hurt. We get into defects and why he's anti-handyman, checklists over memory (the way pilots are legally required to use them), and the health-wealth-happiness link that keeps builders from wearing themselves out.James also flips the whole premise of the show: asking a builder what makes a good builder is like asking a chef if the food's good — the only judge that counts is the client. That one point is changing how we do things at The Good Builder.Plus his read on where the market's heading: affordability driving duplexes, quality over volume as clients de-risk their build, why modular/prefab hasn't found its time yet, and being a "sense maker" for customers drowning in information.A frank, no-fluff conversation with one of the most respected operators in Australian building.For more head to https://franchise.stroudhomes.com.au/Sponsor: The sponsor for this episode is MyConstruct. Built by Aussie Builders for Aussie Builders, you can get your FREE 30-day trial with the code GOODBUILDER - head to myconstruct.comHashtags#TheGoodBuilder #StroudHomes #JamesStroud #AustralianBuilders #BuildingIndustry #ConstructionAustralia #Kaizen #ContinualImprovement #BuildingBusiness #TradesBusiness #ResidentialConstruction #BuilderPodcast #ConstructionPodcast #NewHomeBuild #FranchiseBusiness #QualityBuilding #BuildingBetter #ConstructionLeadership

Brendan and Hayley Kelly have spent two decades building XP Finishes into one of the Gold Coast's most respected finishing trades — named Trade Business of the Year in 2025 — but as they say themselves, they're only as good as their last job.In this episode, Az sits down with the husband-and-wife team behind XPHQ, their customer-facing design hub, and their new decorative brand Atelier. We get into why the finishing trade makes or breaks a home, the real cost of cutting corners (what Brendan calls the "FAFO tax"), and the science behind specialty finishes like lime wash and French wash.It's a straight-talking conversation about quality over speed, respecting trades, and the culture Brendan and Hayley have built with their team. Plus the line that had us nodding: "perception isn't perfection" — why the builder with the perfect Instagram isn't always the one who can pay their bills.If you're a builder, designer, or homeowner who cares about doing it properly, this one's for you.📍 XP Finishes — Gold Coast | XPHQ design hub - https://xpfinishes.com.au/atelier-by-xp-finishes

Fewer homes, more money...that's the Queensland building market in one line. In this Monday episode, Az runs through what's just dropped, what's coming, and the one tool he reckons is one of the most critical pieces of the puzzle for any builder.Inside this episode: • The QLD Top 100 Builder Report (with Australian Construction Data) — why it's a read on the market, not just a ranking. The hundred biggest QLD builders wrote ~6% fewer homes but banked ~5% more, with average contracts up 11.5% to $540k. Plus three ways to actually use the report: benchmark yourself, price your next job, and read the intel. • The State of Australian Land report (data partner: Terralytics) — a sneak peek before it drops in two weeks. Greenfield land across QLD and VIC, 25 quarters, 36 council areas — including the untitled pipeline. QLD land up 90% in six years with supply nearly gone; Victoria flat with stock to spare. • A Milwaukee Tools giveaway — we're not telling you what it is yet. Keep an eye on our socials this week. • The Customer Experience Program — the top 5 things it does for your business: red flag alerts, whole-journey tracking, staff scorecards, your recommend (NPS) score, and benchmarking. Az shares how this drove GJ Gardner's "most trusted" campaign and helped grow the business ~$700m in 12 months.With thanks to our sponsor MyConstruct. Australia's building software built by Aussie builders, for Aussie builders (30-day trial at myconstruct.com).Got questions about the customer experience program? Get in touch with us at The Good Builder. Like, subscribe, and share it with a builder who needs it.#TheGoodBuilder #AustralianBuilders #ConstructionAustralia #BuildingIndustry #ResidentialConstruction #QLDBuilders #CustomerExperience #BuildersOfAustralia #ConstructionData #PropertyDevelopment #LandSupply #TradiesAustralia #NPS #BuildingBusiness #ConstructionPodcast

Australia tends to think it has home building figured out. Michael Hopkins isn't convinced.A bricklayer by trade, Michael learnt the trade in Wales, worked across Germany, and has spent 30 years on sites in Australia. He keeps going back to Europe to see how they build, and he comes home with the same message every time. On the way we put homes together, we are decades behind.In this episode he sits down with host Az to walk through what he has seen. Timber frames delivered to site and made weather tight in two days. Keys handed over in four weeks, back in the late 1980s. Double glazing and insulation that all but removes the heating and cooling bill. A German research lab warming a room with a film on the wall and a small solar panel. Slab screeding done standing up, faster and flatter than we manage on our knees.None of it is theory. It is already being done, just not here.The real question is why. Michael's answer takes in conservative habits, a fragmented industry, and the red tape holding better building back.Listen to the full conversation on The Good Builder Podcast, available on Spotify and all major platforms.#thegoodbuilder #constructionindustry #australianbuildingThis episode is proudly supported by The New Home electrical Specialist. Find out more at thnes.com.au

Every builder is up against the same question right now. How do you build more homes, faster, without dropping quality or blowing the margin?This episode makes the case for answering it differently. Az sits down with Adam Dawson, engineering and builder solutions manager at Pryda and a chartered engineer, to unpack why the industry stays stuck treating every home as a one off project, and what changes when you start building in systems instead.At the centre is Truss House, Pryda's framing system that turns the structural shell of a home, the roof, wall and floor, into a set of standard engineered components. Adam explains the shift from project thinking to product thinking, using the car industry as the model of fixed, flexi and free. He walks through what it means on site, where the real bottlenecks in housing supply actually sit, and why total build cost matters more than the price of a set of frames.The numbers Adam shares are hard to ignore. Homes framed in a couple of hours. A transportable prototype from Major Timber and Trusses stood and braced in 52 minutes. A wall system that lands close to a 10 star home before you touch the detailing.It is one of the most forward looking conversations the podcast has run, and a real look at what building like a manufacturer could mean for builders across Australia and New Zealand.Learn more: https://pryda.com.au/trusshouse/Sponsor:This episode of The Good Builder Podcast is proudly sponsored by MyConstruct, construction software built by Australian builders for Australian builders. Start a 30 day trial at myconstruct.com.

The Top 100 Queensland Builders report dropped on Friday. Most builders will scroll past the first 30 pages to see if they beat the bloke down the road. This episode is about everything else in there.Host Az walks through the read behind the ranking. It runs on official QBCC data, so no builder is missed, and it groups the franchise networks so you can see who the biggest really are. But this goes well past a league table. It is an intelligence report.The line for the year: fewer homes, more money. Queensland's hundred biggest builders wrote fewer new home contracts than last year, yet total contract value climbed. And most of that lift is not cost being passed on. It is a market quietly building fewer cheap homes and more expensive ones.In this episode:Why the cheap house is quietly disappearingThe big movers, and the builders who walked away from volume on purposePremiumisation and the quiet operators who defined the yearWhere the work is actually landing next, from approvals to land releasesWho holds number one, and how concentrated the top really isIt is not a list of who is winning. It is a map of how the game changed for Queensland, and where it goes next.If you build in Queensland, or you sell to people who do, this is the most honest picture of the market you will get this year.Grab the report at https://qldtop100.thegoodbuilder.com.au/home.Ranking data built on Australian Construction Data. constructiondata.com.au

Most builders think margin disappears on site. Owen Chambers says it disappears earlier than that.Owen joins Az from The Professional Builder, the coaching team working with thousands of residential builders across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the US and Canada. His argument is simple. Residential construction has limited upside and plenty of downside, so the game is not maximising profit on a good job. It is protecting margin on every job. And most of that protection happens before a contract is signed.In this episode, Owen breaks down:The nine profit zones of a building business, and the four and a half that sit on the front end: pricing, positioning, sales, marketing and contractsWhy pricing to win work is different from pricing to win in business and in lifeThe five concerns every client is really weighing up: timeline, budget, trustworthiness, quality and communication, and how to sell on all five instead of competing on price aloneWhy most builders chase traffic when their real problem is conversionWhere margin erodes after contract: labour, materials, subs and variations, and the tight feedback loops that catch it earlyThe red, orange, green audit: a person and a process for every part of the businessWhy you are the builder, not the bankWhat one percent of margin is actually worth, and why losing it can mean weeks of extra work a year just to stand stillThe Professional Builder's Queensland roadshow runs 21 to 23 July: Gold Coast on Tuesday the 21st, Brisbane on Wednesday the 22nd, and Sunshine Coast on Thursday the 23rd. Three hours in the morning, working on your business with TPB coaches, members and alumni. Tickets are $97 and include a copy of the book.Az will be at the Sunshine Coast session.Book your spot: https://www.tpbevents.com/event/queensland-roadshow-2026/workshops

