Epi 230: Turning Plans Into A BUDGET NUMBER With Two AI Systems | Christopher Stephens
From The Builders Ladder: Business Growth Strategies for Residential Construction Businesses · 1:07:05
Show by The Professional Builder
Chris Stephens of Home Depot Pro in San Antonio gets a full takeoff spreadsheet out of AI in 5 to 15 minutes, then has a second AI check it before believing the numbers. Coach Chase goes through that workflow step by step with Chris, for any builder who wants faster budget numbers without betting a project on an unchecked AI answer. Chris was an Army medic and led healthcare build-outs before managing about $15 million in roofing restoration projects after Hurricane Laura, and that project experience now goes into Outside Sales at Home Depot Pro. The workflow starts with a master document in Gemini, which holds the Bexar County building codes and project management principles, so Gemini knows what to draw from before it sees the plans. A second master document sets up Copilot as the auditor, and Chris passes the answers back and forth until both agree. Structural items have to clear A gates, while client choices like windows and doors become B gates, each with a question to answer before the final number. Chase and Chris also cover how Pro VIP accounts work, including preferred pricing and deliveries planned in waves from a builder's Gantt chart. If you start a new AI chat every time you need something, go to 36:45. What's covered: Building a master document so AI draws from your codes and your process Using one AI to create a takeoff and a second AI to audit it Sorting a takeoff into structural A gates and client-choice B gates Catching differences between structural and architectural plans before ordering Choosing AI tools and keeping customer data behind a firewall How the Home Depot Pro desk and Pro VIP account management work Chapters: 00:00 Coming up: AI takeoffs and verifying the answers 01:19 Coach Chase welcomes Christopher Stephens 02:24 The 800 pound alligator in the parking lot 05:21 What Chris does at Home Depot Pro 07:00 From Army medic to healthcare build-outs 11:30 $15 million in roofing after Hurricane Laura 16:27 Where an AI takeoff starts 20:16 Don't trust AI, verify AI 23:01 Building the master document for Gemini 26:00 Getting Copilot to audit the takeoff 27:39 TPB events for the next 12 months 30:01 Sorting a takeoff into A gates and B gates 32:50 When Gemini and Copilot argue 34:09 How close the numbers land to final 36:45 Which AI tools a builder should start with 42:09 Cutting 200 leads to four 44:42 The 2x6 and 2x4 floor mismatch 46:15 Start with something simple, like your yard 47:48 How Pro VIP accounts work 51:57 Inside a flatbed distribution center 56:53 When you need an account manager 57:39 Planning deliveries from your Gantt chart 59:14 Builders pulling ahead and falling behind 1:02:03 One piece of advice for a hesitant builder https://www.facebook.com/groups/TPBmember: https://www.facebook.com/TheProfessionalBuilderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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