The Successful Remodeler

The Successful Remodeler I Started my remodeling company in 1996 and sold it in 2019 and now I help others achieve success.

My particular strength is helping create systems and processes to eliminate chaos. Jesus follower and mentor, married for 35 years, father of 5 girls, enjoy mountain biking, hiking and going to the gym.

Most remodeling companies don’t have a sales problem.They have a process problem.If your sales feel inconsistent, it’s u...
03/27/2026

Most remodeling companies don’t have a sales problem.
They have a process problem.

If your sales feel inconsistent, it’s usually because there’s no clear path from first call to signed contract.

Here’s the framework we usually suggest:

• Initial call → set prequal
• Prequal call → qualify hard (we eliminate ~75%)
• On-site meeting → define scope + set expectations
• Follow-up within 24 hours → clear price range
• Move forward → preconstruction agreement
• Send invoice (3%) → commit to the process

Simple. Repeatable. Trackable. Get paid to write a Construction Contract.

Key numbers:
• 75% eliminated at prequal
• 60% move from onsite → precon
• 80% move from precon → build

That’s not luck. That’s structure.

If you’re chasing leads, doing free estimates, and hoping they turn into jobs… you don’t have a sales system.

You have activity.

Build a process. Track it. Enforce it.

That’s where consistency—and profit—comes from.

👉 If you want this dialed into your business send me a message. I’ll show you how to implement it without overcomplicating your operation.

02/02/2026

When Estimating… How Big Are Your Buckets?

Accuracy in remodeling estimating starts with how you organize the work. If your estimate is one giant bucket labeled “Kitchen Remodel,” you’re already losing money.

Break it down.

Use templates that list every small bucket of work:
Demo, framing, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, air sealing, insulation, drywall, trim, painting, flooring, punchout—all the way down the line.

The smaller the buckets, the clearer the scope and the more accurate your numbers.

Then match those buckets inside your accounting software. Track costs the same way you estimate.

When the job is complete, do a job autopsy: estimated vs. actual, line by line.

This is how you sharpen your estimating, eliminate surprises, and create predictable profit—project after project.

01/21/2026

Accurate estimating is the foundation of a profitable remodeling company. Until you know how to estimate properly, everything else is just wishful thinking.

You don’t need a complicated system—you need a consistent one. I use a trade-by-trade approach that breaks each project down by scope and cost for every task required. Then I apply markup per trade, carefully and intentionally. No optimism. Just accuracy.

The key is tracking consistent unit costs, comparing your estimates to actuals, and adjusting. That’s how you dial in your numbers and build predictable profit.

If you want my basic Excel estimating template, send me a message. I’m happy to share it and walk you through how I use it.

11/18/2025

💰 While you’re working on your budget and thinking about that new truck…

Here’s a question that stops a lot of remodelers in their tracks:

🚚 How does a $750/month truck payment really cost me $30,000 a year?

Because at a 70% job cost, you only keep 30% of every dollar you invoice to cover overhead.

So to make a $750 payment, you need:

👉 $750 ÷ 0.30 = $2,500/month in sales
—which equals—
👉 $30,000/year in sales just to cover the payment

And that’s before insurance, fuel, and maintenance.
This is why budgeting matters — and why smart remodelers run the numbers before they buy.

11/11/2025

💰 Budget — Do You Have One?

It’s that time of year again to start thinking about your budget for next year.

Most remodelers don’t. They make decisions based on their checking account balance, not real numbers.

I know that because I’ve been there—and I’ve talked with plenty of remodelers who still are.