Builders think their customers care most about build quality. Customers say it is communication. Az and the team from Increase Construction dig into where AI actually earns its place in a building business, from sales call coaching to customer experience, plus early findings from TGB's builder marketing survey.SHOW NOTES / DESCRIPTIONWhat do builders think their customers care about most? Quality of work. What do customers actually say? Communication. That gap sits at the centre of this episode.Az is joined by Drew and Sean from Increase Construction to talk about where AI actually earns its place in a building business. Not as a gimmick, but as a way to clear the back office so builders can spend more time face to face with their customers.The conversation runs through real, working examples:Why most builders can stay small and still scale, and the first question to ask before spending a dollar on marketingTurning one recorded conversation into weeks of content, on repeat, without a studio dayScoring every sales call against a checklist that updates weekly, so feedback to the team is based on fact rather than favouritismThe customer experience blind spot: the clients who quietly walk because nobody asked for the appointment or followed upBuilding one dashboard from data a builder already has, instead of a six figure software projectKeeping client data safe: Australian servers, and scrubbing business and personal details before anything reaches an AI providerPlus early findings from TGB's builder marketing survey, including how little most builders spend on marketing and why most cannot say what is actually working.This episode is proudly sponsored by MyConstruct, built by Australian builders for Australian builders. Get a 30-day trial at myconstruct.com.Hosted by Az. New episodes of The Good Builder Podcast every Mon, Wed and Fri.For more on Increase Construction: https://increaseconstruction.com/

A new financial year lands on 1 July, and it brings more than the usual housekeeping. In this solo Monday episode, Az runs builders through every change hitting their business in the same week. Award wages, payday super, expanded parental leave, tighter safety rules in South Australia, the NSW DBP Act expansion, and the permanent return of loss carry back.He also breaks down the headlines that matter. The record $119 billion Queensland budget and the Residential Activation Fund doubled to $1 billion. The $5.2 billion NSW bet on Western Sydney water and prefab. And the apprenticeship numbers that look strong on the surface but tell a messier story underneath, with a hard look at why a fragmented industry full of overlapping not for profits keeps getting diluted results.Plus a first look at two reports landing in the coming weeks. The inaugural Top 100 Queensland Builders Report, ranking the state's hundred biggest residential builders by build value, where total builds dipped but contract values climbed. And the State of Australian Land report, produced with Terralytics, mapping land price, current and future supply, and how fast land is clearing.Subscribe to the database to be first when both drop.In this episode:Award wage rise to $26.44 an hour, over $1,000 a week for the first timePayday super, and the ATO clearing house closing on 30 JunePaid parental leave reaching 26 weeksSouth Australia lowering its fall height threshold to two metresNSW DBP Act expanding to Class 3 and 9c renovation and remedial workLoss carry back returning permanently for companiesThe Queensland and NSW budgets, and what the apprenticeship data really showsRead the full 1 July article at thegoodbuilder.com.au.General information only. Not legal, financial or work health and safety advice. Confirm your obligations with the relevant regulator or a licensed adviser.#TheGoodBuilder #ConstructionIndustry #BuildingBusiness #AustralianBuilding #Tradies #PaydaySuper #EOFY #QLDBuilders

Brad Acheson had his builder's licence before his 21st birthday. Possibly the youngest in New South Wales at the time. He spent the next two decades building under his own name in Dubbo, up to 35 homes a year, with a reputation the whole town knew.Then he handed that name over and joined Stroud Homes Dubbo.Not because the business was failing. Because he was the business. Every answer, every decision, every holiday booked around which hotel had the best Wi-Fi. He wanted systems that would set him free.Three and a half years on, Brad came back from a week away and was caught up by 11am. The business had run without him.In this episode he sits down with Az to unpack what that shift actually took. Systemising a building company without losing what made it his. Why a franchise community beats going it alone. And the moment that caught the host off guard: the first guest to thank his wife on the show.Asked what makes a good builder, Brad doesn't reach for volume, margin or systems. He says empathy. Anyone can build a house. Not everyone builds it for the person who has to live in it.Listen now.In this episode:Getting a full builder's licence at 20 years and 11 months, and what the trade looked like coming up through TAFE and on-site trainingTwenty-odd years running his own company off his own back, and hitting the ceiling every solo builder hitsThe real reason he joined a franchise: not failure, but the fact that he was the business and couldn't step away from itSystemising a building company so the work doesn't depend on one person holding it all in his headThe holiday test: a week away, then caught up by 11am the day he got backWhy the franchise community beats going it alone, and what builders share when there's no competition in the roomThe role his wife Lisa plays, and the first wife shout-out in the show's historyWhat actually makes a good builder, in Brad's wordsThe line that sticks: anyone can build a house. Not everyone builds it for the person who has to live in it.Guest: Brad Acheson, Stroud Homes Dubbo Host: Az, The Good BuilderFor more: https://franchise.stroudhomes.com.au/Podcast sponsor:This episode is proudly supported by MyConstruct. The Aussie Construction Software Built By Aussies Builders. Try it free for 30 days at myconstruct.com.#thegoodbuilder #constructionindustry #buildingbusiness #australianbuilding #stroudhomes #dubbo

Most builds get into trouble long before anyone picks up a hammer. They get into trouble in the design.In this episode of The Good Builder, Az sits down with Vicky Cutler, a registered architect across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria with more than twenty years in residential design, and the founder and director of Cutler and Co.Her argument is simple. The builder should be in the room from the start, not handed a finished set of drawings and asked to price them.Vicky makes the case against tendering and for collaboration from inception. Get a builder involved early, get a real cost breakdown, and design something that can actually be built to budget. She explains where the old tension between architects and builders comes from, how it cracks open on site, and why most of it traces back to working in isolation and ego.The conversation covers the early decisions that quietly cost builders later, from construction method to site access. It covers the render that looks the part but cannot be built, and what that does to a client's trust. And it covers the practical side most builders overlook, including charging for time in the early stage like any other consultant.For builders, trades and suppliers, the takeaway is direct. A good designer alongside you does not add cost. It takes a large share of the stress, the rework and the risk off the table.Vicky also shares what she is building now, from commercial work across the coast to a boutique resort in Sri Lanka, and what a real working partnership between a builder and an architect looks like when both leave the ego at the door.Show notesMost builds get into trouble long before anyone picks up a hammer. They get into trouble in the design.Az sits down with Vicky Cutler, registered architect across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria with more than twenty years in residential design, and the founder and director of Cutler and Co. Her case is simple: the builder belongs in the room from the start, not handed a finished set of drawings and asked to price them.What we get into:Why working in isolation is the root of most builder and architect tensionThe argument against tendering, and what to do insteadThe early decisions that quietly cost builders later, from construction method to site accessThe render that looks the part but cannot be built, and what it does to client trustWhy builders should charge for their time in the early stage like any other consultantHow a good designer can take a large share of the stress, rework and risk off the tableThe state of women in construction, and why Queensland needs to lift its gameWhat Vicky believes makes a good builderChapters00:00 Why the builder and the designer need to meet 01:52 Meet Vicky Cutler and Cutler and Co 03:47 Residential vs commercial: designing for how people live 07:12 What architects really do beyond the drawings 14:34 The early decisions that quietly cost builders later 17:30 Where the architect and builder tension comes from 19:19 The case against tendering 21:49 Why builders should charge for their early stage time 27:51 Renders that sell vs renders you can build 36:13 How a good designer takes the stress out of a build 43:00 Leaving the ego at the door 50:45 Women in construction and lifting Queensland's game 1:01:45 What makes a good builderGuest: Vicky Cutler, Founder and Director, Cutler and Co https://cutlerco.com.au/Follow The Good Builder for more conversations with the people building a better industry.Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by MyConstruct. The software platform built by Australian Builders for Australian Builders. Get yiour 30-day trial at https://myconstruct.com/

