Hammer & Grind : Built For Contractors
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Recent Episodes

  • EP286: How Contractors Can Calculate True Labor Costs and Boost Profits
  • EP285: How to Stop Costly Estimating Mistakes for Contractors
  • EP284: Bad Pricing, Scope Creep, and More: 7 Profit Leaks Hurting Contractors
  • EP283: Stop Making Short-Term Decisions That Kill Your Construction Business
  • EP282: Creating a Mission-Driven Workforce: Contractor Advice for Employee Engagement

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Hammer & Grind : Built For Contractors

Hammer & Grind : Built For Contractors

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    Hammer & Grind : Built For Contractors

    Hammer & Grind : Built For Contractors

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    Latest Episodes

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    EP286: How Contractors Can Calculate True Labor Costs and Boost Profits
    Aug 31, 2026·24m

    EP286: How Contractors Can Calculate True Labor Costs and Boost Profits

    If you’re paying an employee $30 an hour, they don’t actually cost your construction business $30 an hour. In this episode of the Hammer & Grind Podcast, Brad Huebner breaks down how contractors can calculate their true labor costs and use the right labor burden rate to protect their profit margins. Your employee’s hourly wage is only one part of the total cost. Payroll taxes, workers’ compensation, employee benefits, paid time off, training, meetings, and other non-productive paid hours can significantly increase what that employee actually costs your business. You’ll learn how to: Calculate your true labor burden rate Separate employee wages from total labor costs Account for payroll taxes and workers’ compensation Factor in employee benefits and other direct labor costs Calculate the cost of non-productive paid time Determine your true cost per productive hour Understand the difference between markup and gross profit margin Avoid underpricing labor on construction estimates Identify hidden labor-related profit leaks Price your labor correctly across multiple employees and crews If you’re a contractor who wants better construction estimating, stronger profit margins, and a clearer understanding of what your employees actually cost your business, this episode is a must-listen. Get the Labor Burden Worksheet: Use the worksheet to calculate your labor burden rate and understand your true labor cost per hour, day, week, month, and year. The worksheet can also help you calculate costs for different employee teams and crews. Links to resources Grab my free job costing worksheet and start job costing every job right away. https://go.hammercrm.com/widget/form/4Bws6E9GGX0RZPoED1bn Want to go deeper? Check out the Contractor Profit Blueprint: https://www.thecontractorprofitblueprint.com/ Book a strategy call with Brad: https://hammerandgrind.com/qualification-website Enjoying the podcast? Visit our website at https://www.hammerandgrindpodcast.com (https://www.hammerandgrindpodcast.com/) for the latest episodes, resources, and more. Have a question, story, or topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a message here: https://www.hammerandgrindpodcast.com/voicemail. We'd love to hear from you, and your message could be featured on a future episode! Help us get the word out to other contractors by leaving us a review or sharing our podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

    labor burden rateconstruction estimatingpayroll taxes
    EP285: How to Stop Costly Estimating Mistakes for Contractors
    Aug 24, 2026·43m

    EP285: How to Stop Costly Estimating Mistakes for Contractors

    Job CostingLabor Burden
    EP284: Bad Pricing, Scope Creep, and More: 7 Profit Leaks Hurting Contractors
    Aug 17, 2026·33m

    EP284: Bad Pricing, Scope Creep, and More: 7 Profit Leaks Hurting Contractors

    profit leaksscope creep
    EP283: Stop Making Short-Term Decisions That Kill Your Construction Business
    Aug 10, 2026·25m

    EP283: Stop Making Short-Term Decisions That Kill Your Construction Business

    construction businessdecision making
    EP282: Creating a Mission-Driven Workforce: Contractor Advice for Employee Engagement
    Aug 3, 2026·39m

    EP282: Creating a Mission-Driven Workforce: Contractor Advice for Employee Engagement

    employee engagementmission statement
    EP281: Is Your Contracting Business at Risk
    Jul 27, 2026·36m

    EP281: Is Your Contracting Business at Risk

    Contractor Profit Blueprintgross profit
    EP280: From Chaos to Control: Contractors' Guide to Organizational Charts
    Jul 20, 2026·24m

    EP280: From Chaos to Control: Contractors' Guide to Organizational Charts

    org chartorganizational chart