60-second quiz for construction business owners
Which builder are you?
You built the trade. Let's scale the business.
Four types of construction business owner. Each one gets stuck in a different place. Find out which one you are, and the first thing to fix.
- 8 quick questions
- A result written for your stage of business, not generic advice
- One practical fix you can use this week
Built by Paul Fitzgerald. He started on site at sixteen and now runs an eight-figure construction group. A builder who is still building.
The four builders
The Grafter
£0–£750k
Busy but skint.
The Bottleneck
£750k–£3m
Everything comes back to you.
The Scaler
£3m–£10m
Bigger, but not always better off.
The Legacy Builder
£5m+
What's it worth without you?
Eight questions tell you which one you are right now, and where to start.
The work behind the advice
- Cashflow Command
- Pricing to Win
- The Numbers That Matter
- Variations and Change
- Contracts and Payment
- Systems and Process
- People and Culture
- Getting Out of the Day to Day
- Margin and Efficiency
- Growth and Pipeline
- Risk and Resilience
- Build the Asset / Exit
Question 1 of 8
Which best describes you?
Question 2 of 8
What kind of construction business do you run?
Question 3 of 8
Where does most of your week go?
Question 4 of 8
What keeps you up at night?
Question 5 of 8
Be honest. What happens when a client pays late?
Question 5 of 8
How long could you disappear before something went wrong?
Question 5 of 8
You're turning over more than a couple of years ago. Are you taking home more?
Question 5 of 8
If you stepped back tomorrow, who would run it?
Question 6 of 8
When do the quotes get done?
Question 6 of 8
Could anyone price a job without you?
Question 6 of 8
When do you find out if a job made money?
Question 6 of 8
What would stepping back look like?
Question 7 of 8
Have you tried a business coach or course before?
Question 8 of 8
If you wanted help, what would suit you?
Last step
Your result is ready.
Where should we send it? It opens on the next screen straight away.
1 of 5
Optional · Sharpen your result
How many people work in the business, including regular subbies?
2 of 5
Optional · Sharpen your result
Roughly how many hours do you work a week?
3 of 5
Optional · Sharpen your result
Twelve months from now, what would make it a good year?
4 of 5
Optional · Sharpen your result
Where did you find Paul?
5 of 5
Optional · Sharpen your result
Optional. Say it how you'd say it on site.
Your result ·
Right, you're The Grafter.
Busy but skint.
What you told us
- Your business
- Your week
- What keeps you up
What you're probably thinking
“We've got work coming out our ears, but cash is always tight.”
Quotes get done in the evenings. The extras are meant to make it up.
The trap
Pricing like a carpenter while carrying a contractor's risk. As you grow, the risk grows faster than the price. And cash is king: profit on paper doesn't pay wages.
Paul's first fix
Something you can do this week.
Price your next job in four layers: direct cost, prelims, overhead recovery and margin. Decide your walk-away price before you send it. From today, nothing extra gets built until it's priced and agreed in writing.
Month 1 of the Academy
Cashflow Command
Cash flow is where the programme starts. Your thirteen-week rolling forecast is built with you in month one, along with the cash discipline that stops you lying awake the week before payroll.
Where this goes next
The Build & Scale Academy
Month by month, the systems that stop you working harder for the same money. Start with cash and pricing.
Inside the Academy: Cashflow Command (Month 1) and Pricing to Win (Month 2).
Join the waitlistGeneral guidance based on your answers, not a personalised diagnosis.
Your result ·
Right, you're The Grafter.
Busy but skint.
What you told us
- Your business
- Your week
- What keeps you up
Why listen to Paul?
Fair question. Paul still runs his construction group. Everything he teaches has been implemented there first, never just practised. Try the free calculator, “What's your real hourly rate?”, and judge it on your own numbers.
What you're probably thinking
“We've got work coming out our ears, but cash is always tight.”
Quotes get done in the evenings. The extras are meant to make it up.
The trap
Pricing like a carpenter while carrying a contractor's risk. As you grow, the risk grows faster than the price. And cash is king: profit on paper doesn't pay wages.
Paul's first fix
Something you can do this week.
Price your next job in four layers: direct cost, prelims, overhead recovery and margin. Decide your walk-away price before you send it. From today, nothing extra gets built until it's priced and agreed in writing.
