Monday Q&A – DT 327

Summary

Dirt Talk Podcast Episode Summary: Monday Q&A – DT 327

Podcast Information:

• Title: Dirt Talk by BuildWitt
• Host/Author: BuildWitt
• Episode: Monday Q&A – DT 327
• Release Date: April 7, 2025

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1. Introduction and Sponsorship

The episode opens with Aaron announcing an exciting milestone for the Dirt Talk podcast—the acquisition of its first official sponsor, Ariat. Aaron shares his personal experience with Ariat products, emphasizing their reliability and ubiquity across job sites worldwide.

Notable Quote:

• Aaron [00:00]: “For the first time ever, I am thrilled to say we have an official sponsor for the Dirt Talk podcast, and that's Ariat... I have yet to find a single project where working folks, unlike me, are not wearing Ariat boots and workwear in every condition imaginable.”

Ariat offers listeners a special discount, enhancing the community feel of the podcast.

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2. Q&A Session Kickoff

Cody welcomes listeners back to the Monday episode, setting the stage for a dynamic question-and-answer format. He and Chase encourage audience participation through various channels, highlighting the interactive nature of the podcast.

Notable Quotes:

• Cody [01:10]: “Hello there everybody. Welcome back Monday episode of the Dirt Talk podcast. Today we are going to do some question and answer.”
• Chase [01:19]: “If you have questions, questions, please send them to us.”

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3. Question 1: What's it Like Being Rich and Famous?

This light-hearted question delves into personal finance and the realities behind perceived success. Cody humorously acknowledges the allure of wealth and fame but quickly shifts to discussing his genuine financial journey.

Key Points:

• Cody clarifies that he is neither rich nor famous, debunking social media glamorizations.
• He shares his disciplined approach to money management, including early investments in the stock market and maintaining low personal expenses.
• The discussion highlights the importance of reinvesting earnings into the business rather than indulging in lavish spending.

Notable Quotes:

• Cody [02:13]: “Bit of a chuckle because I am neither rich nor famous.”
• Cody [03:23]: “I grew up around it... I saw what good it can do.”
• Cody [06:19]: “I went into college with like low, low five figures of cash... by the time I'd graduated I had very low six figures, which was pretty cool.”

Cody emphasizes the value of financial responsibility and long-term investment over immediate gratification, sharing insights from his entrepreneurial journey.

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4. Question 2: Best Sector of Construction for a Senior in College

Cody provides comprehensive advice on navigating the vast construction industry, emphasizing the importance of passion and market trends.

Key Points:

• Explores various sectors within construction, including infrastructure, commercial, residential, and specialized fields like data centers and automotive plants.
• Highlights the enduring demand for infrastructure development and the fluctuating trends in commercial construction.
• Advises choosing a sector based on personal interest and willingness to adapt, encouraging experimentation during early career stages.

Notable Quotes:

• Cody [10:47]: “Construction is a very big place. There is all kinds of stuff going on in the construction industry.”
• Cody [14:19]: “There’s enormous opportunity. And if you're good, you'll find that opportunity. You’ll make that opportunity.”

The discussion underscores the importance of aligning career choices with personal enthusiasm and industry demand.

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5. Question 3: Do Multi-State Companies Own Equipment or Rent?

Chase tackles the operational strategies of multi-state construction companies, focusing on equipment management.

Key Points:

• Rentals vs. Ownership: The trend towards renting equipment is highlighted, with companies often finding it more cost-effective based on usage hours.
• Flexibility: Renting provides operational flexibility, allowing companies to scale their equipment needs according to project demands without significant capital investment.
• Market Insights: The rental market is booming, as evidenced by acquisitions and the growth of major rental companies like United Rentals and HERC.

Notable Quotes:

• Cody [17:02]: “Rental has really taken off over the past five to 10 years.”
• Chase [19:13]: “Rental is I think still an underutilized tool in the construction industry.”

