Building Consensus (Travis Brungardt, Brandon Jones)
Explorez tous les épisodes de Building Consensus
| Date | Titre | Durée | |
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| 05 Sep 2024 | TOOLS! What's in your Bags and Why? | 00:23:19 | |
Lucky number 13? Maybe not...you may have noticed this is Part 2 of our conversation about tools. Our audio flip-flopped, so check out Episode 114 for Part 1. TOOLS! Having already parsed the cordless tools offerings based on their features and various applications, the guys dive into what hand tools they carry in their bags. Starting with the bags themselves the guys go through their preferred hammers, tapes, knives, chalk lines and pry bars in an effort to decide which are really best and why. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 14 Nov 2024 | What's In a Name? | 00:29:39 | |
In order to communicate effectively we have to use the same language. You can’t get things done efficiently if we don’t use the same terms for the same things so we discuss what we should call the various tradespeople and processes that make up our day to day operations in building. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 23 Jan 2025 | BS* Bubble or BS* Buffet with Peter Yost | 00:28:25 | |
While all the smarties discuss permeance and adsorption most of our industry remains vexed by basic flashing details. Peter Yost pulls us out of the BS* Bubble and invites us to not just sample, but to enjoy complete meals from the buffet. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 27 Jun 2024 | Master Builder | 00:29:24 | |
History going back to the ancient Egyptians suggests that the Master Builders of that time weren’t just overseers but also designed and constructed things with their own hands. In todays residential build process things are way more specialized, so the guys discuss what it takes to be a builder these days and how each of them measure up. Spoiler: neither is willing to claim the title of “Master” despite their willingness to claim expertise as Builders. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 17 Apr 2025 | Let Me Ride (In Your Car) | 00:35:20 | |
Do you hire to need (skills) or to character? What’s a good way to learn about a perspective team member before hiring them on to work with your crew? Are there specific interview tactics and skills tests, or some other path to finding that right fit? Somehow, this podcast does NOT begin with Travis singing the Dr. Dre classic. Thank you to our episode sponsor Rockwool. Learn more at: https://www.rockwool.com/north-america/ Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 27 Nov 2024 | Did You Bring Protection? A PPE Confessinal | 00:28:07 | |
From the time-honored safety squint to site-built ladders, pinning back the guard and all that, this is an honest discussion about the Personal Protective Equipment we choose to use on our projects as well what we see in the field. Where we have been lucky and where we need to dial down the on-site cowboy bravado to increase the probability of retaining digits and eyeballs. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 03 Apr 2025 | Specialization in the Trades vs. General Contracting with Lydia Crowder | 00:24:42 | |
Drywall Shorty is possibly the most famous specialty contractor we know here at the BuildConPod and she drops by to help the fellas see what it’s like on the other side being that they’re both general contractors. Being the best at something and only doing that thing sounds pretty awesome, but there are some drawbacks as well. Is the grass always greener? Thank you to our episode sponsor Viewrail. Learn more at: https://www.viewrail.com/ Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 02 Jan 2025 | The Best of Times & Worst of Times with Matt Risinger | 00:31:09 | |
We get the big boss man in to discuss what the best part of being the boss is and by comparison- what the worst parts are. The idea that we as business owners get to wake up and decide if we’ll take the week off or spend our day getting rich is pure fantasy. But how bad is it really - and just how great can it be? Thank you to episode sponsor Huber Engineered Wood. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web:
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| 20 Sep 2024 | TOOLS! Team Yellow vs. Team Red vs... | 00:28:21 | |
Lucky number 13? Maybe not...you may have noticed this is Part 1 of TOOLS. Our audio flip-flopped, so check out Episode 113 for Part 2. There's an awful lot of brand loyalty for tools in the trades and there are good reasons for that, but there’s also some ridiculous “team” mentality at play there. This episode considers what tools are the best choice and why someone might choose one over the other. Is it possible to reach consensus on who manufactures the best cordless tools for residential building? Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 30 Jan 2025 | Showing Your Work with Jake Bruton | 00:21:36 | |
When perspective clients ask for references it’s easy to share a few email addresses or phone numbers from people who would say nice things. What’s more challenging is navigating the request of those potential clients for us to allow them access to our past clients homes. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 09 Jan 2025 | The Second Word in General Contractor | 00:27:53 | |
Defining labor markups, lump sum, and modified cost, plus contracts with Jake Bruton.Find Travis & Brandon on the Web:
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| 26 Jul 2024 | Scheduling Apps and Sharing Info with Clients | 00:30:12 | |
