Free lessons for builders

SB360 Builder Academy

Practical lessons for small residential builders, written by builders with over 35 years on the job. Pick a track, start at lesson one, and work through it at your own pace. New lessons are added every week.

Bank Draws

Get paid on a construction loan: draw schedules, draw requests and closeout.

2

Final Draw and Closeout: How to Get the Last Check

Close out the job and collect the final draw.

Coming soon

Estimating & Budgets

Price jobs right, build budgets from your estimate and protect your margin.

1

How to Build a Job Budget From Your Estimate

Turn the estimate you sold into a budget you can track the job against.

Coming soon
2

How to Build an Estimate From Scratch, Line by Line

Build a complete estimate, one cost line at a time.

Coming soon
3

Markup vs Margin: Price Jobs Without Losing Money

Know the difference before you set your price.

Coming soon

Running the Job

Scopes, selections, schedules, subs and the paperwork that keeps a job on track.

1

How to Handle Allowance Overages With Clients

Talk about overages early and bill them the right way.

Coming soon
2

How to Write a Scope of Work That Prevents Disputes

Write a scope clear enough that nobody can read it two ways.

Coming soon
3

How to Build a Residential Schedule From Foundation to Final

Put every phase of a home build in the right order.

Coming soon
4

How to Get Sub Bids and Compare Them Fairly

Get bids on the same scope so the numbers compare.

Coming soon
5

How to Run Client Selections Without Delays

Get selections made on time so the schedule holds.

Coming soon
6

How to Talk to Clients About Change Orders

Handle the change order conversation before it turns into a fight.

Coming soon
7

How to Plan Lead Times So Materials Arrive on Time

Order the long-lead items before they hold up the job.

Coming soon
8

How to Keep a Daily Log That Protects You

Write down what happened on site, every day.

Coming soon
9

How to Send a Weekly Client Update That Stops Phone Calls

One short update a week keeps clients calm.

Coming soon
10

The Builder's Paperwork Map: Every Document From Bid to Closeout

Every document a job needs, in the order you need it.

Coming soon

Growing Your Business

Overhead, cash flow and the numbers behind a builder that lasts.

1

How to Recover Overhead in Every Price You Give

Make sure every job pays its share of running the business.

Coming soon
2

Cash Flow Basics for Small Builders

Keep money moving when payments come in late.

Coming soon
3

Year-End Numbers Every Builder Should Check

The numbers to review before the year closes.

Coming soon
4

When to Hire Your First Project Manager

Signs it is time to hand off the day-to-day.

Coming soon

Using Smart Builder 360

Step-by-step how-tos for the features inside the app.

1

SB360 How-To: Proposal Templates

Create proposals in Smart Builder 360.

Coming soon
2

SB360 How-To: Statement

See what is billed, paid and still owed on a job.

Coming soon
3

SB360 How-To: Scheduling

Plan your jobs and phases in Smart Builder 360.

Coming soon
4

SB360 How-To: Send & Request Bids

Send bid requests to your subs from Smart Builder 360.

Coming soon
5

SB360 How-To: Final Selections

Record client selections in Smart Builder 360.

Coming soon
6

SB360 How-To: Change Orders

Create and send change orders in Smart Builder 360.

Coming soon
7

SB360 How-To: Project Estimating

Build estimates in the Project Estimator.

Coming soon
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