The conversation reveals that while owning equipment offers control, renting is increasingly favored for its adaptability and financial efficiency.

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6. Question 4: Best Places to Move Dirt (Geographically Speaking)

Responding to inquiries about optimal locations for earthmoving work, Cody and Chase discuss geographical and market-specific factors.

Key Points:

• Climate and Material: Regions with dry climates and favorable materials, such as Southern California and Arizona, are prime locations for consistent earthmoving activities.
• Market Demand: The west and southwest regions of the U.S. show robust demand due to ongoing infrastructure and development projects.
• Personal Considerations: Emphasizes the importance of choosing a location that aligns with personal life preferences, especially for those with families.

Notable Quotes:

• Cody [21:08]: “Especially if they have a family or spouse, go where you want to go, live where you want to live.”
• Chase [23:11]: “If I was looking to move dirt consistently is where I would go.”

The advice balances professional opportunities with personal lifestyle choices, advocating for a harmonious balance between work and life.

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7. Question 5: Why Are You Salty About General Contractors (GCs)?

This question uncovers Cody’s critical perspective on working with general contractors, detailing the complexities and challenges involved.

Key Points:

• Operational Challenges: Cody expresses frustration with the added rules and bureaucracy that come with large GCs, which can complicate project execution.
• Workforce Control: Highlights the disconnect between GCs and the actual workforce, leading to inefficiencies and misunderstandings on project sites.
• Appreciation for GCs: Despite criticisms, Cody acknowledges the essential role GCs play in the construction ecosystem, building critical infrastructure and large-scale projects.

Notable Quotes:

• Cody [23:51]: “I really try very hard to avoid general contractors.”
• Chase [25:55]: “You are only... one of them that says overhead. You are not making it happen out here.”
• Cody [27:46]: “I don't want to dag GCs... I just like the work of civil construction better.”

The discussion illustrates the nuanced relationship between subcontractors and general contractors, advocating for better understanding and collaboration to enhance project outcomes.

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8. Closing Remarks

Aaron and the team wrap up the Q&A session, reiterating their openness to listener input and encouraging continued engagement through various communication channels.

Notable Quotes:

• Cody [28:28]: “Thanks for tuning in as I started this podcast off saying if you have questions, thoughts for future episodes, send them.”
• Chase [28:33]: “Stay dirty everybody.”

The episode concludes on a friendly and inviting note, fostering a sense of community among listeners.

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Conclusion

In this comprehensive Q&A episode of Dirt Talk, Aaron, Cody, and Chase navigate a diverse range of topics central to the construction and earthmoving industries. From personal financial management and sector-specific career advice to operational strategies of multi-state companies and the dynamics of working with general contractors, the hosts offer valuable insights grounded in personal experience and industry knowledge. Notable for their candidness and practical advice, the episode serves as an informative resource for both seasoned professionals and newcomers to the Dirt World.

Transcript

[Aaron]

For the first time ever, I am thrilled to say we have an official sponsor for the Dirt Talk podcast, and that's Ariat. I've worn Ariat boots on every job site I've visited over the years, traveling in them across five continents. More importantly, I have yet to find a single project where working folks, unlike me, are not wearing Ariat boots and workwear in every condition imaginable.

[Cody]

And there's really good reason for that.

[Aaron]

And that's because it's phenomenal stuff. And the more I've learned about Ariat and the company, the more I've loved their brand. So with this, Ariat is offering any dirt talk listener 10% off their next Ariat order at ariat.com dirt talk that's 10% off boots, jeans and [e-mail] dirt talk or at the link in this episode's description. With that, let's get to the show.

[Cody]

Hello there everybody. Welcome back Monday episode of the Dirt Talk podcast. Today we are going to do some question and answer.

[Chase]

If you have questions, questions, please send them to us.

[Cody]

You can just send them directly to me. Aaron. Aaron, buildwit.com would love to hear from you. And with that, I've pulled five questions sent in also via social media.

