
Why Contractors Keep Losing Margin Even When Jobs Go Well | Ep 228
From Strategy Meets Finance by Steve Coughran
April 28, 2026 · 25 min · Episode 228
About this episode
Steve discusses why contractors often lose margin despite successful job execution, attributing it to pre-construction factors.
How much cash is hiding in your business? See if you qualify for a Free Financial Health Check Financial Intelligence Toolkit The job went well. The crew performed. The client is happy. And the margin still is not there? Most contractors blame the field when this happens. But in this episode, Steve makes the case that the margin was already gone before the first shovel hit the ground. It was set in pre-construction, in estimating, and in the gaps most owners never think to look at...
People in this episode
Host: Steve Coughran
Topics covered
- contractor margins
- financial health
- pre-construction
- estimating
- business cash flow
Keywords
- contractors
- margin loss
- financial health check
- estimating
- business cash flow
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