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.
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