Most leaders stay flat out doing work that someone else on the team could do, while the work only they can do never gets touched. That gap sits at the centre of this conversation.Az sits down with Dan from A Thousand Feet Deep, the culture and leadership business he leans on most, to work through a question that sounds simple and turns out to be the hardest one a leader can answer. What do you do that only you can do?They get into the difference between chasing symptoms and finding the root cause, why leadership is influence before it is anything else, and why a core purpose keeps shifting as a business moves through seasons. Dan makes the case that culture is how you do what you do, not smiling faces and a beer on a Friday, and that the strongest cultures are forged rather than left to evolve. The Penrith Panthers and the Melbourne Storm are his proof, clubs that kept winning while losing their best players every year because the standard lived in the system instead of one or two people.It is also an unusually honest episode. Az is candid about feeling stuck, unmotivated and unsure of his next move, including the three weeks he spent building things that were never his job to build. If you're busy but going backwards, this one names the problem and points to a way through.Sponsor:This episode of the Good Builder Podcast is proudly supported by MyConstruct, the job and client management platform built by Australian builders for Australian builders. Visit https://myconstruct.com/ for your 30-day trial.

Ask most builders who runs their HR, and the answer is "me."That's the problem.In this episode, Az sits down with Julie Bolitho, a recruitment and HR specialist who has spent close to 30 years in the building industry. She started at sixteen in a land surveying office, studied drafting at TAFE, and went on to work across the HIA, Apprenticeships Queensland and the Australian Industry Trade College before founding Dedicated Staffing Solutions. She knows a building business from the inside.The throughline of this one is simple. Your people are your most important asset, and getting recruitment right is everything.Julie and Az get into the real stuff. Why so many women in the industry undersell themselves, and why they need to back themselves more. Where builders get unstuck hiring friends and family. What candidates using AI on their resumes actually looks like from the other side of the interview table. And why a tidy LinkedIn profile matters more than tradies might think.There's a strong section on workforce planning too. With the trade shortage and 2032 on the horizon, Julie makes the case for bringing on apprentices, trainees and cadets now — and mentoring them under your best people so you're not caught short later.They also talk leadership. The kind that shows up when the conversations get hard, not just when the beers come out.And when Az asks what makes a good builder, Julie's answer is one worth sitting with: someone who embraces change, looks after their people, and knows when to step up, step aside, and step down.A genuinely useful conversation for anyone who employs people in this industry.What we coverWhy your people are the real core of a building businessWomen in construction, and why backing yourself mattersWhere builders get unstuck hiring friends and familyCandidates using AI on resumes and cover letters, and how to see through itWhy LinkedIn and social profiles matter for tradiesWorkforce planning ahead of the trade shortage and 2032Using apprentices and trainees to replicate your best peopleLeadership when times get hardSkilled migration and local trade pathwaysSponsors This episode is proudly supported by MyConstruct, construction management software built by Australian builders, for Australian builders. Start a 30-day free trial at myconstruct.com

Matt was never the classroom type. He left school without much love for books or essays, and for years he moved through job after job trying to find his place.What he found was the trade.In this episode, Az sits down with Matt from Vanstyn Constructions — a builder who turned hands-on instinct and hard-won life experience into a thriving business. Patios, carports, decks, renovations and extensions, across residential and commercial work in South East Queensland. Fifteen staff. A 4.9-star rating from 70 reviews. And more than a decade in business, in an industry where most don't make ten years.Matt's story is a reminder that life is the best educator.He talks about learning the trade from the ground up, why he came off the tools, and how he built a one-stop-shop that handles council approvals so clients and builders don't have to. He's honest about the trends he's seeing on the ground too — the rise of granny flats and intergenerational living, where the SEQ market is really sitting, and why he has no interest in chasing size for the sake of it.There's also a good conversation about something builders rarely talk about: rewarding yourself for the risk you carry.And when Az asks the question we ask every guest, what makes a good builder, Matt's answer is simple. Honesty. Be clear, be upfront, and be good at what you do.A grounded, practical chat with a builder who knows exactly who he is.What we coverWhy life experience beats formal education in the tradesComing off the tools and building something biggerRunning patios, carports, decks and renovations under one roofHandling council approvals and certification for clients and buildersThe granny flat and intergenerational living trend in SEQWhy bigger isn't always better, and the value of staying manageableRewarding yourself as a business ownerWhat honesty really means for a good builderSponsors This episode is proudly supported by MyConstruct. Construction management software built by Australian builders, for Australian builders. Start a 30-day free trial at myconstruct.com

This week Az is back on the Monday couch with Josh Peapoint from Elevate Estimating.Josh has just returned from two weeks in Bali with his family. No phone. No work. Just time off. That sets the tone for an honest chat about something most builders never stop to look at: the way they actually run their business.The conversation starts with pricing. Diesel is coming down. The fuel levies that went on through the year are starting to come back off. Josh shares what he is seeing across builders around Australia, why suppliers have handled the volatility better than the headlines suggest, and what builders should be factoring in when they project costs six to twelve months ahead.From there it turns to the bigger issue.Most builders are not struggling because they lack skill. They are struggling because they are wearing every hat at once. Estimating. Drafting. Marketing. Client communication. Site work.Spread that thin and the cracks start to show. Cash flow slips. Stress builds. And in an industry with the highest rate of insolvency in the country, that pressure has real consequences.Az and Josh talk through what changes when builders stop trying to do it all and start putting the right people in the right roles. They cover trust, delegation, working on the business instead of in it, and why getting this right flows straight through to your health and your family.A practical conversation about building a good business, not just a good product.What We CoverWhere fuel prices and levies are heading, and what to factor into your quotesWhy the mainstream headlines do not tell the full story on costsThe real reason so many builders feel stretched and stuckHow wearing too many hats links straight to cash flow and burnoutWhy estimating sits at the heart of a profitable businessGetting the right people in the right roles, and learning to trust themWorking on your business instead of in itLooking after your health and showing up for your family#TheGoodBuilder #TheDailyDose #ConstructionAustralia #BuildingIndustry #Estimating #BuilderBusiness #Tradies #ConstructionPodcast #CashFlow #BuilderMentalHealth

When an insolvency practitioner walks into the room, most builders assume it is the end. Hand over the keys. Pack it up. Game over.But that is not how Chris from Jirsch Sutherland works.In this episode, Aaron sits down with an insolvency practitioner who has worked on more than 2,000 matters. They call his kind the Grim Reaper of the building industry. The twist is that his first job is to keep your business alive, not bury it.Chris explains the difference between insolvency, liquidation, and bankruptcy in plain terms. He walks through what a liquidator does first when a company is in trouble, which assets you can and cannot keep, and why so many trade companies are really sole traders in disguise. There is also the three ways out of bankruptcy most people never knew existed.It is an honest look at the side of building no one wants to talk about. Cash flow, tight margins, and why construction sits at the top of the insolvency list year after year.If you have ever felt the squeeze of December and January, or wondered what your real options are when things get tight, this is the conversation to have before you need it.And his answer to what makes a good builder? Know your numbers. Fix your systems. The good operators never need to meet the Reaper.Links:https://www.jirschsutherland.com.au/Sponsors: A huge thank you to MyConstruct. Construction software built by Australian Builders, for Australian Builders. Visit myconstruct.com for your 30-day trial.