Month 1 of the Academy
Cashflow Command
Cash flow is where the programme starts. Your thirteen-week rolling forecast is built with you in month one, along with the cash discipline that stops you lying awake the week before payroll.
The Build & Scale Academy
Month by month, the systems that stop you working harder for the same money. Start with cash and pricing.
Inside the Academy: Cashflow Command (Month 1) and Pricing to Win (Month 2).
Join the waitlistGeneral guidance based on your answers, not a personalised diagnosis.
Your result ·
Right, you're The Grafter.
Busy but skint.
What you told us
- Your business
- Your week
- What keeps you up
What you're probably thinking
“We've got work coming out our ears, but cash is always tight.”
Quotes get done in the evenings. The extras are meant to make it up.
The trap
Pricing like a carpenter while carrying a contractor's risk. As you grow, the risk grows faster than the price. And cash is king: profit on paper doesn't pay wages.
Paul's first fix
Something you can do this week.
Price your next job in four layers: direct cost, prelims, overhead recovery and margin. Decide your walk-away price before you send it. From today, nothing extra gets built until it's priced and agreed in writing.
Month 1 of the Academy
Cashflow Command
Cash flow is where the programme starts. Your thirteen-week rolling forecast is built with you in month one, along with the cash discipline that stops you lying awake the week before payroll.
General guidance based on your answers, not a personalised diagnosis.
Your result ·
Right, you're The Grafter.
Busy but skint.
What you told us
- Your business
- Your week
- What keeps you up
Why listen to Paul?
Fair question. Paul still runs his construction group. Everything he teaches has been implemented there first, never just practised. Try the free calculator, “What's your real hourly rate?”, and judge it on your own numbers.
What you're probably thinking
“We've got work coming out our ears, but cash is always tight.”
Quotes get done in the evenings. The extras are meant to make it up.
The trap
Pricing like a carpenter while carrying a contractor's risk. As you grow, the risk grows faster than the price. And cash is king: profit on paper doesn't pay wages.
Paul's first fix
Something you can do this week.
Price your next job in four layers: direct cost, prelims, overhead recovery and margin. Decide your walk-away price before you send it. From today, nothing extra gets built until it's priced and agreed in writing.
Month 1 of the Academy
Cashflow Command
Cash flow is where the programme starts. Your thirteen-week rolling forecast is built with you in month one, along with the cash discipline that stops you lying awake the week before payroll.
General guidance based on your answers, not a personalised diagnosis.
Your result ·
Right, you're The Bottleneck.
Everything comes back to you.
What you told us
- Your business
- Your week
- What keeps you up
What you're probably thinking
Every decision, quote and problem lands on your phone.
If you're not there, it goes wrong. A proper holiday hasn't happened in years.
The trap
Delegation without systems just moves the bottleneck. The system has to be stronger than the individual, or you're one resignation away from chaos.
Paul's first fix
Something you can do this week.
Write down everything you did last week and mark what genuinely needs you. Hand over the first three things someone else could do to 80% of your standard. Don't take them back the first time they're not done your way.
Where this goes next
The Build & Scale Academy
The systems, first hires and weekly rhythm that get the business running without you in every decision. With one-to-one coaching if you want someone in your corner.
Inside the Academy: Systems and Process (Month 6) and Getting Out of the Day to Day (Month 8).
Join the waitlistGeneral guidance based on your answers, not a personalised diagnosis.
Your result ·
Right, you're The Bottleneck.
Everything comes back to you.
What you told us
- Your business
- Your week
- What keeps you up
Why listen to Paul?
Fair question. Paul still runs his construction group. Everything he teaches has been implemented there first, never just practised. Try the free calculator, “What's your real hourly rate?”, and judge it on your own numbers.
What you're probably thinking
Every decision, quote and problem lands on your phone.
If you're not there, it goes wrong. A proper holiday hasn't happened in years.
The trap
Delegation without systems just moves the bottleneck. The system has to be stronger than the individual, or you're one resignation away from chaos.
Paul's first fix
Something you can do this week.
Write down everything you did last week and mark what genuinely needs you. Hand over the first three things someone else could do to 80% of your standard. Don't take them back the first time they're not done your way.
The Build & Scale Academy
The systems, first hires and weekly rhythm that get the business running without you in every decision. With one-to-one coaching if you want someone in your corner.
Inside the Academy: Systems and Process (Month 6) and Getting Out of the Day to Day (Month 8).
