Advertise on podcast: The Good Builder Podcast

What happens before a client signs a building contract could be one of the biggest opportunities for builders to improve their business. Site feasibility, zoning, overlays, setbacks, siting, quoting and working out what can actually be built on a block have traditionally meant manual checks, multiple systems and plenty of back-and-forth between sales, estimating and construction. In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Az sits down with Mark Garner from Canibuild and Megan Burraston, Sales Manager at Stylemaster Homes, to look at what happens when you start changing that process. Megan brings the builder’s perspective, sharing what the process looked like inside Stylemaster before Canibuild, what changed when the technology reached the sales team, and how having better information earlier can affect the customer conversation. Mark takes us behind the technology: what happens when a builder enters an address, what information can be surfaced about a site, where digital feasibility ends and formal planning begins, and where AI could take preconstruction next. They also tackle a question that matters beyond the big builders. If you're building 20, 30 or 40 homes a year, where should you start if you want to make preconstruction more efficient? In this episode: What the traditional site-feasibility process actually involvesWhere manual preconstruction creates hidden costs for buildersHow Stylemaster Homes changed its early sales and feasibility processWhat Canibuild does when a builder enters a property addressThe line between digital feasibility and formal planning and approvalsWhy faster answers can change the customer experienceGetting sales teams to actually adopt new technologyWhere AI could realistically improve planning, permitting and site assessmentWhat technology shouldn't replaceWhere smaller and mid-sized builders can startWhat Mark and Megan believe makes a good builderA practical conversation about something that happens long before construction starts, but can have consequences right through the building business. #TheGoodBuilder #Canibuild #StylemasterHomes #AustralianBuilders #ResidentialConstruction #Preconstruction #ConstructionTechnology #BuildingTechnology #SiteFeasibility #AIinConstruction #BuildingBusiness #PropTech

What does being a good builder actually look like when you strip away the systems, processes and business jargon? In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Az sits down with Mitch Thompson from Vista Built in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges for a conversation about building better homes, better teams and a building business you actually want to be part of. Mitch has deliberately taken Vista Built down the high-performance and healthy-home path, working across new homes, renovations and extensions. But some of the most interesting lessons in this conversation have very little to do with what happens on the tools. Mitch talks about why he’s prepared to knock back the wrong projects, how Vista Built can price five jobs rather than 50, why long-term relationships with trades matter, and why apprentices shouldn’t simply be viewed as cheap labour. He also explains why good culture comes before systems and processes, and why Australia’s minimum building standard should be exactly that: the minimum. It’s a refreshingly practical conversation with a builder who isn’t trying to become the biggest. He’s focused on doing good work, with good people, for clients who value the same things. In this episode: Why Vista Built has chosen to specialise in high-performance and healthier homesWhy Mitch treats minimum building standards as a starting pointThe business case for being selective about clients and projectsHow Vista Built has built a strong pipeline through reputation and word of mouthWhy culture and good people come before systems and processesThe importance of paying and looking after trades and suppliersWhy builders should think differently about apprentices and the next generationWhat Mitch thinks the current market could mean for good operatorsWhy he has no ambition to become one of Australia’s biggest buildersAnd ultimately, what Mitch believes makes a good builderThis one gets right to the heart of why The Good Builder exists: putting the spotlight on builders doing good work and sharing the lessons that can make the wider industry better. #TheGoodBuilder #AustralianBuilders #ResidentialConstruction #BuildingIndustry #ConstructionAustralia #BuildingBusiness #HighPerformanceHomes #HealthyHomes #PassiveHouse #ConstructionLeadership #Apprentices #Builders

