“If that money is in the wrong bucket, I could be off when I budget a job by thousands and thousands of dollars. Knowing your numbers really matters.”

‍Reece Barnes sat down with Jeremy Sloane of Sloane Construction, second-generation custom builder in Palm Beach, Florida, to talk about the transformation of his business—and the role financial clarity plays in sustainable growth.

Whether you're building $500K remodels or $15M estates, this episode is a masterclass on what it really means to run a financially mature construction company—and how to stop guessing your way through job costing.

The Problem: You Think You're Under Budget—Until You're Not

Like many growing builders, Jeremy hit a breaking point. After years of expanding into more complex, high-end projects, he realized he didn’t have the systems in place to track costs with confidence.

“We missed a condo deadline for the first time in company history. I left a superintendent on an island without the structure to succeed," says Jeremy. "That was on me—and it was the turning point.”

It wasn’t just about one project. It was about the realization that gut instinct and experience weren’t enough anymore. He needed systems, visibility, and accountability—from the field to the books.

The Hidden Risk: Margin Erosion

Construction doesn’t usually fail from a lack of revenue—it fails in the margins.

Every missed receipt, unapproved change order, miscategorized cost, or overdrawn subcontractor payment chips away at profitability. But the damage often hides in plain sight—buried in spreadsheets or lagging behind reality.

“I rebuilt 16 months of pay apps from scratch to figure out what went wrong on a project. Turns out we were mostly accurate—but I never want to go through that again. It was a wake-up call to get serious about our numbers.”

The Shift: From Experience-Driven to Systems-Driven

Jeremy made a critical pivot—he started building the operational infrastructure his team needed to scale with control:

• Mandatory daily logs from every superintendent
• Weekly project updates to drive accountability
• Remote project coordination built on real-time data
• Consistent cost codes across estimating, field, and finance
• Processes that don't rely on “superstar” employees to succeed

“We’ve gone from depending on tribal knowledge to building systems anyone on the team can follow. That’s what makes growth sustainable.”

The Mindset: Singles, Doubles, and Steady Growth

One of the most powerful takeaways from the conversation is Jeremy’s mindset around growth. He’s not chasing a massive exit. He’s building a long-term business that’s consistent, selective, and profitable.

“I’m not interested in being the biggest builder in the region. I want a lean, excellent team that delivers exceptional work and knows their numbers.”

That strategy has paid off. Sloan Construction is growing at a healthy 10–15% annually—not by adding more jobs, but by increasing the value and size of each project. And thanks to better financial tracking, the bottom line is growing too.

Why Real-Time Job Costing is the Game-Changer

If there’s one theme this episode drives home, it’s this:

“You cannot manage what you cannot see.”

Jeremy breaks down the key issues that plague builders who don’t have real-time financial visibility:

• You underbill because you miss receipts or forget to include reimbursable costs.
• You overpay subs because scope creep goes unchecked.
• You blow budgets because you find out too late what actually got coded where.
• You lose trust with clients and vendors because you can’t explain the numbers.

His advice? Start now. Don’t wait until it hurts.

“Even if you’re still using pen and paper—track everything. Build the habit. The tools can come later.”

The Payoff: Clarity, Control, Confidence

Real-time job costing isn’t just about protecting margin—it’s about peace of mind.

It’s the difference between reacting to problems vs. preventing them. It’s what lets you have an intelligent conversation with a client about a $100K framing change—and back it up. It’s what lets you estimate your next job with confidence instead of crossed fingers.

“We used to price based on memory. Now we price based on data. That’s how you stay in business for another 40 years.”

Your Takeaway: Know Your Numbers or Risk Everything

Whether you’re doing $3M in remodels or $30M in custom homes, the rules are the same:

• You can’t grow without systems.
• You can’t protect your margin without visibility.
• You can’t make smart decisions without real-time data.

This episode isn’t just a conversation—it’s a call to action.

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