Join the waitlistGeneral guidance based on your answers, not a personalised diagnosis.
Your result ·
Right, you're The Scaler.
Bigger, but not always better off.
What you told us
- Your business
- Your week
- What keeps you up
What you're probably thinking
Turnover's up, but take-home hasn't followed.
One bad job can wipe out months of work. The numbers arrive months late from the accountant.
The trap
Turnover is not success. Chasing turnover without chasing margin makes you bigger and poorer. Hiring for the workload in front of you, not the structure you need, makes it worse.
Paul's first fix
Something you can do this week.
Take your last three finished jobs and compare what you priced against what they actually cost, line by line. The same leaks usually show up: rework, waste, buying, prelims and labour. Fix the biggest one first.
Where this goes next
The Build & Scale Academy
Live job numbers, margin and the structure to grow without getting poorer. Plus a room of owners at your level.
Inside the Academy: The Numbers That Matter (Month 3) and Margin and Efficiency (Month 9).
Join the waitlistGeneral guidance based on your answers, not a personalised diagnosis.
Your result ·
Right, you're The Scaler.
Bigger, but not always better off.
What you told us
- Your business
- Your week
- What keeps you up
Why listen to Paul?
Fair question. Paul still runs his construction group. Everything he teaches has been implemented there first, never just practised. Try the free calculator, “What's your real hourly rate?”, and judge it on your own numbers.
What you're probably thinking
Turnover's up, but take-home hasn't followed.
One bad job can wipe out months of work. The numbers arrive months late from the accountant.
The trap
Turnover is not success. Chasing turnover without chasing margin makes you bigger and poorer. Hiring for the workload in front of you, not the structure you need, makes it worse.
Paul's first fix
Something you can do this week.
Take your last three finished jobs and compare what you priced against what they actually cost, line by line. The same leaks usually show up: rework, waste, buying, prelims and labour. Fix the biggest one first.
The Build & Scale Academy
Live job numbers, margin and the structure to grow without getting poorer. Plus a room of owners at your level.
Inside the Academy: The Numbers That Matter (Month 3) and Margin and Efficiency (Month 9).
Join the waitlistGeneral guidance based on your answers, not a personalised diagnosis.
Your result ·
Right, you're The Legacy Builder.
What's it worth without you?
What you told us
- Your business
- Your week
- What keeps you up
What you're probably thinking
You've built something real.
Now the question is what happens when you step back.
The trap
If your successful business costs you your entire life, how successful is it? And owner dependency is the number one thing that knocks value off a business when you come to sell.
Paul's first fix
Something you can do this week.
Check your business against what a buyer looks for:
- Clean management accounts
- No client that's too big a share of your work
- A team that owns results
Where this goes next
The Build & Scale Academy
Building a business that runs and holds its value without you. Whether that ends in a sale, succession or simply your time back.
Inside the Academy: Getting Out of the Day to Day (Month 8) and Build the Asset / Exit (Month 12).
Join the waitlistGeneral guidance based on your answers, not a personalised diagnosis.
Your result ·
Right, you're The Legacy Builder.
What's it worth without you?
What you told us
- Your business
- Your week
- What keeps you up
Why listen to Paul?
Fair question. Paul still runs his construction group. Everything he teaches has been implemented there first, never just practised. Try the free calculator, “What's your real hourly rate?”, and judge it on your own numbers.
What you're probably thinking
You've built something real.
Now the question is what happens when you step back.
The trap
If your successful business costs you your entire life, how successful is it? And owner dependency is the number one thing that knocks value off a business when you come to sell.
Paul's first fix
Something you can do this week.
Check your business against what a buyer looks for:
- Clean management accounts
- No client that's too big a share of your work
- A team that owns results
The Build & Scale Academy
Building a business that runs and holds its value without you. Whether that ends in a sale, succession or simply your time back.
Inside the Academy: Getting Out of the Day to Day (Month 8) and Build the Asset / Exit (Month 12).
Join the waitlistGeneral guidance based on your answers, not a personalised diagnosis.
This one's built for owners.
Send it to your boss.
It takes them about a minute, and they get a result written for where the business is right now.
You're looking for Hawksmoor Construction, Paul's construction company.
This quiz is for people running a construction business. For your own build, Hawksmoor is the place to start.
Follow Evergreen Property for the projects and the story behind them.
This quiz is built for construction business owners, so it wouldn't give you a useful result.