Budgets don’t just vanish — they’re lost step by step, phase by phase. And here’s the uncomfortable truth: most of the time, it’s not the client’s fault.
In this episode of Construction Hot Takes, Adam and Jeff break down the real internal reasons projects spiral over budget — from business development overpromises to estimating misses, sloppy buyouts, and execution mistakes in the field. You’ll hear candid stories (including a $25M loss on a design-build project) and lessons learned the hard way about where budgets actually get blown.
What we cover:
● How business development overpromises set projects up to fail
● The estimator-to-project manager handoff that kills jobs
● Real-world case studies of design/estimating disasters
● Why labor tracking and production oversight can save (or sink) profit
● The critical difference between catching mistakes early vs. finding out too late
This isn’t about blaming the owner — it’s about owning the process. If you’re a GC, trade contractor, or construction leader, this episode is your roadmap to spotting the hidden risks and keeping projects on budget.
#Construction #GeneralContractor #Budgeting #Forecasting #ProjectManagement #ConstructionBusiness
Links:
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