I Sold the Job at 45% Margin… Where Did the Money Go?

Cabinet Maker Profit System Podcast · Oct 8, 2026 · 1h 3m

You sold the job at a 45% gross margin. You estimated it correctly. So why is there no money left at the end? In this episode, Dominic Rubino sits down with Nick Slavik to tackle one of the most frustrating problems facing cabinet makers, millworkers, contractors, and trades business owners: the gap between the profit you estimate and the profit you actually keep. Nick explains why a profitable estimate is only the beginning. The journey from lead → estimate → sale → administration → project management → production → closeout creates multiple opportunities for profit to disappear. And…