[Chase]

You can direct message me, Instagram, LinkedIn, wherever you find me, I'll probably see your message. Maybe not. There's a lot of junk on there.

[Cody]

As well, like, I don't know, East Asian or no, maybe Middle Eastern. More likely people messaging me asking for jobs that I don't have to give them. But I do try to respond to messages with that. Let's get into it. This first one is a half joke, but I put it on here because I don't know, it's worth discussing. Number one, what's it like being rich and famous?

[Chase]

And this one gave me a little.

[Cody]

Bit of a chuckle because I am.

[Chase]

Neither rich nor famous.

[Cody]

It's always been a little bit of a. I don't know if it's a worry, but a thought of mine. Social media offers some some weird perspectives. Social media, as everybody knows, is not reality. I try to keep it pretty realistic.

[Chase]

But at the same time it only still just captures a small percentage of.

[Cody]

What'S actually going on.

[Chase]

Most of my social media is me.

[Cody]

Traveling around the dirt world. I would say that's about half my time. The other half of my time is.

[Chase]

Here in Nashville at the Buildwood headquarters. On meetings, on calls, answering emails, selling.

[Cody]

Summit tickets, meeting with our team. Whatever it is, it's not all that exciting.

[Chase]

So I don't really put it online.

[Cody]

I don't really also want to be that guy talking about how hard I work in the office online, that's just to me, not a very good look. But I to address the money side of things, do I want a ton of money one day?

[Chase]

100%.

[Cody]

I grew up around it.

[Chase]

I saw what good it can do.

[Cody]

I saw what amazing experiences it can create for yourself, your family and others, and what kind of tool it can be to really change the world. And I am all in on that. That said, if my motivation was money.

[Chase]

I wouldn't be here.

[Cody]

I would have quit very long time ago.

[Chase]

I've spoken at length about this, but.

[Cody]

To summarize, I was working in Montana 14 and 15, was able to save up a little bit of money, then started working maybe 20 to 30 hours.

[Chase]

A week at the aquarium store locally.

[Cody]

When I was in high school. I don't know, at this point I.

[Chase]

Don'T think I saved up very much money.

[Cody]

I mostly spent it at the aquarium store to buy more fish and corals for my aquarium. But I did end up selling the aquarium when I went off to college for a little bit of money. And then that was when I started.

[Chase]

To work in construction when I was 18 years old and started to actually stack up some significant money.

[Cody]

I wasn't living all that lavishly. I've never been a big spender, so money as I worked would typically stack up. So I went into college with like.

[Chase]

Low, low five figures of cash.

[Cody]

I think once that I'd earned, I grew up well off.

[Chase]

So I didn't really need to spend it on living type stuff.

[Cody]

My parents were covering what I needed for school, etc. So yeah, it just stacked up. My dad then gave me a little.

[Chase]

Over $30,000 that he had saved for my college when I was a freshman.

[Cody]

Most of it was invested in the stock market because I had played the scholarship game in a semi clever manner. I didn't need to use that money to pay for school.

[Chase]

If anybody has gone to college within the past 10 years, you'll know that $30,000 for a four year degree is not that much money in the grand scheme of things. It costs a lot more than that.

[Cody]

But I stayed at state school. Arizona State was able to get the school and others to pay for my schooling. So then I just needed to pay my rent, which was very low.

[Chase]

A majority of my time at school.

[Cody]

It was about $400 a month because I lived in a house with a few other guys. I didn't, like I said, live very lavishly.

[Chase]

I was pretty responsible with my money.

[Cody]

I took that money, I reinvested it.

[Chase]

I reinvested what I made along the.

[Cody]

Way because I was working almost full.

[Chase]

Time while I was in school and then way beyond full time every summer. So by the time I'd graduated I.

[Cody]

Had very low six figures, which was pretty cool to also have a college degree alongside that. Again, not everybody has that opportunity, but I did. So I wanted to make the most.

