If you ask most residential builders what the biggest problem is right now, many will tell you the same thing: there’s plenty of work, but not enough hands, hours, or headspace to deliver it cleanly.

Wages have climbed to levels that can make even established operators hesitate. Estimators, project managers and site supervisors are commanding salaries that were once reserved for senior leadership. In the same breath, builders are being asked to lift volume, lift standards, lift compliance, and lift customer experience.

That pressure is not theoretical. It shows up in missed calls, rushed scopes, delayed procurement, variations that drift, and weekends spent catching up on payroll and quoting. In the latest Good Builder podcast episode, Aaron sat down again with Anisha and Nayan Kavishka from Scale Up Smart to talk about the question many builders are quietly asking: what does it actually cost to get proper help, and what changes when you do?

Across the conversation, one theme kept returning.

Builders are not failing because they lack skill. They are failing because they are doing too many jobs inside one job.

The builder who is the business

Scale Up Smart works with builders nationally, and Nayan says the pattern is consistent.

Before builders seek support, many are living the same weekly loop: on site all day, quoting at night, chasing suppliers between tasks, and then spending Saturdays and Sundays on payroll, admin and project updates. Communication is often held together by text threads and quick messages rather than a structured workflow.

Even builders turning over $1.5 million to $4 million can still be carrying the roles of estimator, project manager, bookkeeper, admin, customer service lead and director, all at once.

“They are not running the business,” Nayan said. “They are literally the business.”

The breaking point, he argues, is rarely “lack of work”. It is capacity and structure. When structure is missing, good operators rely on memory, and memory eventually breaks.

Peace of mind is the real product

Aaron raised a point he had heard from a more experienced builder: when resourcing finally clicks, the number one benefit is not even more profit. It is peace of mind.

Not waking up at 3am wondering if a quote was sent. Not carrying every open loop in your head. Not feeling like one missed message could derail a job.

That peace of mind is not a soft benefit in construction. It is operational leverage. A builder who sleeps properly makes better decisions, communicates better with clients, and has the mental capacity to lead rather than react.

Nayan and Anisha both tied the conversation back to mental wellbeing, describing burnout as a common reason construction businesses don’t last, even when there is work available.

In other words, builders are not always walking away because the numbers do not work. Sometimes they walk away because the lifestyle stops working.

A pricing model built around stages, not headcount

The core of Scale Up Smart’s pitch is simple: builders do not always need a full-time hire, and they do not always need the most senior person for every task.

Anisha explained that Scale Up Smart structured pricing around what builders need at different stages, offering part-time (20 hours per week) and full-time (40 hours per week) options, and varying experience levels depending on task complexity.

At the centre of the model are several core functions:

• Estimating
• Project management
• Admin and bookkeeping support
• Design and drafting
• Marketing coordination

The practical advantage is “mix and match”. A builder might need a highly experienced estimator, but only part-time. Another might need a junior admin support role to assist an existing staff member. The goal is to solve bottlenecks without committing to a full wage burden too early.

Anisha described part-time resourcing as a way to control cost while “growing into the next stage” rather than being forced into an all-or-nothing employment decision.

Estimating: where the cost comparison gets real

When the conversation moved into estimating, the wage gap became difficult to ignore.

Aaron noted that builders advertising for estimators locally were often paying $150,000 to $160,000 per year, and once tax and employment overheads are added, the monthly cost can be substantial.

Scale Up Smart’s pricing, as discussed on the episode, starts far lower depending on role and experience level. Nayan described a “mastery level” estimator (five-plus years of experience) at roughly:

• Part-time: around $430 per week
• Full-time: around $690 per week

In the context of the current labour market, that pricing is not just about saving money. It is about access. Builders who cannot justify a full local salary can still get experienced output.

Aaron also pointed to another layer: the vetting and accountability. Instead of hiring a stranger and hoping they fit, he described Scale Up Smart as being “almost accountable” for the team member it recommends.

Nayan said candidates go through three layers before being placed: an account manager review, a team lead review, and a final check. In an industry where hiring mistakes can be expensive and disruptive, that system is part of the offer.

Project management: turning chaos into workflow

Project management was positioned as the role that creates order.

Nayan described Scale Up Smart project managers as bringing “scheduling discipline” into the workflow. That includes procurement tracking, variation management, client communication systems, and site reporting structures.

