Shows / Building Consensus
Building Consensus
From controversy to consensus, this podcast addresses fundamental building issues as well as building science nuance through discussions with industry experts. With each episode we seek to arrive at a common understanding, despite our dissimilar approaches or opposing views that reflect our unique experiences. It’s a pursuit of that mythical beast “best practice” through some good natured ribbing and spirited debate. Hopefully, we’ll be reaching common ground regardless of the different paths…
Episodes
Building ConsensusDreaming Big with Jason Bekebrede
On this episode of the Building Consensus Podcast, hosts Brandon Jones and Travis Brungardt sit down with Jason Bekebrede, owner of Monticello custom home…
Building ConsensusBe Kind But Beware
Beware the demands on your generosity, for they create a perennial Yes. (Happy to help in this moment but not happy to be expected to take this on in…
Building ConsensusAre You Worth It?
We all work because we want to have the benefits of more money, but how can we attain this ever-elusive “more”? There’s more steps to getting paid than just…
Building ConsensusPrioritize Practicality
Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. There are a number of things we are doing to our homes now that don’t offer enough aesthetic benefit to justify…
Building ConsensusKicking the Can
s almost never good to put something off. Kicking the can down the road costs more time and money almost without exception, but are there some items that make…
Building ConsensusStackin’ Paper
Some people become very wealthy in the building industry, but it seems like they aren’t usually the ones actually doing the building. Maybe you don’t need to…
Building ConsensusWhat’s Your Workflow?
There’s always more to do than there are hours to get it down, so the way you use your time is critical to your success. Where can we trim wasteful efforts and…
Building ConsensusAuntie Overtime
Does the traditionally recognized time-and-a-half hourly rate after forty hours work as it’s intended or does it incentivize the wrong approach to labor and…
Building ConsensusCrisis of Character
When we look at our colleagues throughout the building industry we can occasionally feel less than, but should we? Perhaps given that same amount of time and…
Building ConsensusThe High Cost of Saving
Keeping the extra sticks of specialty trim or cutoffs from that last cabinet job can save you on the next one, but what does it really cost you to accumulate…
Building ConsensusHumble Pie or S. Sandwich
We all make mistakes, but when we do we often get the benefit of learning a lesson or at least a dash of humility. What happens when that humble pie is served…
Building ConsensusSecrets Secrets Are No Fun
If manufacturers and suppliers have the ability to share the key details that make their products operate best then they have an obligation to do so. So why…
Building ConsensusWaxing on Warranties
Should a warranty on a material or product drive our selection? Does it offer any real value to the project, or just a perceived value to our client? Find out…
Building ConsensusAll The Small things
When does it make sense for your firm to handle small projects and when do we need to decline them? How can we do either one with grace, efficiency and with…
Building ConsensusNavigating the Sea of Blame
When things don’t got precisely as planned on site, there’s often a period of assessing just who is at fault and who is responsible for the fix. Graceful…
Building ConsensusTo Flange or Not to Flange
Brandon wanted to call this one the in’s and out’s of European (flangeless) windows, but Travis wanted to compare and contrast the tradition exterior mounted…
Building ConsensusAnswer Request Line
We love receiving listener mail and even more so when there’s a question to answer, a problem to solve or a debate to be… debated. With some Building Science…
Building ConsensusLooking Back
In our milestone episode we take a moment to appreciate the support of our listeners, celebrate our past guests and even quiz Brandon on what we’ve been doing…
Building ConsensusWe Are Not Created Equal
We all have our own strengths and weaknesses and each of us has potential and the ability to contribute. That said, there are simply some tasks that require a…
Building ConsensusYo Partner! or No partner
Having a business partnership rather than flying all your missions solo can certainly spread the burden and make it easier to bear, but it also complicates…
Building ConsensusDollars and Sense
In an ever-changing economy, we have to constantly adjust to labor rates, material costs and address market forces before we get stuck holding the bag. But…
Building ConsensusAm I On Speaker?
In lamenting the many trials and tribulations they suffer day in and day out the fellas identify a few pet peeves that have real impacts. Find Travis & Brandon…
Building ConsensusGood, Better, Best
The three levels of offerings often cited in building and other sales processes can offer useful comparative analysis for buyers looking to make an informed…
Building ConsensusModesty: Asset or Liability
It’s always good to listen before you speak, learn what you can from others and maintain humility as we move through the world. That said, can you defer too…
Building ConsensusGratuitous Contracting
While many of us in renovation have received a little holiday treat or something extra it's definitely not the norm, day in and day out. Should we, as service…
Building ConsensusDoes Brandon's Perm Matter?
Brandon enjoys upsetting Travis enough that he's once again brought up vapor. The permeance of materials in our assemblies does matter, but just how much is up…
Building ConsensusLemme Finish
Travis Brungardt uses a candid shop-floor conversation to unpack one of construction’s toughest challenges: knowing when a project is truly finished. He…
Building ConsensusWho Plays Nice In The Sandbox?