[Chase]

Of it rather than just spend the.

[Cody]

Money on like a truck or something stupid.

[Chase]

Maybe guns, I don't know.

[Cody]

There's a lot of dumb stuff I could have done. So that money was then set aside. I was gonna put it in AN S&P 500 index fund, Roth IRA, keep.

[Chase]

Rolling it in, maxing it out every year. I'd end up in retirement.

[Cody]

In theory, if it worked.

[Chase]

Compound interest is true.

[Cody]

If the S and P still grows at the 8ish percent it typically grows at over time.

[Chase]

Who knows what the future holds.

[Cody]

But I was like, all right, invest in the market.

[Chase]

Invest in the United States market. Don't pick any one winner, just pick.

[Cody]

The US market overall low cost index fund.

[Chase]

End up with a few million upon retirement.

[Cody]

That's just hopefully gravy beyond what I what I have. But let's get retirement squared away. Early twenties, don't have to worry about it ever again. Then started a company that all went out the window. Basically spent all of that money over the first few years helping to start the company, paying myself, paying my living expenses because I wasn't paying myself from.

[Chase]

The company, started the company.

[Cody]

So from that point I then made a little bit of money, you know, maybe 50 grand a year, then maybe 60 grand a year. Then over the past few years, 70, 80.

[Chase]

Right now it's at 100.

[Cody]

I exceeded it by a little bit.

[Chase]

Back down to about 100.

[Cody]

My thinking is the more I can.

[Chase]

Put within the company, the more eggs I can put in that basket, the better.

[Cody]

I think maybe it's per some financial management person out there.

[Chase]

They're going to say, oh, you should really diversify. You should put some over here, you should put some over there. Why aren't you maxing out your Roth ira?

[Cody]

I understand all that, but to me it just makes a lot more sense to go all in on the one hand. I have, and so I'm all in.

[Chase]

On that one hand.

[Cody]

That's all to say the company is doing well, we've grown a lot, we have a lot of cool things. Going on, but I don't see that money. I just had to tell the team this the other day. We sold the creative business and I think my worry after that announcement was that people are going to think I have a bunch of money, but I don't. None of that money went to me. We didn't get a ton of cash, even upfront for that deal because it was partially seller financed. So we're the ones financing the note and allowing the former person that was here, Chase, to run that company, pay us back over time, it'll help the company for sure. But that sale, again, it doesn't, it doesn't go right to me.

[Chase]

I'm majority shareholder of the business, but there's other people here.

[Cody]

We've got a lot of people involved in the business. We've got a great executive team, we've got shareholders now. And my fiduciary duty is to the.

[Chase]

Overall business, not to myself. And if I take care of the.

[Cody]

Business, the team, our customers, I'll get taken care of Future State. But as of right now, I am not flush with cash.

[Chase]

That's fine.

[Cody]

That's been the program I'm on and I think that's the story that's not.

[Chase]

Often told in business and especially online with all these bullshit entrepreneurs, influencers, whatever the hell they are, acting like they.

[Cody]

Have a bunch of money in business, etc. Especially in their 20s, early 30s, maybe they do.

[Chase]

Good for them.

[Cody]

But based on a majority of the.

[Chase]

Real business stories I've been around, if.

[Cody]

Not every real business story I've been around, that's just not how it works. You can make great money later down the road, but you've got to put.

[Chase]

All of your chips in on one hand.

[Cody]

At some point you have to take risks and you have to leave it.

[Chase]

Out all out on the field.

[Cody]

And I'm still in that season of life. I just turned 30.

[Chase]

I would have liked to not be living above somebody's garage in their backyard.

[Cody]

Renting at 30 years old by myself, not even owning furniture. But at the same time, that's just.

[Chase]

Again the hand I've been dealt and.

[Cody]

The hand I'm working with and the.

[Chase]

Hand I'm going all in on.

