E165: Spencer Thompson, Lead Estimator at Cardinal Civil Contracting

E165: Spencer Thompson, Lead Estimator at Cardinal Civil Contracting

From The Preconstruction Podcast - Commercial Construction. by Gareth McGlynn

June 29, 2026 · 34 min

About this episode

Spencer Thompson discusses the challenges and innovations in civil estimating with Gareth McGlynn.

Spencer Thompson, Lead Estimator at Cardinal Civil Contracting, joined Gareth McGlynn at Advancing Preconstruction 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. As a self-performing heavy civil contractor operating across the Carolinas, Cardinal Civil works in some of the most geologically unpredictable terrain in the country. Key Topics Covered: Earthwork Pitfalls: The lack of geotechnical report data as the biggest risk in civil estimating, and how soil types can change completely from one site to the next on the same road. Early Involvement : Why bringing the civil contractor in at the early design phase allows the team to fit the design around the site, not the other way around. Retaining Walls : How placement near property lines and the need to import specific backfill material can create major unplanned cost and scheduling impacts. AI in the Workflow : Using Microsoft Copilot with EIA diesel price data to build fuel escalation models and present projected cost scenarios to clients. And much more. You can connect with Spencer via his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-thompson-a0924690/ More conversations like this one are on the way. Subscribe to The Preconstruction Podcast so you…

People in this episode

Host: Gareth McGlynn

Guest: Spencer Thompson

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cardinal Civil Contracting

Products: Microsoft Copilot

Places: Phoenix, Arizona, Carolinas

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