Our first New Zealand builder steps onto the couch, and Aaron reckons he summed up everything TGB stands for in about thirty seconds.Dan Saunders started building in 1993 and formed DS Construction in 2002. In 2012 he built the first 8 Homestar-rated home in Australasia, the highest rating going at the time. Since then he's built close to 30 high-performance "super homes," helped get the Super Home Movement off the ground, and co-founded EcoPanel, a prefabricated wall system that can get a house closed in inside a week.This one covers a lot of ground that lands the same on both sides of the Tasman:Why Dan calls the building code "the worst house you're legally allowed to build" — and why he walks away from jobs that won't go above itThe link between cold, damp homes and New Zealand's childhood respiratory problemsWhere to actually spend your money: the thermal envelope, not the stone benchtopThe numbers on healthy homes — every $1 spent saves $4 in the health system, and an energy-efficient build can wipe out an $11,000-a-year power billEcoPanel and prefab: how a job gets framed, wrapped and ready for roof in two to three weeksNew Zealand's first zero-carbon home, built eight tonnes below zeroShared pressure points: $3-a-litre diesel, road user charges, and the post-COVID timber and plasterboard shortagesHis link with Future Builder's Kyle Zanetto and Luke DaviesAnd the simplest answer we've had to "what makes a good builder": good grounding, good morals, and leaving a bit of skin in the game for the next guyDan's coming back as a regular, so consider this the first of a few.Find Dan's work and EcoPanel in the links below.LinksDS Construction: https://www.dsconstruction.co.nz/EcoPanel: https://www.ecopanel.co.nz/Super Home Movement: https://www.superhome.co.nz/#TheGoodBuilder #HealthyHomes #SuperHomeMovement

Existing property prices are starting to move. And it matters more for builders than most people realise.In this Monday episode, Az is joined again by Emily Pollard from Nesta Builder Brokers to make sense of what is happening in the market right now.They start with DropBee (dropbee.au), a live dashboard built by a developer on Reddit that maps property price drops across Australia as they happen. At the time of recording there were more than 1,600 price drops across Queensland alone.From there the conversation opens up. Why homes under one million are holding while the two to three million dollar end is softening. How existing property prices feed straight into land values, feasibilities and build costs. And what builders and developers running put and call contracts should be watching when it comes to market uplift.It also gets honest about the human side. Mortgage stress, the pressure to always go bigger and better, and whether the family home has quietly become a show pony instead of somewhere to actually live.Practical, grounded, and worth a listen if you build, sell or develop in the current market.Sponsor calloutsThis episode is proudly sponsored by MyConstruct. Built by Australian builders, for Australian builders. Manage your jobs, contracts and client communication in one place instead of across text messages and spreadsheets. Start your 30 day trial at myconstruct.com 

Most builders have tried AI by now. A lot of them have also quietly pulled it back.In this episode, Az sits down with Anisha and Nayan from ScaleUp Smart to talk about what's really happening with AI in building businesses across Australia.The pattern is clear. Builders go all in. They hand over estimating, marketing, follow-ups, even answering the phone. Then they bring most of it back in-house.The reason isn't that AI can't do anything. It's that building is rarely black and white. Every job is different. Every client is different. AI doesn't know your business, your market, or what Mrs Smith actually wants from her home.Az is honest about his own experience too. When The Good Builder started, he went full AI and ended up with cold outreach emails inventing services the business never offered. The fix was simple. Use AI as a tool. Keep a human checking the work.Anisha and Nayan break down how ScaleUp Smart actually uses AI day to day, across estimating, admin, and project coordination, and why a person always has the final say. They also share practical, low-risk ways builders can start using AI without losing the relationships that win the work.If you've felt the pull of AI and the pull back, this one will make sense of it.WHAT WE COVERWhy so many builders go all in on AI, then quietly bring the work back in-houseThe real gap: AI doesn't know your business, your clients, or your marketAz's own cautionary tale of AI inventing services in cold outreach emailsHow ScaleUp Smart uses AI across estimating, admin, and project coordination, with a human always signing offWhy customers can now spot AI content and why it can read as lazyPractical, low-risk ways builders can start using AI todayWhat makes a good builder when the tools change fast but the standards shouldn'tHOUSEKEEPING (sponsor callouts)This episode is brought to you by MyConstruct, the construction management software built for builders. Start a 30-day free trial at myconstruct.com#TheGoodBuilder #AIforBuilders #ConstructionAI #BuildingBusiness #AustralianBuilders #ScaleUpSmart #ResidentialConstruction #BuilderTips #ConstructionTech #TradesBusiness

Most builders know recruitment matters. Few understand it the way Luke does.Luke spent more than a decade inside building businesses before he placed a single candidate. Chippy. Estimator. Senior CA. Residential and commercial, on jobs from 200K through to 2 million plus. He has seen the industry from the tools, from the office, and now from the outside looking in.That dual perspective is what makes this conversation different.In this episode, Luke sits down with Aaron to talk about the road that led him to start Prime Build Recruitment. It was not a clean run. He talks openly about losing his job, driving around the coast for three hours before he could face his wife, and starting again with a one year old at home and a mortgage he could barely service.From there the conversation opens up into the things builders actually deal with day to day.The gap between the office and the site, and why bridging it comes down to communication. The quality problem on site, even as trade rates climb. The shortage of skilled people, and what the Olympics build-up could do to rates. And the simple truth that runs through all of it: if you do not look after your people, you do not have a business.This is a real, honest conversation about people, pressure, and what it takes to build something that lasts.What We CoverLuke's journey from the tools to estimating to contracts administration to recruitmentWhy understanding both the office and the site builds trust on both sidesLosing his job, and the personal pressure that forced a rethinkHow and why Prime Build Recruitment startedThe trade quality problem, and why finish is slipping even as costs riseThe skills shortage, immigration, and what 2032 could mean for ratesWhy builders need to stay open to new ideas and new peopleWhat makes a good builder, from someone who has seen it from every angleConnect with LukeReach out to Luke and the team at Prime Build Recruitment: https://www.primebuildrecruitment.com.au/Sponsors:This episode is supported by myconstruct.com - The Aussie construction software built by builders, for builders.Get your FREE 30-day trial at myconstruct.com

The government has committed $2.4 billion to housing and infrastructure.The intent sounds right. More homes. More support for first home buyers.But there is a question sitting underneath all of it.Who is actually going to build these homes?Emily Pollard from Nesta Builder Brokers is back on the couch to work through what this budget push really means on the ground. We get into the trade shortage, the affordability problem, and the contradictions that builders and buyers are about to face. It is a calm, honest look at a very murky moment in the market.What We CoverThe $2.4 billion housing and infrastructure commitment, and whether it solves the real problem or just adds pressure to an already stretched industryWhy the trade shortage makes "who builds these homes" the question that matters mostThe June 30 change to the Queensland First Home Owner Grant, and how the $750k cap catches buyers out at valuation, not contract priceHow the capital gains and negative gearing changes are pushing investors toward new buildsWhat affordable housing actually means, and whether it exists for the everyday buyerThe sudden rise of single part contracts for self managed super fund buildsLow valuations coming in on unconditional contracts, and the real risk this creates for first home buyersLand being allocated direct to builders, and what that means for pricing and consumersWhy doing right by a client means checking the existing market before anyone signs anythingA big thank you to Emily Pollard from Nesta Builder Brokers (nesta.com.au) for sharing what she is seeing across first home buyers, investors, and developers.Calling developers: Emily wants to understand how the $2.4 billion is actually landing in the PDA and government space. If you work in that world, reach out and come have a chat on the couch.This episode is proudly powered by MyConstruct, built by Australian builders for Australian builders. If you are still running your jobs, contracts, and client comms across text messages and spreadsheets, there is a better way. Head to myconstruct.com for a 30 day trial.#TheGoodBuilder #AustralianBuilders #ConstructionIndustry #ResidentialBuilding #FirstHomeBuyers #AffordableHousing #HousingCrisis #Tradies #BuildingIndustry #QLDProperty