Is there value in sharing detailed schedule with clients? How much is it worth to them? When we assign realistic costs to the time spent implementing, updating and maintaining software based solutions for schedule and budget tracking we find clients less interested in covering that amount, despite their desire for constant updates and access. Is it better to commit the time and money to a software platform or utilize lower tech solutions to keep everyone in the loop? Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 06 Jun 2024 | Rage Against the Energy Code | 00:24:10 | |
Travis and Brandon jump into a discussion on building permits and energy regulations in Kansas City, Missouri. They delve into the complexities of meeting energy code requirements, particularly regarding insulation standards and their impact on construction costs and affordability. Exploring the trade-offs between upfront costs and long-term benefits of energy-efficient housing, they emphasize the importance of durable structures and low operational costs mandated by the energy code. The conversation delves into the challenges faced by builders in adapting to evolving building codes, but also highlights successful examples, like high school students building energy-efficient houses annually. While there's a debate on the necessity of certain specifications, consensus is reached on the importance of caring about the job and delivering quality homes to clients. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 20 Mar 2025 | Rational Upgrades or Irrational Expenditures with Bryan Uhler | 00:28:54 | |
Building custom homes allows a simplistic view on wether a product or process is “worth it” or not. If it’s worth it to the client then it goes in the build, but in speculative construction that decision is solely left to the builder. Bryan Uhler builds both spec and custom so we discuss what items are rational upgrades and which are irrational expenditures. Thank you to Episode Sponsor Mbrico. Learn more at mbricotiledecks.com. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 12 Dec 2024 | Game Changers | 00:27:37 | |
After a short surprise unboxing to kick things off the guys try to sort what the moments of their careers were that marked the most notable changes in their path forward. The affordable thermal imagers, the ultra-lightweight hand tools, Robertson and Torx tips, and the technology from Blackberry’s and Nextel to tablets carrying today’s cutting edge software. It’s about dentifying the things that allowed us to get here in an effort to allow others to level up faster. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 21 Jan 2025 | Guts and Numbers with Bryan Uhler | 00:36:09 | |
The construction decisions Builders face are hard enough, but when you add the challenge of viewing them through the lens of cost accounting it can feel insurmountable. Pioneer Builders owner Bryan Uhler peels back a couple layers on the numbers onion for us. Find Travis & Brandon on the web:
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| 06 Jun 2024 | Ideal Plan Set | 00:40:37 | |
Travis and Brandon discuss architectural plans for construction projects. They stress the importance of clear, comprehensive plans to avoid costly mistakes and ensure smooth execution. From foundation dimensions to roof construction details, they emphasize the need for precision in documentation to meet client expectations and facilitate effective communication between stakeholders. Despite differing opinions on the level of detail required, they ultimately agree to disagree. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 06 Jun 2024 | Specs vs. Custom | 00:32:10 | |
The majority of new home built in America this year will be constructed as speculative projects by a wide margin. Profit margins on custom homes tend to be more substantial while spec builders rely on higher speed, lower costs and greater volume to make the smaller margins more profitable. While both our hosts are known for pursuing high performance and extreme durability through building science, they differ greatly on whether or not it makes sense to build spec homes, and they discuss their individual experiences that led to those views. Brandon explains the unfortunate reality of the uninformed buyer and both hosts lament the lack of market support to align the value of better built home details with initial costs. Operational costs and health impacts being summarily dismissed in the home pricing equation have led to a race to the bottom, and the impacts to our economy and environment reflect that. This episode seeks to answer, “does it make sense to build spec homes”? Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 06 Dec 2024 | Communication Cornucopia | 00:38:59 | |
The way we share information from builder to architect, builder to tradesperson, and builder to client can vary widely. What’s the best method, frequency, and application to communicate with your clients, your trade partners and your internal team to keep everyone on the same page? Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 13 Mar 2025 | Being Present or Blurring Lines of Work / Life Balance | 00:25:19 | |
There’s a lot said about the importance of being fully present or “locked-in” when it comes to being effective in your work, home with your family or being a good parent. The nature of building requires an opposing mindset where you’re constantly looking to the future and planning many steps ahead. This week the fellas parse how best to operate on site with future-vision versus how to “live in the now, man!”