540 construction companies entered voluntary administration on a single day in August. It sounds catastrophic. But there’s an important detail buried underneath that number. In this Monday Builder Briefing, Az from The Good Builder takes eight minutes to unpack three stories Australian residential builders should have on their radar this week. First, we look at the extraordinary spike in construction insolvencies. All 540 companies that entered voluntary administration on that day belonged to the same corporate group. Remove that event and construction’s share of company failures across July and August falls from 37.4% to 23.5%. It doesn’t mean the pressure across construction has disappeared. It does show why builders need to look beyond the headline number. We also look at concrete surcharges and levies and why the increases appearing on builders’ invoices aren’t necessarily being reflected in the headline construction cost indexes. Finally, Queensland has 617 major projects worth $173.76 billion in the pipeline through to 2030. That sounds like good news for construction, but there’s another question for residential builders: where will the people required to build it all come from? Housing doesn’t compete for labour with housing alone. Infrastructure, commercial construction and major projects need many of the same electricians, plumbers, concreters, earthworks crews, supervisors and construction professionals. In this episode: • What really happened with the 540 construction company administrations• Why the insolvency headline needs context• Concrete surcharges and the costs indexes may not capture• What builders should be watching when pricing new work• Queensland’s $173.76 billion major-project pipeline• Why infrastructure and housing compete for construction capacity• What this could mean for trades and labour availability• What’s coming next on The Good Builder Podcast We also give you a preview of some big conversations coming to the podcast, including Mitch Thompson from Vista Built, Alex from ATLi, and Ben, the latest franchisee to join Stroud Homes. More reporting, research and conversations for Australian residential builders at: thegoodbuilder.com.au News links talked about in the episode:https://thegoodbuilder.com.au/queensland-has-174-billion-of-construction-coming-where-is-it-actually-going/https://thegoodbuilder.com.au/concrete-surcharges-are-back-and-the-cost-indexes-are-not-picking-them-up/https://thegoodbuilder.com.au/540-companies-in-one-day-why-the-insolvency-numbers-will-look-worse-next-year/

Australia needs more bricklayers. But according to Andy Shaw, simply putting more apprentices into the system won’t solve the problem. Andy is the founder of Brickies Network and has spent more than 35 years in construction. He started as an apprentice bricklayer, built and ran his own bricklaying business, worked on the builder side of the industry and has spent the past five years looking closely at how bricklaying businesses operate across Australia. In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Andy and Az go deep into a trade that operates very differently from most others in residential construction. They unpack why bricklayers are particularly exposed to construction cycles, how per-brick pricing can hide the true cost of doing a job, why apprentices are leaving, what happens when experienced bricklayers disappear from the industry, and how changing employment and compliance requirements are reshaping the economics of running a bricklaying business. Andy also explains why skilled migration alone isn't a simple solution, why protecting yourself from non-payment matters, and why he believes the industry may be trying to solve the bricklayer shortage from the wrong end. One of the biggest ideas from the conversation is simple: before Australia can successfully train the next generation of bricklayers, it needs sustainable businesses capable of employing, training and retaining them. This is a detailed conversation about bricklaying, but many of the issues Andy raises apply much more broadly across Australian residential construction. In this episode: • Why bricklaying businesses operate differently from other trades• The economics behind per-brick pricing• Why Andy believes the industry is particularly fragile• Where apprentices are being lost• The difference between being qualified and being genuinely job-ready• The impact of employment, superannuation and compliance costs• Why good bricklaying businesses need to understand their true costs• Skilled migration and the importance of trade competency• Protecting subcontractors from non-payment• Why experienced trade business owners matter to the industry's future• What builders can do to build stronger relationships with their trades• Why Andy believes the answer is a "win-win-win" between builders, trades and the wider industry Andy also discusses Brickies Network, its work supporting residential bricklayers and its focus on helping members build profitable, sustainable and compliant businesses. The Good Builder PodcastReal conversations about the issues affecting Australian residential builders, trades and the people shaping the future of the industry. Proudly supported by MyConstruct. Get your 30-day trail at myconstruct.com with CODE: GOODBUILDER #TheGoodBuilder #Bricklaying #Bricklayers #AustralianConstruction #ResidentialConstruction #HomeBuilders #ConstructionIndustry #Apprenticeships #Tradies #BuildingIndustry