[Cody]

And I sleep very well at night knowing that I'm at least doing what I think I should be doing and hopefully it will pay off for me one day. So that's money in a nutshell right now. Next question regarding your best advice for.

[Chase]

A senior in college. What is the best sector of construction to join.

[Cody]

Which is a Great question. Construction is a very big place. There is all kinds of stuff going.

[Chase]

On in the construction industry.

[Cody]

You can go build buildings, you can.

[Chase]

Go do infrastructure, you can do engineering.

[Cody]

You can do consulting, you can do home building.

[Chase]

And then even within those verticals, there's all right, there's guys that move dirt.

[Cody]

There'S guys that build structures, there's guys that do pipelines, dredging, I don't know. There's all kinds of stuff going on. There are sectors that I think are.

[Chase]

More promising long term.

[Cody]

I think honestly, every sector within the.

[Chase]

Construction industry in the United States is promising.

[Cody]

Infrastructure is not going away. Our infrastructure is only getting older and we're going to have to replace more.

[Chase]

And more of it as time goes on. So that's a big need.

[Cody]

Regardless of how much the country grows, which it's still growing substantially, we're going.

[Chase]

To need to just improve and replace.

[Cody]

What we already have. Then you've got the commercial side of things. The warehouse market that was going gangbusters in 2020, 2021, 2022 has finally started to slow, which is I think, fine. The capacity they added is just sickening.

[Chase]

Most of those contractors have then now.

[Cody]

Rolled into the big industrial projects.

[Chase]

So there's these monster chip plants coming into the United States, there's these giant.

[Cody]

Automotive plants coming into the US and there are monster data center projects right now.

[Chase]

Regardless of how you feel about them, I'm not extraordinarily optimistic.

[Cody]

The chip plants, I think the jury is still out on them. There are substantial growing pains associated with.

[Chase]

Those plants coming online. So we'll see.

[Cody]

I hope they succeed. But it's definitely, I think, a question mark right now to me is some idiot on the outside. The automotive plant side of things very much has a question mark on it. I'm not very confident in the future.

[Chase]

Of automotive in the United States with the direction it's gone.

[Cody]

It's a major question mark. The data center side is probably the.

[Chase]

Most certain of the bunch.

[Cody]

I would say the need for data centers is massive.

[Chase]

The question mark there is then power. Where does the power and water come from for all these data centers?

[Cody]

Which hasn't been talked about enough, I feel like. But anyway, monster projects going on there.

[Chase]

And then residential, residential.

[Cody]

Boy, there's a big shortage across a lot of markets right now because the.

[Chase]

Population shifted within the US More over.

[Cody]

The past few years than it did for the previous decades. So you had this monster outflow of people from certain cities like a Chicago, a Bay Area, New York City, Los Angeles, into places Like Boise and Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Orlando, Raleigh, Charlotte, Nashville, Northern Indiana even. There's these areas that have just blown.

[Chase]

Up, need housing like crazy, and will.

[Cody]

Need it for a very long time. So I think overall construction, there's. There's enormous opportunity.

[Chase]

And if you're good, you'll find that opportunity.

[Cody]

You'll make that opportunity. All that said, I would go join the sector of construction that you find.

[Chase]

Interesting, that you find exciting.

[Cody]

If buildings get you going, go find a building contractor to go work for. If roads and bridges get you going.

[Chase]

Go to work for a roads and bridge contractor.

[Cody]

If earthmoving gets you going, go move some dirt.

[Chase]

If homes. If you want to be a custom.

[Cody]

Home builder one day, go get involved with a home builder. Try it out. And here's something to keep in mind too. You can go try something out, and.

[Chase]

If you learn it's not for you, you can go change.

[Cody]

You can go to a different company in your twenties.

[Chase]

You are nothing more than a number to a majority of the companies you're.

[Cody]

Probably gonna go to work for, especially the big ones. They'll talk all day long about how special you are when they're trying to hire you.

[Chase]

But big picture, you're a number. You're nothing more than that.