Let’s walk through the budget basics

1️⃣ Start with your P&L.
Run a Profit & Loss report for the year and see where your money went.
If everything runs through your accounting software, you’re already ahead of the game.
Print it out, then project expenses for the next 45 days to complete the year.
2️⃣ Determine your job cost.
If you’re running around 70% job cost, that means you’ve got 30% left for overhead, your salary, and company profit.
That’s your minimum margin.
3️⃣ Review all expenses.
Are your car or truck payments, loans, or financed equipment included? If not, add them in.
Divide total annual expenses by 12 months, adjusting for quarterly items like taxes or insurance.
Take time to make sure every cost is accounted for and placed in the right month.
4️⃣ Break down expenses by week.
Take your monthly expenses and divide them into weekly or biweekly numbers depending on your billing system.
Example: if your total weekly expenses are $7,500 and your job cost is 70%, that means your margin is 30%.
Margin is what pays your bills—so divide $7,500 by 0.30.
That means you need to bill $25,000 per week to cover all expenses, your salary, and company profit.
5️⃣ Check your annual goal.
Multiply that weekly or biweekly number by 52 or 26 to get your annual sales target.
That’s your budget framework—simple, clear, and based on facts instead of your bank balance.
If these numbers don’t make sense yet or you struggle to pull them together, I can help.
Once you get this part dialed in, you can confidently answer questions like:
💭 “Can I afford that new truck?”
💭 “Can I upgrade my tools?”
💭 “Can I give myself a raise—and my spouse a little more grocery money?”

Build a budget. Build a plan. Review regularly and then you will begin to build predictable profit.

11/10/2025

Accurate estimating is the foundation of your business.

Until you’ve got control over your estimates, everything else you want to build is just a dream.

Without accurate numbers, you’ll struggle to create steady revenue — and you’ll lose control fast. You’ll chase jobs for the next down payment, start more work than you can finish, and rely on payment schedules that hide what’s really going on.
Sooner or later, that pressure leads to taking the wrong job — the one that can sink your business.

Get your estimating right first. Everything else depends on it.

👉 Want help tightening up your estimating system? Visit TheSuccessfulRemodeler.com and start turning process into profit.

08/20/2025

What made you successful in the past won’t make you successful in the future.

In remodeling and new construction, a lot of owners start out as natural salespeople. You’re a good listener, you solve problems, you’re likeable, friendly—even endearing. Those attributes help you win jobs in the beginning. Clients enjoy being around you, and that charm lands work.

But as you transition from “one-truck chuck” to running a company, those same attributes can become a liability.
The “people-pleaser” side of you wants to say yes to every request.

You hesitate to charge what you should, fearing the client won’t like you. You give things away just to keep people happy.

The reality: your role changes. Running a construction company requires discipline, systems, and the courage to enforce them.

You’re no longer just trying to get the job—you’re leading a team, protecting profit, and ensuring the business survives and grows.

What made you successful in the past won’t make you successful in the future. Growth requires new skills, new boundaries, and a mindset shift from “pleasing clients” to “building a sustainable business” then subsequently happy clients are a byproduct.

**If you’re struggling with this transition, I can help. I’ve guided many remodelers through this exact shift—using proven strategies that increase profitability and free you from being tied to every job.

📵 Stop the Constant Calls 📵If your phone’s blowing up all day with questions from trade partners, here’s the fix:* Meet ...
08/15/2025

📵 Stop the Constant Calls 📵

If your phone’s blowing up all day with questions from trade partners, here’s the fix:

* Meet in person.
**Go over the entire scope.
***Don’t rely on texting to explain work.

Every detail you skip now = a phone call later.

Clear scope = quiet phone = more time to run your business.

08/13/2025

"Guessing at your finances is like framing a house without a level — it won’t end well."

If you want to thrive in remodeling or new construction, you must know your numbers cold.

**An accurate P&L tells you how profitable you really are.
**A current Balance Sheet shows the true health of your business.

If you’re not reviewing both—at least monthly—you’re driving blind. In our industry, that almost always ends badly.

The companies that win?
They make data-driven decisions, fix problems early, and keep profits on track.

Know your numbers. Review your numbers. Own your success.