At 23, Carrick was installing aerials when the ladder slipped out from under him. He fell two storeys onto a concrete driveway, broke vertebrae in his back and his wrist, and lost his job before the ambulance had picked him up off the ground. Six months off work. His mum washing him in the shower. Two decades on, that fall is why he does what he does. Now National Enterprise Manager at HazardCo, Carrick joins Az for what Az calls the darkest episode The Good Builder has recorded, and one of the most important. They get into: - Why the real damage of an incident is what comes after it, for families, crews and builders, sometimes for decades- Psychosocial risk, the safety category most builders haven't heard of yet, and why it's on its way to being mandated- Why leadership, not paperwork, is what actually makes a site safe- Toolbox talks done in minutes: take a photo, turn on voice to text, done- Az's own near miss, one step from a dropped crane load National Safety Month runs in October, and HazardCo will be right in the middle of it. Az's challenge to every builder listening: if you trust what we tell you, do something about your safety this month. HazardCo's details are in the links below. We work in an industry where bad luck doesn't pay off well. Everyone should go home safe at the end of the day. #thegoodbuilder #constructionindustry #australianbuilding #buildingbusiness #sitesafety #constructionsafety #hazardco #nationalsafetymonth #healthandsafety #whs #safetyleadership #buildersofaustralia

Most builders only find out a customer is unhappy once it has already cost them. At the end of the build, in a Google review, or in the dreaded Facebook groups. And the referral goes with it. This week Az unpacks The Pulse by Australian Building Research and shares results from the builder trials that have been running quietly in the background. One short text at each stage of the build. Deposit, slab, frame, handover. Every reply lands in a live dashboard so you know exactly who to ask for a review, who to call, and what to fix. Then he gets into the three things most people don't know it does. It chases every issue until the loop is closed. Not quarterly reporting, a live workflow. A score drops, a recovery case opens, someone owns it, the outcome gets logged. Builders on the trials reported responding to issues 3.2 to 3.5 times faster.It reads your team and their workload. Communication, quality and care scores show who is driving a great experience and who needs a hand. One builder spotted a supervisor carrying too much, reallocated the work, and watched the scores lift.It benchmarks you against the industry. Every builder on the platform is measured on the same independent scale, so you can see where you sit at every stage rather than tracking against gut feel.Az also shares the strategy behind it all: the same customer experience approach he ran at GJ Gardner Homes during the Most Trusted Builder campaign. Whether you use the platform or not, the message is the same. Measure the experience, close the loop, and know how you stack up. Links below to take a look at The Pulse. View The Pulse #thegoodbuilder #constructionindustry #buildingbusiness #australianbuilding #customerexperience #homebuilders

James Drever started as a chippy on the coast. Today he is CEO of QA Build, the fastest growing builder in Queensland, running more than 15 live projects across Australia with thousands of builds underneath them. In this episode, James joins Az to unpack how they did it. The philosophy is simple. See a roadblock, remove the roadblock, take control of the roadblock. When suppliers could not deliver, QA Build bought them. Their solar, electrical, air conditioning and cabinetry businesses now all sit in house, including a cabinetry operation that grew from 15 staff to more than 55, producing 60 to 70 kitchens a month with robotics on the floor. James and Az cover: - The journey from the tools to CEO, via national building manager at Gem Life- Why QA Build partnered with CSQ to launch its own trade college, and what the industry loses in 30 years if nobody captures the knowledge walking out the door- The family philosophy behind the QA name: if it is not good enough for our own, it is not good enough for our clients- Holding the quality bar above the industry standard while building at scale- Why they are putting on a race day for their trades, and what most builders get wrong about subbie relationships- James's answer to the signature question: what makes a good builder? The Good Builder is Australia's construction industry media platform. Free for the builder community. #thegoodbuilder #constructionindustry #australianbuilding

