I Wrote the Build America Guides So You Don’t Have to Endure the Pain I Did
Over 30 years in heavy civil construction taught me expensive lessons. You shouldn’t have to pay for the same ones.
I’ve spent over three decades in heavy civil construction, working for contractors, managing large projects, and eventually running my own contracting company. Somewhere around year fifteen of having been in the industry, I thought, “I’ve got this.” I didn’t, not fully.
When I finally launched my own company in my mid-30s, I learned the rest the hard way.
That’s why I wrote the Build America Guides Volume 1, Starting a Successful Construction Business, just launched. It’s the book I wish someone had handed me before I leaped.
Why I Wrote It
Construction moves big money. Tens of thousands. Millions.
If you’re going to make your early mistakes, and you will, make them while you’re still on someone else’s payroll, using their systems, their cash, and their safety net. Because when it’s your name on the checks, those same mistakes land a lot harder.
By the time I launched my firm at 35, I’d already made most of the “first-timer” mistakes working for others. I still made plenty as an owner, but fewer and less catastrophic.
The Guides are my way of bottling that pain into practical advice so you can skip the scars and focus on growth.
What’s Inside (and What Isn’t)
This isn’t theory. It’s the stuff that keeps owners awake at night:
- Cash flow reality: Payroll is weekly; pay apps are not.
- Competence under pressure: Documentation, legal issues, stoppages—can you keep moving?
- Market fit: Do you actually have a paying customer who isn’t your current employer?
- Professionalization: Licensing, bonding, insurance, entity setup, and the first CPA you actually like.
You’ll also see the framework for future volumes: estimating, project management, and advanced operations. Bite-sized, field-tested, and written for people who build things for a living.
One Story I Can’t Forget
I once coached a talented contractor who literally paid his crew and subs in cash from a bag.
He wanted to work for top ENR firms, but with no banking, no accounting system, no bonding, and no proof he could manage risk, those doors stayed shut.
Going “legit” isn’t corporate fluff. It’s the ticket to bigger, better work and a more stable business that survives the slow months.
If You’re Thinking About Starting
Here’s my short list:
- Customer first. Before you file an LLC, confirm someone will pay you for real work.
- Cash cushion. Assume slow pay and surprise costs; build margin into your bids and buy what you need, not what you want.
- Competence. Know both the craft and the paperwork.
- License + CPA + attorney. The trifecta that gets you in the game.
- Learn the numbers. You don’t need an MBA, but you do need to be able to read a P&L.
Owning a construction business is simpler than people make it, but not easier.
Do good work. Keep cash in the bank. Hire people who are better than you in your weak spots. Learn as you go.
That’s been my playbook for three decades.
If you’re ready to make the jump, or make the jump smarter, grab Volume 1 of the Build America Guides: Starting a Successful Construction Business.