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| 21 Nov 2024 | Much Ado About Precon | 00:35:47 | |
The guys work through their different preconstruction processes and services: defining what path and methods they use leading up to building their projects, and what the outcome can be if you successfully navigate “PRECON" with your clients. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 06 Mar 2025 | Builder versus Architect - Who’s Responsible? with Steve Baczek | 00:39:40 | |
When Steve took builders to task for not sharing on-demand pricing on his podcast one of our hosts took umbrage. We determine who needs to know off the cuff costs, who needs to share what information to facilitate that process, and even wether or not it’s productive to offer incomplete pricing off of incomplete information. Also, Pie vs. Cookies. Thank you to our sponsor Huber Engineered Woods. Learn more at www.huberwood.com. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
Find Steve Baczek on the Web
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| 11 Jul 2024 | Subcontractors vs. Employees | 00:34:35 | |
What do you subcontract and what do you self perform? Can your subs complete things with the same result your crew would deliver? When building we are faced with a decision as to what work we will subcontract and what we’ll handle in-house. Some of these choices are simple (excavation, paint, etc.) but others are more nuanced, but the real trouble begins when we start talking about reaching one hundred percent completion. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web Travis’ Build Show Videos: https://buildshownetwork.com/go/travisbrungardt | |||
| 13 Feb 2025 | Give It Away, Give It Away Now with Jake Bruton | 00:26:27 | |
The industry has known for some time that we shouldn't be giving away our expertise, but while many claim to charge for all their time estimating projects and meeting perspective clients, few explain the nuance of when and how. Jake joins the hosts to get granular on those details and how to execute them. Thank you to our sponsor Huber Engineered Woods. Learn more at www.huberwood.com. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 06 Feb 2025 | Unprecedented Gainz with Tim Uhler | 00:52:08 | |
From safety woes, speed loss or epic gains in wisdom, how do we determine when it's time to pivot from bags-on in the field to management or supervision? What does that transition look like and can we control it? Thank you to our sponsor Huber Engineered Woods. Learn more at www.huberwood.com. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 06 Jun 2024 | Can People Change? | 00:26:00 | |
In this episode, Travis and Brandon discuss complexities of inducing change within a business environment, particularly concerning team members' mindset and behavior. They share personal experiences, expressing frustration at the difficulty of fostering lasting change despite efforts to train and support individuals. The conversation revolves around whether inherent character traits can truly be altered and if sustained transformation is achievable. While they acknowledge instances of progress, they’re ultimately skeptical about the ability of individuals to fundamentally change. They emphasize the importance of aligning mindset with organizational goals, particularly in leadership roles, and highlight the necessity of recognizing the limitations of change. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 20 Feb 2025 | Simply The Best w/ Matt Risinger Part 1 | 00:25:12 | |
The fellas bring in Mister Build Show himself, the one and only Matt Risinger, to discuss their preferred building materials and strategies. In this Part one of Two our hosts and guest discuss the numerous factors to consider in selecting your foundation type, material, floor system and subfloor. Some products are, while others are not Simply the Best. Thank you to our sponsor Huber Engineered Woods. Learn more at www.huberwood.com. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 31 Oct 2024 | You Can Go Your Own Way | 00:31:16 | |
Brandon goes from @joneshomesKC to @bbuildsit and explains what drove his decision to fold his company's operations into Aarow Building as he takes on the role of Construction Manager overseeing all operations in Columbia and KC. Working for someone else can be hard after being the boss, but Brandon's gonna give it a go. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 06 Jun 2024 | Dedicated PM | 00:23:14 | |
Travis and Brandon explore the idea of focusing on bigger projects to boost profits and streamline operations. They discuss the benefits of having dedicated teams for single projects, like specializing in hardwoods, which could cut down on headaches and increase revenue. Despite acknowledging the potential upsides, they also weigh the challenges of shifting their business model and express reservations about practical execution. Ultimately, they agree that finding the right balance between onsite management and self-performing tasks is key for each business's unique circumstances. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 29 May 2024 | Who Do I Think You Are? | 00:14:53 | |
Welcome to the Building Consensus Podcast where we seek common ground on the issues we face in residential homebuilding despite our different backgrounds and opposing viewpoints. Rather than just your typical resume read-off, the guys thought it might be more fun to introduce each other with some overly creative, perhaps dubious back stories. This episode gives Travis and Brandon the opportunity to pick at one another a bit before revealing the accurate versions of their paths into the building trades. With the silliness out of the way we learn who these guys really are, what they do, and then get some insight into why they so often view building problems from opposing perspectives. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web Travis’ Build Show Videos: https://buildshownetwork.com/go/travisbrungardt | |||
