In our latest blog, we go over how most operators assume margin problems start in estimating. But they don't. The leak usually happens between the quote and the completed job.
Peak season creates the perfect conditions for it:
Seasonal crews producing at 60–70% of estimated efficiency
Rework hours buried in overhead instead of tied to the original job
Travel and transitions eating billable utilization
Scope creep without change orders
By the time the monthly P&L shows it, those lost weeks can't be recovered. The fix isn't pricing differently, it's seeing differently.
Track estimated vs. actual production rates weekly.
Calculate margin by crew, not just by branch.
Log rework against the original job so root causes surface.