Most builders can swing a hammer. Far fewer can run a business. And the gap between those two things is exactly why, by Rod Frampton's own count, roughly one in 25 builders never makes it to a decade.Rod is the founder of Frampton Builders, a Brisbane custom home and renovation business that's been going strong since 2014, and more recently Frampton Clean Rooms, a pharmaceutical-grade fit-out company that earned some of the best feedback the TGA has ever given a first-time facility. He's one of those rare operators who thinks like a CEO and works like a tradesman.In this conversation, Az sits down with Rod to unpack what actually keeps a building business alive long term. They get into why a builder is really a business owner first, how the skills shortage took hold after the late 2000s, and why knowing your numbers matters more than almost anything else on site.Rod also breaks down the square metre rate trap that catches so many builders and clients, walks through the thinking behind his documented "Frampton Way" process, and explains why he treats every client relationship like a marriage built on trust. The two of them close with a grounded, practical take on where AI fits for builders — and where relying on it too early can sink a young business.If you're a builder trying to think past the next job and build something that lasts, this one's worth your time.What We CoverWhy a builder is a business owner first, and a tradesperson secondThe real reason so many builders don't survive ten yearsHow the post-2000s push for numbers affected trade quality and the skills shortageThe case for skilled migration and investing in apprenticesThe square metre rate trap — and why custom builds can't be priced that wayInside the "Frampton Way": a documented, repeatable client processTreating client relationships like a marriage: the MCP approach (Myself, Company, Product)A measured, builder-first view on AI and where it actually helpsWhat Rod believes makes a good builderSponsor calloutsThis episode of The Good Builder is powered by MyConstruct — the construction management software built for Australian builders. Get your jobs, clients, and numbers in one place and spend less time buried in admin. Start your free 30-day trial at myconstruct.comThe Good Builder is also proudly supported by Pay.com.au. Pay your trades, suppliers, and bills by card — even where cards aren't normally accepted — while earning points on spend you're already making. Head to pay.com.au/tgb for terms and use the code GOOD20 to receive 20,000 bonus points.#TheGoodBuilder #CustomBuilder #BrisbaneBuilder #ConstructionAustralia #BuildingBusiness #Tradies #BuilderLife #SkillsShortage #ConstructionPodcast #CustomHomes #RenovationBuilder #BuilderMindset #TradeBusiness #AustralianBuilders

Everyone talks about "modern methods of construction" like it's something new. Kersten Gentle has a different take: the timber frame and truss industry has been doing offsite prefab for decades. They're the OGs.In this episode, Aaron sits down with Kersten, CEO of the Frame and Truss Manufacturers Association of Australia (FTMA), fresh off what he calls the most impressive industry conference he's ever attended. What follows is a conversation about how the industry actually moves forward — not through hype, but through relationships, knowledge sharing, and builders getting closer to the people who make their product.Around 80% of every detached home in Australia has timber frames and trusses in it, produced across roughly 280 plants — almost all of them family-owned businesses. Yet most builders never visit the plant, never sit down with their manufacturer, and never discover how much cost and time they could save by doing so. Kersten makes the case for why that relationship matters more than price.The conversation goes deep on the things builders rarely hear discussed properly: why 49% of the cost of a new home in New South Wales is government taxes and regulatory cost, why the rush to factory-built housing is failing in places like Cairns, and why local builders, local trades and local knowledge can't be replaced by an overseas investor's spreadsheet.Kersten also opens up on Carbon Warrior — the movement she trademarked to help builders understand that a timber frame stores around eight tonnes of carbon for the life of a home, and grows back in roughly 150 seconds. It's marketing material that happens to be completely real.And there's a powerful message for any builder who's come off the tools through injury: the timber systems design pathway, a career indoors that uses everything you already know about building.This one will reignite the fire. Builders, get closer to your manufacturer. You'll be blown away.WHAT WE COVERWhy the frame and truss industry are the original masters of offsite prefab — and what governments keep getting wrong about itThe 80% stat: how much of every Australian detached home relies on timber frames and trussesWhy builders should visit their manufacturer's plant — and the cost savings hiding in their plansService, delivery and quality over price point: what builders should actually look for in a supplierThe 49% problem: government taxes and red tape baked into the cost of every new homeThe Cairns modular housing failure and what it teaches us about ignoring local knowledgeCarbon Warrior: how a timber frame stores around eight tonnes of carbon for lifeThe new lightweight timber framing standard taking builders from two storeys up to fourA second-career pathway for injured builders through timber systems designThe signature question — in Kersten's eyes, what makes a good builderSPONSOR CALLOUTSThis episode of The Good Builder is powered by MyConstruct — the construction management software built for Australian builders. Spend less time buried in admin and more time building. Start your free 30-day trial at myconstruct.com Thanks also to Pay.com.au — the smarter way to pay your business expenses and earn rewards while you're at it. Head to pay.com.au/tgb for terms, use code GOOD20, and grab your 20,000 bonus points.#TheGoodBuilder #AustralianBuilders #FrameAndTruss #FTMA #TimberConstruction #Prefabrication #ModernMethodsOfConstruction #SustainableBuilding #CarbonWarrior #TimberFrame #ConstructionAustralia #BuildingIndustry #Tradies #HomeBuilders #ConstructionPodcast

The housing conversation in this country is stuck on one word: more. More homes. More tradies. More builders. Nagy Mourad thinks we're missing the word that actually matters.Nagy has worn nearly every hat in construction. He's a registered builder, a developer, and a trainer and assessor who spent more than a decade teaching Victorian builders toward registration. Before any of that, he ran national field and contract operations for the biggest names in Australian telecommunications, including NBN, Optus, and Telstra. He came into building the hard way. His first development stalled for three years and three builders went bankrupt on him before he picked up the tools, studied the trade, and finished the job himself.That lived experience runs through everything Aaron and Nagy cover in this episode. They get into why technical skill on the tools does not automatically make you ready to run a business, why so many capable tradies fall short at registration, and what defect-free building actually takes day to day on site. Nagy makes the case that competency is not one-dimensional, and that the single most underrated risk on any job is one many builders never name out loud: water.They also work through NCC 2025, the Victorian rollout, the difference between a compliant home and a quality one, and the proposed changes to Minimum Financial Requirements and what they could mean for small builders. Throughout, Nagy keeps returning to one idea. Building is a journey with very different stages, and the thinking that gets you to one stage will not carry you to the next.This is a calm, practical, and genuinely educational conversation for anyone serious about lifting their standards and future-proofing their business.What We CoverHow three bankrupt builders and a stalled development turned Nagy into a builder, developer, and trainerWhy technical competency and business competency are two different skill sets, and why most tradies underestimate the secondThe real reasons capable people fall short at builder registration, and how to prepare properlyWhat defect-free building actually looks like, starting before you break groundWhy water is the number one risk on any project, and why it demands respect everywhereNCC 2025, the Victorian rollout, and condensation managementThe difference between a compliant home and a quality homeProposed changes to Minimum Financial Requirements and the balance between protecting consumers and keeping small builders viableNagy's take on what genuinely makes a good builderA Word From Our SponsorsThis episode is powered by MyConstruct, the construction management software built for Australian builders. Quotes, variations, scheduling, client communication, and compliance documents all in one place. Start your free 30-day trial at myconstruct.comThis episode is also supported by Pay.com.au. Pay your trades, suppliers, ATO, and rent on your existing credit cards, free up your cash flow, and earn points while you do it. Head to pay.com.au/tgb for terms and use the code GOOD20 to get 20,000 bonus points.Connect With NagyFind Nagy through Beehive Homes Constructions, his Builder Registration Training service, and across Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nagymourad/ His YouTube channel is Build Like An Egyptian: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildlikeanEgyptian

Most builders don't lose their marketing because they're bad at it. They lose it because they get busy.In this episode, Az sits down with Drew, Sean and the team at Increase Construction in the TGB studio for an unscripted, real-world conversation about the problem nearly every builder runs into. You land a few good jobs, you feel sorted, so you quietly stop putting yourself out there. Three months later the work dries up and you're left wondering where the next lead is coming from.We talk about why marketing is the first thing to fall over when you're on the tools, why "I'll get to it later" turns into a month of silence, and what consistency actually looks like when you don't have time to sit at a desk. We also get into the bigger shift happening in construction marketing right now, including how automation and AI are starting to take the manual load off builders who can't justify a full-time videographer or marketer.It's a candid look at a problem that costs builders real money, and a practical conversation about how to stop the cycle.WHAT WE COVERWhy builders kill their marketing the moment they get busy, and the lull that followsThe real cost of going quiet for a few monthsWhy marketing on the couch on a Sunday night isn't a systemHow the "I missed a week" trap snowballs into a month of nothingWhere automation and AI are starting to help builders stay consistentWhy social media is still one of the most cost-effective ways for a local builder to get a leadSPONSOR CALLOUTSThis episode of The Daily Dose is powered by MyConstruct, the construction management software built for Australian builders. Spend less time chasing paperwork and more time on the tools. Start your free 30-day trial at myconstruct.comThis episode is also brought to you by Pay.com.au. Pay your trades, suppliers and almost any business expense by card, even where cards aren't normally accepted, and earn points while you're at it. Sign up and you'll get 20,000 bonus points. Head to pay.com.au/tgb for terms and conditions and use the code GOOD20.#TheGoodBuilder #TheDailyDose #ConstructionMarketing #BuilderMarketing #AustralianBuilders #Tradies #MarketingForBuilders #ConstructionIndustry #BuilderBusiness #LeadGeneration

Happy Friday, and what a week. One of the biggest we have had here at The Good Builder.In this Friday wrap, Aaron runs through everything that happened inside TGB and out in the industry. We announced our Advisory Board, with MyConstruct and AVIA Homes the first two at the table and more names coming soon. We headed up to Twin Waters for the FTMA conference. And the next quarterly report is underway: the State of Builder Marketing, dropping in June.Then it is into three headlines that matter for builders right now.Powered by MyConstruct and Pay.com.au.What we cover:The Good Builder Advisory Board — why we built it, who is already on board, and why it is not just the biggest names but the mum and dad businesses that make up most of the industryThe FTMA conference at Twin Waters — what came out of a thought-provoking few days with the Frame and Truss Manufacturers Association, plus a heads up on upcoming pods with CEO Kirsten Gentle and Christine BriggsGuest pod previews — Rod from Frampton Builders and Clean Rooms on precision pricing and process, and Luke Cotterell from Prime Build Recruitment on why industry experience mattersThe next quarterly report — a preview of the State of Builder Marketing, digging into what actually wins work right now and where marketing spend is being wastedLunch and learns — a new idea for the community, and a question for you: would you come along?AVID locks in a major Clyde South site — what a developer consolidating greenfield land in Melbourne's south-east signals for the long-term pipelineThe 2028 trust tax change — a minimum 30 per cent tax on discretionary trust distributions, who it affects, and why now is the time to talk to your accountantNSW flood buyback land gets a new future — over 1,000 parcels across the Northern Rivers and Central West being repurposed, and the work that follows for regional buildersRead the full articles at thegoodbuilder.com.au.Try MyConstruct free for 30 days at myconstruct.com. Earn rewards on your bills and banking at pay.com.au/tgb and get 20,000 bonus points with code GOOD20.

Phillip Livingston is a trades coordinator at Vitaleese, a Melbourne-based home modification specialist working across aged care, NDIS, and private clients. They're a VBA-licensed builder, a registered NDIS provider, and an approved supplier under the State-wide Equipment Program.In other words, they sit right at the intersection of building work, compliance, and the people on the other end of it.This is a sector most builders never get exposed to. And after this conversation, you'll understand why that needs to change.One in six Australians are now over 65. Within a decade, the over-85 cohort is set to grow by around 67%, pushing past one million people. The demand for accessible, livable homes isn't coming. It's here.Phillip shares what it actually looks like to walk into someone's home — a home they've lived in for 50 or 60 years, raised their family in, built their memories in — and modify it so they can stay there. He talks about the privilege of doing that work, the duty of care that comes with it, and the cowboys who treat vulnerable people as a quick buck.We get into the grab rail story that ended with a client's face on the floor. The ramp that was beautifully built and completely unfit for purpose. The Rose Bush that's been there for 40 years and why it matters more than the regulation. And the mindset shift that, if every builder adopted it, would lift the whole industry.Phillip approached us to have this conversation. He wanted to talk about how it's done properly. That tells you everything you need to know about the bloke.What We CoverThe home modification sector and why it's growing faster than the people in itDuty of care, Australian standards, and why shortcuts hurt real peopleWorking with occupational therapists, case managers, and NDIS frameworksThe trust-building process — why the cup of tea matters as much as the installHow Vitaleese earns the right to deliver work in someone's most personal spaceThe cowboy problem and the clients who've been burnt twice — financially and physicallyWhat every residential builder can learn from this sectorSponsorsThis episode is powered by MyConstruct — construction management software built for Australian builders. Free 30-day trial at myconstruct.com.And by Pay.com.au — head to pay.com.au/tgb and use promo code GOOD20 for 20,000 bonus points. Terms apply.Connect with VitaleesePhilip Livingston, Trades Coordinator, Vital Ease — Melbourne, Victoria - https://vitalease.com.au/about-us/

Emily Pollard from Nesta Builder Brokers flips the script this week and puts Aaron in the hot seat. The brief: how does a young, blunt, female broker market a business in an industry built on display home theatre and base-price advertising — without turning into the thing she's trying to fix?It's a working session disguised as a podcast. Emily wants to "set fire to display home marketing" but won't shit on builders to do it. Aaron unpacks why that instinct is right, and why most marketing advice given to builders and brokers is quietly broken.What they get into:Why fear-based marketing brings in the most anxious customers you'll ever deal withThe 1,000-lead experiment that taught Aaron what cheap hooks actually cost youWhy education beats hype — and how to make boring topics (soil tests, PC items, variations) the thing people actually want to readThe problem with "builders are fucked, come through me" positioning, and what to do insteadWhy brands aren't as powerful as the people behind themOrganic social vs paid: where small builders should actually spend their timeConsistency, resilience, and the cringe of putting yourself out thereIf you're a builder, broker, or supplier trying to work out how to market yourself without sounding like everyone else in the feed — this one's for you.Emily's back next Monday too.SponsorsThis episode is proudly brought to you by MyConstruct — construction management software built for Australian builders, by Australian builders. Jobs, clients, quotes, and contracts all in one place. Get your free 30-day trial at myconstruct.com.Also supported by Pay.com.au — get rewarded on all of your business payments. Sign up at pay.com.au/tgb and use the code GOOD20 to receive 20,000 bonus points. Terms and conditions apply, available on the site.

The 26-27 federal budget has landed, and there's plenty in it that builders, tradies, and construction businesses will feel on the ground before they ever read about it in a forecast.This one isn't a normal budget. It's shaped by the global oil shock from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has disrupted fuel supply chains, pushed up fertiliser costs, and added inflationary pressure to almost every line in a builder's invoice.In this episode, Az breaks down the budget calmly, clearly, and from a builder's point of view. Here's what's covered:HousingThe new $2 billion local infrastructure fund for water, power, sewerage, and roads to support up to 65,000 new homesThe pro-housing supply reforms states have to commit to in order to access the fundingNegative gearing limited to new builds only from 1 July 2027The capital gains tax discount replaced with an inflation-based discountSmall business taxThe $20,000 instant asset write-off made permanentLoss carryback reintroduced from 26-27, with up to 85,000 companies expected to benefitThe new $1,000 instant tax deduction for workers' work-related expensesFuel reliefFuel excise halved for three months from 1 April (52.6 cents down to 20.6 cents per litre)Heavy vehicle road user charge reduced to zero for the same period$1 billion in interest-free loans for manufacturing and logistics businessesThe longer-term $14.8 billion fuel resilience packageProductivity and skillsAll Australian standards referenced in legislation now free to access (saving around $1,600 per small business per year)A commitment to remove barriers to modern methods of housing construction$85.2 million to accelerate skill assessments for migrant trade workersAz also walks through what this all actually means for housing affordability, and ends with three practical questions every builder should be asking inside their business this week.Over the coming days, TGB will be breaking down each of these measures in more detail at thegoodbuilder.com.au.SponsorsThis episode is proudly brought to you by MyConstruct — construction management software built for Australian builders, by Australian builders. Jobs, clients, quotes, and contracts all in one place. Get your free 30-day trial at myconstruct.com.Also supported by Pay.com.au — get rewarded on all of your business payments. Sign up at pay.com.au/tgb and use the code GOOD20 to receive 20,000 bonus points. Terms and conditions apply, available on the site.#TheGoodBuilder #TheDailyDose #AustralianBuilders #FederalBudget #ConstructionIndustry #Tradies #HousingPolicy #SmallBusinessTax #FuelExcise #NegativeGearing #InstantAssetWriteOff #BuildersAustralia #ResidentialConstruction #TradieLife #ConstructionNews #HousingAffordability #BuildingIndustry #AustralianTradies #ConstructionBusiness #BudgetBreakdown