From time to time we have to schedule multiple trades in on top of each other to meet schedule. This can work, but only if all the players are organized and…
Building ConsensusOut of Budget Sure, But Never Out of Options
What do we do when our clients don't track their spending, can't stay on budget (or won't)? Is there a reasonable responsibility we face that all parties agree…
Building ConsensusHold on Loosely
If you can't relax your grip on the dollars in your budget or the tools in your hand it may just keep you from ever achieving the goals you've laid out. The…
Building ConsensusListener Helpline! Accessory Building Science
Ryan writes in to ask if there’s a balance to be struck between building science based high performance goals and realistic expectations for an existing home…
Building ConsensusWho’s a Big Boy - Part Deux
On our last Who’s a Big Boy we discussed wether it makes sense to buy heavy equipment to operate in-house. Now it’s time to move that equipment around, along…
Building ConsensusTalkin’ Shop
When does a company need a shop? Is it when they have too many tools and a bunch of stuff to store, when they make a product there that can be sold to pay the…
Building ConsensusWarranty THIS!
With the inherent risks in what we do there’s an important line to be drawn where our responsibility ends and the clients choices, maintenance (or disregard…
Building ConsensusPipeline for the People
We constantly hear builders talking about the pipeline of work in queue and how they’re gonna load up… But should you ramp up and add crew to match the demand…
Building ConsensusBlank Check or Calculate Risk
Are we able to turn trade partners loose on are clients homes based purely on their track record of charging fairly or do we need that quote in writing first?…
Building ConsensusFrom Private to General - Part 2 with Wolfgang Clapper
Since Travis is always going on about how great his framer Wolfgang is, it comes as no surprise that Wolf is considering taking on the full scope of a…
Building ConsensusFrom Private to General - Part 1 with Wolfgang Clapper
On the Building Consensus Podcast, Travis Brungardt and Brandon Jones open with a nod to longtime sponsor Huber Engineered Woods, reflecting on field…
Building ConsensusStick Frame versus Truss
Comparing the cost, speed and quality of framing with traditional dimensional lumber against the potential labor and schedule advantages of engineered trusses…
Building ConsensusBuilding Science Review with Brett Rindt of Truewerk
When Brett Rindt reached out with number of questions about the proper Building Science approach to employ at his home renovation in Golden, Colorado we…
Building ConsensusMovin’ On Up
Since Travis is moving he and Brandon debate what tasks you feel you must self-perform on your own home versus what you can trust to a subcontractor. Also, can…
Building ConsensusNew Year, New Me
The fellas decide what from 2025 should be left behind and what change they will push for in 2026. From celebrating growth to making some strategic…
Building ConsensusPick Em’: Follows Instructions or Knows Their Stuff
When our team fails to follow instructions because they think they know better it wastes the time taken to plan the job, time spent to visit the site and lay…
Building ConsensusThe Unbearable Burden of Certainty
While it’s frustrating to be mistaken it absolutely maddening to be right when you think “this is going to be a problem”. Finding a way to work with a…
Building ConsensusEasier to Build New or Re-Do?
It may seem so obvious as to not even warrant a discussion, but when considering the challenge of building a new home versus renovating an existing home…
Building ConsensusCertifiably Passive with Jeremiah Sommer
Many view the Passive House building standard as the pinnacle of high performance building but so often that view gets tied to specific products. While some…
Building ConsensusNot Mustard, Catch up.
It's been a minute since we got together so rather than seek a debate we just tried to connect on what's been going on with our projects, our teams and our…
Building ConsensusHOA: Highly Onerous Assessment With Stephanie Dailey
Some jurisdictions have a notoriously tough codes enforcement official and others have almost no oversight. But what about the non-governmental burden of the…
Building ConsensusServing, Not Selling with Dan Edelman
Don’t let the salesman waste your time! Our suppliers, vendors, and product reps can be an untapped resource if we don’t take a minute to hear what they’ve got…
Building ConsensusAffordable High Performance? with Jordan Smith
Don’t let the salesman waste your time! Our suppliers, vendors, and product reps can be an untapped resource if we don’t take a minute to hear what they’ve got…
Building ConsensusThe Skill of the Irish (it ain’t luck!) With Michael Conneely
The sheer quantity of details and decisions required to build a home can be staggering. Take that number and add 10x for luxury homes since multiple kitchens…
Building ConsensusWatching Paint Dry
When is it critical that we are physically present on site? If our team is good and the plan is clear we ought to be able to set things in motion and watch it…
Building ConsensusWhat Cha What Cha Want
The ability to handle every aspect of the build and coordinating every element is where many of us find our expertise best utilized, what allows us to reach our…
Building ConsensusMan or Zone Defense
Did your client hire a person or did they hire a company? When they don’t see the same familiar face on site that “sold” them the job they can get a little…
Building ConsensusFailing Fast Fallacy
If we try to rush to a solution it reduces the likelihood that it will lead to the best outcome. But where is the fine line where you wasted your time and your…
Building ConsensusPutting The Suck In Success
Surely the success of a project must be based on the amazing skill of the builder, or the master craftsmanship displayed by the trades, or even the exceptional…
Building ConsensusAre You Holding
Should you hold a spot in your schedule for a porject that’s still in development? Does it make sense as a business to trust that things will come together to…
Building ConsensusStraight to Jail
Wrapping up the three part series on successful habits and necessary tools for crew and company, this episode defines what will bring someone to the end of…
Building ConsensusWelcome to the Party Pal
Continuing the trilogy on dealing with new crew, this discussion clarifies what tools a new hire should plan to provide versus what the company is responsible…
Building ConsensusSeven Habits of Successful Tradespeople
This is the first panel of the triptych, or Ep.1 of the Trilogy on behaviors, tools and failings of crew members. We begin by identifying seven specific habits…