[Cody]

They've got thousands of people cog in the machine. That's not to say you could sit there and take advantage.

[Chase]

You should do your absolute best.

[Cody]

You should add maximum value.

[Chase]

You should serve those around you, make.

[Cody]

Your project as successful as possible, because.

[Chase]

There are some great big companies out there.

[Cody]

But don't be loyal at the expense of you and your future. So if you get into a great company and it's like, man, I hit.

[Chase]

The nail on the head. I'm moving dirt. I couldn't love this more.

[Cody]

This is great. Then ride the wave. But if you get into it and you're like, man, I'm just not a.

[Chase]

Dirt guy, there's something else out there for me. Go find something else out there for you. We need the people.

[Cody]

We need people in this industry enjoying.

[Chase]

What they do, passionate about what they.

[Cody]

Do, excited by what they do. And that was some of the best.

[Chase]

Advice I was given.

[Cody]

I'm just giving the exact same advice I was given when I was in college. Rich Pearson said, go try a bunch.

[Chase]

Of stuff out and figure out what you most enjoy. I knew civil construction was for me.

[Cody]

So I jumped into civil.

[Chase]

I was working for more local contractors.

[Cody]

I wanted to go bigger, I went bigger. I did some railroad. Then I was like, let's go even Bigger.

[Chase]

Then I went and did blasting, which was great. I found some, a mid size option for me post school to give me some, some well rounded experience based on.

[Cody]

Where I wanted to go. But I wouldn't have been able to make those decisions had I not just.

[Chase]

Given it a shot and tried a bunch of stuff.

[Cody]

So try a bunch of stuff, figure out what you like, figure out what you don't like and go from there.

[Chase]

Next question. Do multi state companies have equipment in.

[Cody]

Each state or do they rent equipment? This is great big picture.

[Chase]

I can only address this big picture.

[Cody]

I'm not really an equipment guy. There's no right or wrong way to do equipment. There's a bunch of different ways to.

[Chase]

Do machines and do equipment.

[Cody]

That said, rental has really taken off.

[Chase]

Over the past five to 10 years.

[Cody]

You can just look at the market capitalization of a United Rentals or a HERC or whatever it is and see holy smokes and or even just the.

[Chase]

Acquisitions made in the rental market nowadays.

[Cody]

To know that this is a hot, hot world. I was talking to Randy about this the other day and he said roughly they ran the calculations when he was still running Blunt Construct Contracting and they worked out that they needed to put.

[Chase]

On general earthmoving machines between 900 and.

[Cody]

1200 hours a year on those machines to make the cost of ownership pencil out.

[Chase]

And if they were putting less hours.

[Cody]

On it every year, less than the.

[Chase]

900 to 1200 target hours per year.

[Cody]

In a normal work year, I believe based off of a 40 hour week for 52 weeks to keep it easy, it was more cost effective for them to rent. I think this is something a lot of people don't totally understand. And a lot of contractors historically have always bought equipment.

[Chase]

Equipment. They've put their name on equipment and they've run their businesses like that. It might be older stuff, it might.

[Cody]

Be new stuff, whatever it is, but there's other ways to do it.

[Chase]

And based off Randy's math, a lot.

[Cody]

Of times it just makes more sense to rent. So a lot of equipment you see out in the field can be rental equipment. Even if it has stickers on it for a specific company, it still can.

[Chase]

Be a rental machine, a long term.

[Cody]

Rental or a rent to buy option, whatever it is, or a lease that they then turn back in and get.

[Chase]

A new machine as a result.

[Cody]

There's all kinds of tricks. But as these multi state companies go into different markets, rental's a great option for them. It saves them on mobilization.

[Chase]

They don't have to move machines very far.

[Cody]

It Lowers their risk a little bit. Hey, if there's just one job out here and that's it, they can then.

[Chase]

Scale up, rent the machines they need.

[Cody]

When the job's done, they can just.

[Chase]

Turn the machines back in, call them.