If you don’t have an accurate P&L or balance sheet—or you’re not sure what these are—call me today. I’ll walk you through proven strategies that have consistently increased profitability for my clients, and it won't cost you a fortune. I can put you in touch with business owners who will tell you exactly how it’s changed their bottom line.

Cheers and may the profits be with you.

Where Does the Money Go?Imagine a $100,000 job. To hit a 65% Cost of Goods Sold (job cost) target, you’d need roughly a ...
07/11/2025

Where Does the Money Go?

Imagine a $100,000 job. To hit a 65% Cost of Goods Sold (job cost) target, you’d need roughly a 54% markup on your direct costs. Here’s how that breaks down:

1. Cost of Goods Sold (job cost) (65%)
• Materials: 15%
• In-house labor: 25%
• Trade-partner subs: 25%
Everything it takes to build the job.

2. Gross Profit (35%)
Your remaining 35% covers everything else:

Company Expenses (15%)
Cell phones, computers, vehicle, fuel & maintenance, insurance, workers’ comp, office labor etc.

Owner Pay (15%)
Your salary plus any time you swing a hammer or supervise on the job.

Net Profit (5%)
A buffer for lean times, debt avoidance, and building your own credit line (so you’re not paying bank interest).
😀
👉 Note: Your own ratios may shift depending on how much material you supply, how you staff labor, or your subs’ rates. But as a rule of thumb, aim to keep your job cost target between 60–65%. Any higher, and you’re not making enough to cover overhead and profit!

If you’d like help dialing in your markup, fine-tuning your job cost targets, or getting your accounting in shape so these numbers are clearly visible on your profit & loss statement, send me a DM

🇺🇸 Happy 4th of July from The Successful Remodeler! 🇺🇸After living abroad for the past two years, I’ve come to appreciat...
07/04/2025

🇺🇸 Happy 4th of July from The Successful Remodeler! 🇺🇸

After living abroad for the past two years, I’ve come to appreciate the unique freedoms we enjoy in the United States—especially the financial freedom and opportunity available to anyone willing to work hard and take risks.

There’s a reason they call this the land of opportunity. For entrepreneurs, builders, and dreamers alike, America still offers the chance to build something meaningful.

Today, we celebrate more than fireworks—we celebrate the freedom to grow, create, and succeed.

Wishing you a safe and meaningful Independence Day!
—John

06/24/2025

Back at the Desk—And Talking Change Orders

We’re finally back in the office after some time on-site, doing hands-on training with one of our remodelers and working closely with a new project manager. While we were out there, we saw firsthand, again, how critical it is to have solid systems in place—especially when it comes to change orders.

And just this morning, we had another conversation with a different remodeler who’s feeling the pressure from not managing change orders properly. It’s a common issue—and one that erodes profit faster than you think.

Here’s why change orders matter:

✅ They protect your profit. When you don’t document changes, you’re either eating the cost or arguing about it later. Both lose money.

✅ They keep expectations clear. A detailed contract tells you what’s included—and what’s not. When something changes, a written change order defines the new scope, cost, and impact on the schedule.

✅ They protect you legally. In many states, a verbal agreement isn’t enough. A proper change order includes:

A clear description of what’s being added or changed:
The cost of the change
Any impact on the schedule
A client signature

✅ They protect relationships. If a client says, “I thought that was included,” you can respond with:

“I totally get that. That’s why we always refer back to the contract to see what’s included and what’s not.”

✅ They prevent payment issues. If you delay documenting changes, you risk not getting paid and leaving the client frustrated. But when you manage expectations as you go, you build trust—not tension.

✅ They’re best done early and often. Don’t wait. Every change—no matter how small—should be captured in writing and agreed to.

Bottom line: Change orders aren’t just a form—they’re a communication tool. Use them to protect your schedule, your budget, and your client relationships.

If you want a healthier bottom line and smoother projects, get serious about managing change orders. ✍️

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6234 Old Highway 5
Woodstock, GA
30188

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