Why does the building market suddenly feel quieter? Builders across Australia are reporting slower enquiries, longer decision times and clients holding off on signing contracts. In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Az looks at what may be driving that hesitation — including interest rates, consumer confidence, construction finance, affordability and the growing gap between housing approvals and actual building contracts. The key point is that housing demand has not disappeared. But clients are taking longer to make major financial decisions, and that delay can have a significant impact on builder pipelines, pre-construction, cash flow and project scheduling. Az also breaks down three important industry stories. First, the fallout from the Bathla Group collapse and what the administration process could mean for subcontractors and suppliers further down the creditor queue. Then, a New South Wales court decision involving a tiny home on wheels — and why calling something a caravan does not necessarily remove planning and land-use requirements. Finally, the episode looks at Sekisui Chemical’s move to acquire a controlling 51% stake in Queensland builder Ausbuild, and what Japanese manufacturing and industrialised construction knowledge could potentially bring to the Australian residential building market. For builders, the message is not to panic or start discounting work. In a more cautious market, knowing your numbers, managing your pipeline, tightening pre-construction and giving prospective clients greater certainty becomes even more important. In this episode: Why builders are reporting slower enquiriesWhat consumer confidence means for residential constructionWhy approvals do not automatically translate into contractsInterest rates, affordability and delayed building decisionsThe impact of longer sales cycles on builder cash flowWhat the Bathla administration could mean for subcontractors and suppliersTiny homes, caravans and planning lawSekisui Chemical’s investment in AusbuildPrefabrication and industrialised home constructionConstruction finance and project feasibilityWhy builders should avoid discounting simply to stay busyHow trust and certainty can help hesitant clients make decisions References:Chris Baskerville Podcast on BathlaA Tiny Home on Wheels Was Ruled a Caravan and Still Lost. Planning Law Follows the Use, Not the Structure.Sekisui Chemical Buys 51 Per Cent of Ausbuild, Bringing Japanese Factory Housing Into Queensland’s Private Market Sponsors:A big thank you to our sponsor, Australian Business Research for being the sponsor of this podcast. Check out their platform The Pulse that will keep you ahead of the game: https://australianbuildingresearch.com.au/the-pulse-cep

This episode belongs to you. When the $3.4 billion Bathla Group collapse hit, we emailed every builder and tradie in our community and asked one thing: what do you actually want to know? The questions came in fast, and some of them were spicy. Where did the money went is one thing. Whether the administrators always get paid while you get nothing is another. So we put them straight to insolvency practitioner Chris Baskerville of Jirsch Sutherland, the leading voice on this collapse across the national media. Ten questions from real subbies, suppliers and builders. Chris only saw five in advance. The rest he answered cold. No filtered corporate answers. Just the questions you asked: whether the money owed to you is coming back, how to work out your exposure, what the second meeting of creditors decides, how to check any builder or developer before you sign with them, and what to do this week if you're feeling the pinch. This is the first episode built entirely from your questions, and it won't be the last. Chris returns after the administrators' report drops to decode it in plain language. If you've got a question for that one, reply to any of our emails or get in touch. We'll put it to him. Learn more about Jirsch Sutherland: https://www.jirschsutherland.com.au/ Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by MyConstruct, the job management software built for Aussie builders and tradies. Start your free 30-day trial at myconstruct.com with your CODE: GOODBUILDER #thegoodbuilder #constructionindustry #australianbuilding