[Cody]

Off rent, everything's good. If they pick up more work in.

[Chase]

That market, maybe they consider buying over.

[Cody]

Time if their cost of rental keeps.

[Chase]

Going up and up and up and.

[Cody]

They want to be more competitive. But rental is I think still an.

[Chase]

Underutilized tool in the construction industry.

[Cody]

And it is a phenomenal tool. Even like on the fire cleanup the other day, I saw people saying, wow, they must be making a lot of.

[Chase]

Money because they've got brand new machines.

[Cody]

It's like, no, they're rental machines, dumb dumbs. Like of, of like it's just anybody would know that they're rental machines in that application. Like in the fire example, all these contractors had to scale up really quickly. They don't have 15-325s or 3-20s just sitting around.

[Chase]

So they call up Caterpillar, the local.

[Cody]

Cat dealer in LA. It's Quinn, they say, hey Quinn, we.

[Chase]

Need 15, 3 20s, 153 25s. They send them oftentimes new machines. They put them to work when they're done, they ramp down, call the machines.

[Cody]

Off, they put them rental fleet or.

[Chase]

They turn those machines over, whatever it is, sell them into the market.

[Cody]

Just offers a lot more flexibility. So that's a little bit on rental.

[Chase]

So do the multi state companies have.

[Cody]

Equipment each state or do they rent?

[Chase]

It just depends. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't, but a lot of times it is rental equipment nowadays.

[Cody]

Next question, what is the best place to move dirt? A lot of people ask me where.

[Chase]

They should move to go work in the industry.

[Cody]

I get asked that all the time online. I always say, especially if they have a family or spouse, go where you want to go, live where you want to live. I think that's really important.

[Chase]

I think living where you want to.

[Cody]

Be is pretty crucial. That's not the only way to do it, but I think that's a really good start. And because most markets are pretty hot right now, you can find and make a good living in a lot of places. So I always tell them, hey, I.

[Chase]

Would base your decision if you're moving somewhere based on where you want to be. Especially if you have a family. Put your family down somewhere, put your.

[Cody]

Family down to a great location, then start to research the companies in that area and find the best one for you. Now that said, when moving dirt There are some better markets that do it in bigger quantities year round over others. Southern California, even Northern California gets a little wet.

[Chase]

But Southern California is one of the best earth moving markets in the United States.

[Cody]

I would say it's soft material, it's scraper dirt.

[Chase]

The sun's shining almost all the time.

[Cody]

They're moving dirt big quantities almost all year. Then you go over to Arizona, same story. It's dry, it's sunny, it's good material. They're moving dirt all year, so you're working all year. Colorado, Front Range, it's very dry, it gets cold, but they're moving dirt all year. New Mexico is pretty good. Then you get into Texas, it starts to get wet. Southeast, it starts to get wet. East coast, it starts to get wet in certain seasons. Up north, you've got a lot of rock, like in Idaho, so they can get away with moving a lot of material year round. Nevada, it's very dry, rocky. They're moving a lot of material year round. So I would say west coast, southwest.

[Chase]

If I was looking to move dirt consistently is where I would go.

[Cody]

You start to move further east, starts to get more wet, a little more sporadic.

[Chase]

That's not to say they don't move a ridiculous sum of dirt anywhere into the east, like in Texas or the.

[Cody]

South or Florida or the Carolinas.

[Chase]

I mean, some of the biggest earthmoving.

[Cody]

Projects in the United States are east.

[Chase]

Of the Mississippi right now.

[Cody]

But from an operator standpoint, it is harder to make a living out there because it is a little bit more sporadic based on weather. So that's what I would say to that one.

[Chase]

Then, finally, last question.

[Cody]

Why are you salty about GCs?

[Chase]

General contractors?