| 10 Apr 2025 | Multiple Mobilizations or Redundant Redundancies | 00:31:05 | |
How many times should your framing crew mobilize to complete their scope of work? Brandon and Travis have different approaches to this and their strong views lead to some spicy discourse on this absolute battle about efficiency and planning. Thank you to our episode sponsor Allura. Learn more at: https://allurausa.com/ Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 27 Feb 2025 | Simply The Best w/ Matt Risinger Part 2 | 00:38:16 | |
We continue our post-tacos discussion with the one and only Matt Risinger trying to determine the best materials for the house. In Part Two we address the numerous factors to consider in selecting the components in your wall assembly and work our way up to the roof. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 09 Aug 2024 | Should You Work for Friends and Family? | 00:26:26 | |
Working for clients with whom you have an existing personal relationship can be more complicated since there’s more at stake beyond the build. When the way the project is going can effect the personal relationships of your spouse or your kids, you have to factor that into the risk beyond that of a regular construction project. Would we be better off avoiding this risk altogether, or is it our responsibility to care for these uniquely associated clients? Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 20 Dec 2024 | In-house vs. Outhouse | 00:24:21 | |
Brandon and Travis discuss why their respective firms would choose to self-perform some work with their in-house team versus subcontracting the work to others. Certainly, there’s a place for both, but in a time when there's more work than any of us can handle, why slow down the schedule and limit profitability by self-performing? Find Travis & Brandon on the Web:
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| 27 Mar 2025 | Are We Too Expensive | 00:37:05 | |
If you’ve ever been told “you’re too expensive” as a builder or tradesperson you know the frustration level that accompanies that type of comment. Are we too expensive because we demand record profits that account for why builders make up the richest people on the planet? Or perhaps we’re pricing the plan supplied with the most up to date cost data of anyone at the table for labor and materials. Curious. Thank you to our episode sponsor Huber Engineered Woods. Learn more at https://www.huberwood.com/. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 22 Aug 2024 | Hungry Hungry Hippos with The Modern Craftsman | 00:40:19 | |
Special guests Nick Schiffer and Tyler Grace continue the conversation with Brandon and Travis they began on the Modern Craftsmen podcast in this episode, but with a specific question in mind. When does it make sense to staff up, grow your company or even start another business to serve the demand you’re seeing in the market? Or does it make sense to let those demands be served by others while owner / operators maintain limited volume to offer more focused or boutique services Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 03 Oct 2024 | Preparing a Shower with Jake Bruton | 00:29:11 | |
Since Travis and Brandon can’t agree on the proper way to waterproof the showers in their builds they sought an arbitrator. Jake Bruton joins the discussion to settle whether it’s Schluter or GoBoard, Hardie/Durock and Red Guard or whatever. It’s a Shower Waterproofing Systems Throw Down from guys who probably need showers. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 13 Jun 2024 | Way To Smart | 00:24:42 | |
Ever wonder how to keep up with the latest in the construction industry? What are the best resources for continuing education? We chat about the benefits of tailoring training to individual learning preferences, whether through videos, reading, peer support, in-person learning, and more. We also explore the importance of industry events, symposiums, and local networking for ongoing professional development. Plus, we discuss the significance of sharing knowledge and resources within the community to foster continuous learning and improvement. What are your go-to resources for continuing education? Thank you to episode sponsor Huber Engineered Wood. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 17 Oct 2024 | Do These Subs Fire Themselves? with Jake Bruton | 00:30:56 | |
When do you pay a subcontractor, when do you fire them and when do they fire themselves? Jake Bruton joins the BuildConPod to sort out when deposits are appropriate, how they tie payment to scopes of work, and what procedures are best for managing subcontractor relationships on the administrative side. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web
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| 26 Dec 2024 | Holiday Bonus - Dumb and Dumber | 00:12:42 | |
Trying to determine the dumbest things we still do in our industry and what we should be doing instead. From the dangerous things we do resultant from extreme commitment to schedule, with your profitability tied to speed and productivity to offering free bids and fixed pricing based on cost per square foot, this is a quick assessment of bad practices. Find Travis & Brandon on the Web:
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