Every builder is being told AI will change their business. Vinnie Vecchio is one of the few actually showing them how. Vinnie leads the coaching team at The Professional Builder, working with hundreds of builders across Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US. He joins Az ahead of the AI and Marketing Summit for Builders, on at The Star, Gold Coast, 15 and 16 October, where The Good Builder Podcast will be recording live. In this episode: - The real difference between a tradesperson and a business owner, and why your business can't grow if your identity doesn't- Why The Professional Builder coaches the person first and the problem second- The five levers you can pull before a job is even priced to lift your margin: positioning, marketing, sales, pricing and contracts- How to fill your pipeline at least 12 months in advance with profitable projects, and why you never stop marketing- The five levels of AI adoption, from a free ChatGPT subscription through to AI agents that work like team members- Simple AI wins any builder can set up today: a morning brief, inbox triage, quote follow ups, client updates and bookkeeping- The three new AI tools launching at the summit that build your offer, your lead magnet and your ad copy for you- Why every summit day includes a structured implementation session, so you walk out with the work done, not just a page of notes- Vinnie's answer to the question we ask every guest: what makes a good builder? Get $200 off your summit ticket with The Good Builder: https://event.theprofessionalbuilder.com/Gold-Coast-Summit-OCT2026?discount_code=GOODBUILDER Coming to the summit? Email [email protected] and we'll get you on the couch at our live recording.

He's one of the fastest growing construction profiles on Instagram, because he's saying what most of the industry won't. Johno The Plumber (real name Robert Cragg) has spent 24 years in the trade and runs Cragg Plumbing & Drainage in Melbourne, working across commercial and domestic. In this episode he sits down with Az to talk about the stuff that actually needs saying: falling standards, missing accountability, care factor between trades, and how we bring apprentices up instead of writing them off. Rob doesn't point the finger without pointing it at himself first. From copping a lesson from the ATO as a young subbie, to sitting in front of five directors and agreeing his work wasn't good enough — his message is simple. Failure is your best teacher, and integrity is what makes a good builder. In this episode: Why the older generation leaving is the industry's biggest threatThe Cassandra effect — why nobody listens until it's too lateCare factor: the real reason trades cost each other moneyWhat it takes to build apprentices into future leadersThe one word that makes a good builder Follow Rob:https://www.instagram.com/johno__the_plumber/[https://www.instagram.com/cragg_plumbing_and_drainage/ This episode is proudly sponsored by MyConstruct — built by Australian builders, for Australian builders. Get a 30-day trial at myconstruct.com with CODE: GOODBUILDER The Good Builder is Australia's independent construction industry media platform. Free for the builder community.https://linktr.ee/TheGoodBuilder #thegoodbuilder #constructionindustry #australianbuilding #plumbing #tradie

Two years ago, prompt engineering was going to be the six-figure job of the future and blokes were buying Mac Minis to run AI agents next to the drop saw. Both gone — not because AI was a fad, but because the platforms built it all in. If you're paying for ChatGPT or Claude, you're probably using about 10% of it. This week, Az walks through the other 90%: four features already sitting in your subscription that can genuinely help your building business — this week, not someday. In this episode: Agent mode (Claude Cowork / ChatGPT agent mode) — the spec-vs-quote check: one question that finds unpriced work in a 90-page spec before you sign a fixed-price contract, plus how to rank tenders by riskScheduled tasks — the Monday 6am DA report that pulls every development application in your council area into a spreadsheet while you're still in bed. Every DA is a future job.Image & video generation — ending the "I can't picture it" conversation at the kitchen table with skillion-vs-gable concepts on the spot, and the hard rule: never pass off AI images as your finished workMemory & projects — set up a client comms project with five of your real emails and every draft your team sends sounds like your business, every time. No $3k/month agency required.Pick one. Try it this week. And if your Mac Mini is holding down invoices, you're in good company. How-to videos for all four are coming on TGB socials this week. Know a builder, tradie or supplier who'd get something out of this? Send it their way.