[Cody]

I really. I try very hard to avoid general contractors. Genuinely. I just. Every time I go to a site controlled by a big GC like a building gc, it's just more rules, more everything, more of a hassle. It's just they make it a lot harder. And so there are some great projects out there. But once a big GC takes over, I don't know, it really lessens my desire to even get involved because I've had so many bad experiences. That's not to say GCs are bad.

[Chase]

They're necessary.

[Cody]

They're building all of the things that I just talked about. The chip plants, the subdivisions, the automotive plants, the data centers, warehouses. GCs are necessary. We've had a GC doing the tenant.

[Chase]

Improvements within our office.

[Cody]

This office wouldn't exist, the studio wouldn't.

[Chase]

Exist without general contractors.

[Cody]

The world needs general contractors. The reason why I avoid them. I think the biggest thing I've thought about this so much is that they just don't control their workforce. They don't own their workforce.

[Chase]

So we work with companies mostly, almost.

[Cody]

Always self performing a majority of the work.

[Chase]

They do a majority of the work. So they employ people that perform the work activities. They are responsible per the contract. They're a subcontractor to a bigger contractor, but that bigger contractor is still doing.

[Cody]

Some of the work. They're doing some of the work. They have people involved in the work.

[Chase]

General contractors don't. They manage subcontractors that do the work.

[Cody]

And I think what happens here is it creates this gap between the general.

[Chase]

Contractor and the people that work at the general contractor and the people doing the work.

[Cody]

And it ends up in this weird.

[Chase]

Dynamic that is the gc, the people.

[Cody]

At the gc, especially some of these younger people making the false assumption.

[Chase]

And this happens at big, heavy civil contractors too, with people in the office.

[Cody]

Almost making the assumption or confusing the fact like they, they start to think.

[Chase]

That they're the ones making the project happen or they're the ones building stuff, but they're not. They're, they're managing, they're supporting those who do the building.

[Cody]

And that's a very important role.

[Chase]

That's a necessary role.

[Cody]

We need those people. But you have to have a degree of humility. And again, it's not just general contractors.

[Chase]

I've seen this at heavy civil companies too.

[Cody]

You'll see these people, they think in.

[Chase]

The office, they think they're the ones running things. They're the most important person in the equation.

[Cody]

It's like you are nowhere on this bid.

[Chase]

You are nowhere. You are none of these line items.

[Cody]

You are only, well, one of them.

[Chase]

Buried within one of them that says overhead. You are overhead. That's it. You are not making it happen out here. And I think the best in class contractors, the best in class gcs, they understand that. They understand they are there to support those doing the critical work that our nation needs.

[Cody]

Those are the ones I want to work with.

[Chase]

Those are the ones I want to be around.

[Cody]

But I think the model, it removes most GCs from the work. And so they're more prone to that happening than a civil contractor is. It's much more rare within the civil construction space. So I just, and I just like.

[Chase]

To work better, honestly. Even if everybody was remarkably friendly, I.

[Cody]

Don'T want to dog GCs. Like I said, I know so many great GCs, so many great people at GC.

[Chase]

They're very necessary.

[Cody]

But to me, even all of that removed, I just like the work of civil construction better. I just like everything in the dirt.

[Chase]

Everything at the horizontal level, the utilities.

[Cody]

The foundations, the excavation. Once the building starts to go vertical.

[Chase]

I just lose interest in it.

[Cody]

But there's a lot of people out there that love buildings that think it's unbelievable. I I'm very impressed.

[Chase]

I don't know how the hell they build them so straight up and down.

[Cody]

That still blows my mind. But other than that, buildings just aren't my thing and I like to just.

[Chase]

Stay away from that so I can focus on the dirt, the infrastructure and.

[Cody]

Those making it happen. So that is Q and A for today.

[Chase]

Thanks for listening.

[Cody]

Thanks for tuning in as I started this podcast off saying if you have.

[Chase]

Questions, thoughts for future episodes, send them.

[Cody]

To me directly aaronildwit.com aaron@buildwit b U I L D W I T t com and we'll see you on the next one. Stay dirty everybody.