Every now and then a guest walks onto the pod and you walk away genuinely fired up about the future of this industry.Lewis Italiano is one of those guests.He's a carpenter from WA, still finishing his apprenticeship, and already has a resume most blokes twice his age don't come close to. Gold at the regional and national WorldSkills competitions. A Medallion for Excellence representing Australia on the international stage in Lyon. Training stints through China, Japan and France. Master Builders Apprentice of the Year for 2025. WA Training Awards winner. And in between all that, he's standing up in front of high school students and parents talking about why the trades are one of the most future-proof career paths in the country.This is the first apprentice we've ever had on The Good Builder, and Az sat down with Lewis to unpack the mindset, the work ethic, and the standards behind a story that everyone in the industry should be paying attention to.We get into where it all started on the family dairy farm, why woodwork class in year 11 changed everything, and the realities of starting an apprenticeship on $350 a week. Lewis breaks down what WorldSkills actually is, what it's like representing your country against 1,600 competitors from 60 nations, and why he believes Australia is still on the back foot when it comes to celebrating the craft.We also talk about the stigma parents still carry around the trades, why mindset matters more than money in the early years, and what builders and supervisors can do to attract and keep the next generation of apprentices on their teams.If you're a builder looking for the kind of apprentice you actually want on your crew, this is what one looks like.If you're a young person sitting on the fence about which path to take, listen to this one twice.What We CoverGrowing up on a dairy farm and where Lewis's work ethic actually came fromFalling in love with the craft through high school woodworkThe reality of apprentice wages and why mindset beats money in the early yearsWhat WorldSkills is, how you get there, and what it's like competing internationallyRepresenting Australia in Lyon, France against 1,600 competitors from 60 countriesWinning Master Builders Apprentice of the Year 2025 and what it actually meantSpeaking at Parliament House and why advocacy matters for the future of the tradesThe stigma parents still hold around the trades and how to shift itWhy AI won't be replacing tradies any time soonWhat makes a good apprentice and what builders should look for in their next hireLewis's plans to take on a second trade, build his own home, and keep mentoring the next generationSponsor CalloutsThis episode of The Good Builder is powered by MyConstruct — the all-in-one construction management platform built for Australian builders. Quote, schedule, manage, and communicate with your clients from one place. Head to myconstruct.com and get your 30-day FREE trial.We're also proudly partnered with Pay.com.au — the smarter way for builders to pay suppliers, subcontractors, and the ATO using your existing credit card. Earn points on every payment, improve your cash flow, and use the code GOOD20 for 20,000 bonus points when you sign up. Terms apply at pay.com.au/tgb.#TheGoodBuilder #TheDailyDose #AustralianBuilders #Apprenticeship #WorldSkills #ApprenticeOfTheYear #Tradies #ConstructionAustralia #CarpentryLife #FutureOfTrades #MasterBuilders #LewisItaliano

Aaron is back with Emily Pollard from Nesta Builder Brokers for another Monday breakdown, and this week they dig into something Aaron has been watching in the Google search data for the past 12 months. The Australian housing market is splitting in two. On one end, more buyers are looking at modular, prefab, tiny homes and alternative builds. On the other, the luxury custom market is busier than ever. And right in the middle, the everyday buyer is getting squeezed.Aaron and Emily unpack what is actually driving the search data, where the project home builder fits now that million dollar builds are becoming the new normal, and what builders need to think about when picking their lane. They get into granny flats and secondary dwellings, intergenerational living, the rise of cashed-up first home buyers in the under-million market, and the buyers agents pushing equity uplift promises that often do not stack up.This is a real conversation about where the market is heading, what builders are seeing on the ground, and the gap between what the data says and what is actually happening in display villages and on building sites across Australia.What We CoverThe two ends of the market that are growing, and the middle that is going quietWhy people are searching for modular and prefab, and why it is not always cheaperWhat now actually counts as a high end build in AustraliaWhy project builders are quietly moving into the million dollar spaceThe granny flat and secondary dwelling boom, and why we should stop calling them granny flatsIntergenerational living and the cultural shift happening in Australian housingWhat the under-million first home buyer market really looks like in 2026The buyers agent equity uplift pitch, and why Emily is over hearing itWhere modular fits in display villages, estate covenants, and the future of housingWhy builders need to pick their lane and stop racing to the bottom on priceSponsorsThis episode is proudly brought to you by MyConstruct, the construction software built by Australian builders for Australian builders. If you are still running your jobs, contracts and client comms across text messages and spreadsheets, there is a better way. Head to myconstruct.com for a 30 day trial.This episode is also supported by Pay.com.au. Pay your business expenses, earn points on everything, and use the code GOOD20 to score 20,000 bonus points when you sign up. Head to pay.com.au/tgb

Quality, on time, on budget. If that's how you sell yourself, you sound exactly like every other builder in Australia. And in a market this tight, sounding like everyone else is one of the most dangerous places you can be.In this Friday wrap, Az covers three big stories breaking across the industry this week, then goes deep on the one thing every builder needs but most never sit down to define: their Unique Value Proposition.He shares how UVP work drove $700 million in growth at GJ Gardner Homes, how it helped Avondale Homes hit $24 million in three years targeting a specific niche, and the five practical ways you can find yours this week.Plus an honest look at the mental health stat we can't ignore, the NCC 2025 split that's just gone live in Victoria, and the lessons from Tom Sachs at Stroud Homes Lockyer Valley.What We CoverThe RBA rate move and what it could mean for builder enquiry over the coming weeksThe Built and Bunnings modular construction deal and what it signals about affordability and speedNCC 2025 going live in Victoria on 1 May 2026, and why Master Builders called the timing extremely disappointingWhat Victorian builders need to action right now on lead-free plumbing and Class 2 waterproofingThe compliance challenge for multi-state builders crossing the Vic and NSW borderThe peer-reviewed University of Melbourne research showing one construction worker still takes their own life every two days in AustraliaWhy loneliness is the single strongest predictor of risk, and four practical things builders can do from the top downWhy paying subbies on time is one of the most concrete mental health actions in your controlKey lessons from Tom Sachs at Stroud Homes Lockyer Valley on coming through the side door of the industryTom's three pillars of a good builder: leadership, knowing your numbers, then knowing how to buildMarkup versus margin and why most builders go under on the quote, not the buildWhat a UVP actually is, and the brochure test that exposes whether yours is realWhy "we care about clients" and "quality on time on budget" are commodities, not differentiatorsThree reasons UVP matters more in 2026 than ever beforeFive lenses to find your UVP: client, niche, process, proof, and personalityThe three places your UVP must live: website and socials, sales conversations, and operationsWhy UVP is a business exercise, not a marketing exerciseYour Friday action item: don't write your UVP from your desk, mine it from your marketSupport Resources MentionedMates in Construction: 1300 642 111 (free, 24/7)TIACS: 0488 846 988 (free phone and text counselling, Mon to Fri, 8am to 10pm)Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7)SponsorsThis episode is proudly supported by MyConstruct — head to myconstruct.com to see how they're helping builders run better businesses.And by Pay.com.au — pay your bills, invoices and banking through their platform and earn bonus points you can spend on travel, family, whatever you like. Head to pay.com.au/TGB and use promo code GOOD20 for 20,000 bonus points to get you started. Terms and conditions apply.#TheGoodBuilder #DailyDose #AustralianBuilders #ResidentialConstruction #BuilderBusiness #UVP #BuilderMarketing #NCC2025 #VictorianBuilders #ConstructionMentalHealth #MatesInConstruction #TIACS #BuilderMargins #StroudHomes #MyConstruct #PayComAU