What does it take to become the most awarded and highest rated solar company in Australia? Not a secret. Just turning up for customers after installation. This week Az sits down with Leigh Storr, founder and CEO of Resinc, in their Brisbane office. Leigh has spent 24 years in renewables and built Resinc from a startup in 2016 into the country's most trusted solar provider. Over 5,000 five star reviews. 150% growth in the last 12 months. A team of 25 dedicated purely to proactive customer care after the sale. In this episode: Why Resinc refuses to compete on price, and why customers wouldn't want them toThe golden rule Leigh built his first sales team on: activity times skill equals resultsWhy post installation service is a growth strategy, not a cost centre"What gets inspected gets respected" and how it lifts team standardsHandling 150% growth in a year without losing the customerThe community giving engine: 30 surf clubs, a Community Heroes program, and a plan to give away a solar system a day to veteransHow builders should approach solar with the NCC changes coming, and the battery rebate mistake to avoid Whether you build homes or run any business at all, there are lessons in this one. Resinc operates across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT.  Find them at https://resinc.com.au/

Floor heating might be the most loved feature in a home that almost nobody asks for — and once the floors are down, it's too late. This week Az sits down with Rick Florence, managing director and owner of Coldbuster Floor Heating, a business that's been in the Australian market for over 25 years. Rick reckons only a tiny fraction of people building or renovating ever see a floor heating quote before the floors go in — and he's built his whole business around fixing that gap. In this episode: The four misconceptions that stop clients considering floor heating — and why "it's a luxury, it must be expensive" no longer holds upWhy Rick says you should never ask a client if they want floor heating — quote first, present secondElectric vs hydronic: Rick's case for why electric wins on cost, running costs, and maintenanceHow floor heating slots into a build program without disrupting a single tradeThe value-add argument: why Rick calls floor heating an investment, not a costQuoting for developers and multi-res — three ways to structure itWhat to do when it is too late: rug heaters, radiant heaters, heated towel rails and mirror demistersRick's answer to our signature question: what makes a good builder?Whether you're a volume builder, a custom builder or a reno specialist, this one's about a simple habit — send the plans, get the free quote, let the client decide — that costs nothing and could set your builds apart. All Coldbuster links, socials and contact details below. Like, subscribe, and share it with a builder who should hear it. Connect with Coldbuster Floor Heating: Website: https://www.coldbuster.com.au Get a Free Quote: https://www.coldbuster.com.au/get-a-free-quote/ Tradie Registration (trade discounts & installer program): https://www.coldbuster.com.au/trade-registration/ Running Cost Calculator: https://www.coldbuster.com.au/cost-of-running-underfloor-heating/ Phone: 1800 85 75 65 Email: [email protected] Address: Unit 10, 14 Rodborough Road, Frenchs Forest NSW 2086 Follow Coldbuster: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coldbusterfloorheating Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coldbusterfloorheating/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coldbusterfloorheating/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYvKv7rlMCehLulIumkApYg Pinterest: https://pin.it/ymQNOHR

Builders are being approached from outside the industry more than ever. Coaches, planners, consultants, software reps. All of them want the same thing: access to your trust. In this short solo episode, Az shares the background check The Good Builder runs on everyone who approaches the platform, and why builders should run it on everyone who approaches them. Two searches. Five minutes. Before a dollar moves or a meeting is taken. Search one is ASIC. Run their name through the banned and disqualified register. It covers disqualified company directors, not just finance. Run their company through ASIC's company search. Check the ABN. If they claim a licence of any kind, check it with whoever issues it. Search two is the news. Their name and their company through the Google News tab. Bans, court judgments and tribunal findings get reported, and they do not disappear. Plus the three questions to ask anyone who makes it into the room, and the reaction that tells you everything. Run the check:ASIC banned and disqualified registers: asic.gov.au/online-services/search-asic-registers/banned-and-disqualified-registersASIC register search (company search): asic.gov.au/online-services/search-asic-registersABN Lookup: abr.business.gov.auFinancial Advisers Register: moneysmart.gov.au/financial-advice/financial-advisers-register A clean search is not a clearance, and none of this replaces professional advice. It is the five minutes that too many people skip. Think you'd make a good guest? There's a front door: podcast.thegoodbuilder.com.au/applyStories and tips: [email protected] else: [email protected]