The pricing discussed mirrored estimating at the upper end:

• Mastery level project manager part-time: around $430 per week
• Mastery level project manager full-time: around $700 per week

Aaron’s reaction was blunt: many builders would see a return on that investment quickly if it prevents just one major delay or keeps a build moving. He referenced the real cost of downtime and late trades on site, noting how quickly daily losses can add up.

The deeper point was not the number. It was the clarity. Nayan said one builder told them recently that the immediate benefit was finally being able to see the business clearly again, after losing internal team members and trying to keep everything moving alone.

That clarity, he argued, is what happens when a business stops relying on memory and starts relying on process.

Software support and training: fitting into the builder’s system

A common objection to outsourcing in construction is software and workflow mismatch.

Anisha addressed it directly: Scale Up Smart integrates into whatever software the builder already uses. They will learn the platform rather than forcing the builder to switch.

She also claimed the team is trained regularly, with software training happening around twice per week so staff remain current on updates and changes.

In the episode, Nayan also mentioned Scale Up Smart partnering with construction software provider Wunderbuild, and suggested more partnerships may be coming. The practical implication is that builders who do not yet have strong systems may be able to set them up faster with support, instead of stumbling through implementation alone.

Admin and bookkeeping: outsourcing the mental clutter

When the episode moved to admin, the tone shifted from “strategic” to “relief”.

Anisha said builders often tell them: “I can’t believe I was doing this myself.”

Admin is rarely difficult work, but it is constant work. It piles up and creates mental clutter: unpaid invoices, payroll stress, supplier tension, and the nagging list of tasks that never disappears.

Scale Up Smart’s pricing discussed for admin (20 hours part-time or 40 hours full-time) was:

• Part-time developing level: $330 per week
• Part-time mastery level: $430 per week
• Full-time developing level: $590 per week
• Full-time mastery level: $690 per week

Anisha summed it up with a line that will resonate with directors: clean books equal clear decisions.

Design and drafting: the sleeper service gaining attention

One of the most interesting moments in the episode came when design and drafting was raised.

Aaron’s reaction was immediate because he had lived the marketing reality of the industry: facades sell. A strong front elevation can build a brand, start conversations, and pull leads in. Yet custom renders and façade design work can be expensive and slow.

Nayan said Scale Up Smart provides design and drafting using tools such as Revit and AutoCAD, and can produce detailed drawings and façade work, with structured revisions and turnaround commitments.

Pricing discussed:

• Mastery level part-time: around $440 per week
• Mastery level full-time: around $700 per week

Nayan said it is not yet their biggest service, but it is growing, with more builders requesting it across the past year and into this year.

For builders wanting to create a stronger product story, this is one of the more strategic uses of outsourced talent.

Marketing coordination: the shift from referrals to forecasting

Marketing was described as the point where growth shifts gears.

Anisha argued that without marketing, work is driven by referrals only, which makes pipeline unpredictable and growth slow. Organic marketing helps, but often “hits the roof”. A marketing coordinator role builds structure, social proof, and consistent enquiry systems so builders stop hoping for work and start forecasting it.

In the episode, the marketing coordinator pricing discussed started at:

• Developing level: $330 per week (part-time)
• $590 per week (full-time)

Nayan also hinted at a new package being developed that would go beyond coordination into a more comprehensive “done for you” marketing offer, with a lead outcome focus over a six-month period. Details were not disclosed, but the intent was clear: remove the execution burden and make marketing performance more measurable for builders.

What the first 90 days looks like

Outsourcing only works if implementation is structured. Nayan broke down Scale Up Smart’s first 90 days in three phases:

Month one: clarity and foundations
Define the role, document expectations, start work immediately while setting up SOPs and communication rhythms.

Month two: stabilise output
Create a reliable flow, reduce variability, and begin freeing up the builder’s time and mental bandwidth.

Month three: measurable impact
Faster quotes, cleaner books, improved project tracking, reduced chaos, and higher confidence. By this point, he said, the doubt tends to disappear and builders shift into “let’s get down to business.”

The end goal: from operator to leader

When Aaron asked what a great outsourcing partnership should feel like, Nayan’s answer was about identity shift.

Builders stop firefighting and start leading. They gain visibility over numbers, work in predictable delivery rhythms, and move from operator to true business owner. Most importantly, they get weekends back.

That is the quiet promise behind the entire conversation: resourcing is not about replacing the builder. It is about giving the builder a business that can run without sacrificing health, family, or quality.

In the current market, where labour remains tight and expectations remain high, that may be the most valuable outcome of all.

Author: TGB Editorial