Tom Sachs didn't take the traditional path into building. He left school early, started lopping trees, discovered a love for working with timber in a mate's shed, and eventually found his way into a carpentry apprenticeship. From commercial construction to residential building, and finally to owning a Stroud Homes franchise in the Lockyer Valley — Tom's story is anything but straight lines.In this episode, Az sits down with Tom to unpack the journey, the lessons, and the mindset that shaped the builder he is today.What we cover:How tree lopping led to a passion for timber and eventually a building careerThe commercial construction apprenticeship that surprised him — and what he took from itWhat joining the Stroud Homes franchise system actually looks like from the insideWhy knowing your numbers matters more than being the best person on the toolsHow Tom built a stable team from day one and why culture starts with the person at the topThe role his wife plays in the business and why that partnership worksWhat leadership, numbers, and knowing how to build all add up to — in Tom's own wordsThis episode is one of those conversations that pulls everything together. Practical, honest, and lived in. If you're a builder trying to figure out how to grow a business without losing your standards, this one's for you.This episode is proudly supported by MyConstruct — construction management software built for Australian builders. Learn more at myconstruct.com.Also supported by Pay.com.au — use code GOOD20 for 20,000 bonus points. Head to pay.com.au/tgb#construction #building #StroudHomes #franchise #tradie #builder #thegoodbuilder #podcast #residentialbuilding #buildingbusiness

Reddit doesn't lie. It's where clients go when they don't know where else to turn. And right now, it's full of confusion, frustration, and questions that the building industry hasn't answered well enough.This week, Az and co-host Emily Pollard from Nesta Builder Brokers spent time in the trenches of Reddit and Facebook groups, reading what real clients are actually saying about building a home in Australia. What they found wasn't just a trust problem. It was an education problem, a marketing problem, and honestly, an industry honesty problem.They talk about base price marketing and why display home tactics are fuelling consumer rage, the gap between what builders do and what clients understand, variations and why they keep blowing up relationships, the role of builder brokers in bridging that divide, and why the building experience itself has fundamentally changed for clients who can barely afford to get in the door.Emily brings something rare to this conversation. She talks to builders and clients every single day, without being tied to one company. That perspective cuts through.If you've ever wondered what your clients are reading before they even pick up the phone, this episode will change how you think about that first conversation.What we cover:What real clients are saying on Reddit and Facebook right nowWhy base price marketing is destroying industry trustThe gap between client expectations and builder realityVariations, contract confusion, and where communication breaks downHow the housing affordability crisis has changed the emotional experience of buildingWhat builders can do right now to be more transparent and rebuild trustSponsors: This episode is brought to you by MyConstruct, construction management software built for Australian builders. Find out more at myconstruct.com.And by Pay.com.au, use promo code GOOD20 for 20,000 bonus points. Head to pay.com.au/tgb for more

A big Friday Daily Dose...and a couple of important changes coming at The Good Builder.From next week, the Daily Dose is moving to three episodes a week; Monday, Wednesday and Friday. More room to breathe, deeper conversations, bigger guests, and more space for the research and data builders have been asking for.In today's episode, Az unpacks:— Why TGB is shifting to three days a week and what builders can expect — A 900% uplift in search terms for both modular and luxury custom builders, and what it tells us about a market splitting in two — Master Builders Australia putting the productivity case in front of the Senate, with construction productivity down 21.5% over the last decade and regulatory burden adding up to $327,000 per new home build — A heads up from Ash Turner at Glenvill Homes on clients running tender packs and contracts through ChatGPT, and what builders need to think about — The new MyConstruct and Billgrid integration that lets builders open up their trade and supply network instantly, all inside one workflowPractical, timely, and built for builders.Articles for every story are up at thegoodbuilder.com.auPowered by MyConstruct — construction management software built for Australian builders, by Australian builders. Head to myconstruct.com.Also sponsored by Pay.com.au — use code GOOD20 to get 20,000 bonus points when you pay your business bills through the platform. Head to pay.com.au/TGB.

This one was completely off the cuff.Toby from BuildGrid flew up from Melbourne to visit us at The Good Builder Studio, and Jake from MyConstruct happened to be in town too. So we hit record.What came out of it is one of the more practical conversations we've had on the podcast. Two of the country's most respected construction software founders sitting on the couch, explaining a new partnership that's now live and what it actually means for builders on the ground.Here's the short version. If you sign up to MyConstruct, BuildGrid is now plugged in. That means when you're sending out a request for quote, you're not just emailing your usual trades and waiting. You can push that scope into BuildGrid's network and open up access to a much wider supply chain. No extra cost. No clunky workaround. Just better visibility on capacity, pricing, and compliance.We dig into:Why both Jake and Toby believe collaboration beats the all-in-one approachHow the integration helps solve one of the industry's biggest issues right now, capacityThe compliance and licensing piece, and how it protects builders from riskWhat this means for franchise builders, regional builders, and anyone trying to scaleWhy pushing sales away because trades are stretched is a real problem in 2026The case study opportunity we're putting on the table for any builder who wants to use both platformsThis is not a sponsored ad read. MyConstruct is a long-time supporter of The Good Builder, and we genuinely back what Jake and Toby are doing. If you're a builder feeling the squeeze on capacity, productivity, or supply chain, this episode is worth fifty minutes of your time.Sponsor mention: This episode is brought to you by MyConstruct, Australia's leading construction management software for residential builders. Get a 30 day trial at myconstruct.com.Also supported by Pay.com.au. Use the code GOOD20 when signing up to receive 20,000 bonus points. Head to pay.com.au/tgb for detailsCalling all builders: We're looking for one builder using MyConstruct and BuildGrid to feature in a full case study. Videos, interview, the lot. If that's you, get in touch through thegoodbuilder.com.au.

Dan Urquhart from 1000 Feet Deep is back on the podcast, and this one gets real.Az opens up about the season he's in right now...fired up, frustrated, and questioning where all the money in the industry is actually going. Dan meets him there with a calm, grounded conversation about how leaders move through hard seasons without losing themselves or their business in the process.This is a wide-ranging chat about leadership, team, culture, and the foundations that hold a building business together when the season shifts. Dan shares what he learned through COVID at GJ Gardner, why a strong mission gives you a backbone to measure problems against, and the three questions every leader should be asking themselves regularly: what do I need to drop off, what do I need to take up, and what do I need to move on from.It also gets personal. Both Dan and Az speak openly about the baggage leaders carry from past seasons, the cost of trying to do it all alone, and why surrounding yourself with the right people is the difference between weathering the next storm and getting caught out by it.In this episode:The seasons mindset and why leaders need to be present in the now while preparing for what's coming. The COVID lesson about success having weight, and why foundations are exposed when the pressure ramps up. Why mission, vision and core values are not corporate fluff but the anchor that lets you right-size every problem you face. Leadership, team and culture as the only three things you can actually control, and why everything else (reputation, consistency, finances, communication) is a byproduct. Why builders going to coach after coach are often trying to fix problems that started with weak leadership foundations. The personal side of leadership, the scars we carry into the next season, and why healing matters before the next chapter.Plus, Az floats a new idea: a living case study where The Good Builder backs one builder through the systems, leadership development and processes that we believe make a good builder. If that's you, get in touch.To learn more about Dan and 1000 Feet Deep, head to: https://www.1000feetdeep.com.au/SponsorsThis episode is brought to you by MyConstruct — construction management software built by builders, for builders. Fully customisable and locally owned. Start your 30-day free trial at myconstruct.comAlso proudly supported by Pay.com.au — use promo code GOOD20 to unlock 20,000 bonus points. Head to pay.com.au/tgb for more.