28 Rules for Building Smarter in Construction
I’ll never forget the day one of the area managers looked me dead in the eye and said, “This software is stupid.”
We were announcing a shiny new platform at our annual meeting. It had a sleek interface, real-time collaboration and even a few features our team swore would “revolutionize estimating.” The execs were happy. IT was happy. And me? I thought I was about to be a hero in the company.
But here was this chiseled vet, the kind of guy who could pour concrete straighter than my golf swing, telling me the whole thing was a mess.
And you know what? In some ways he was right.
We had digitized chaos. The processes were broken long before the software showed up and all we’d done was put a digital bow on the same old problems. We learned a valuable lesson that day, one I’ve carried with me ever since: technology should make life easier, not harder.
After years in construction tech amassing thousands of conversations with crews, project managers, IT teams and owners (with a fair share of facepalms mixed in) I’ve collected 28 Rules for Building Smarter in construction.
They’re part scars, part lessons learned and part rallying cry for the industry I love. Feel free to copy and paste.
The 28 Rules for Building Smarter
1. Don’t digitize chaos.
If the process is broken on paper, technology will only break it faster. Fix the workflow first. Then digitize. Otherwise, you’ve just poured a shiny layer of software over the same old mess.
2. If the field hates your software, you’ve already failed.
The crew swinging the hammers should love your tech, or at the very least not curse it. Adoption is the truest metric of success. A tool no one uses is just expensive.
3. You don’t need eight tools to do one job.
Every login, password and disconnected workflow adds friction. Integrate or consolidate so your teams can focus on building, not toggling and logging in.
4. Stop calling it digital transformation if no one’s life got easier.
Transformation means people feel a difference in their daily work. If the new system doesn’t save time, reduce headaches or cut RFIs, it’s just digital frustration with better fonts.
5. Job walks > dashboard clicks.
Data is great, but the jobsite never lies. Walk the project. Smell the sawdust. Listen to the crew. You’ll learn more in 10 minutes on site than 10 hours behind a screen.
6. Strong opinions, loosely held, build better projects.
Make decisions with confidence but stay humble enough to change course when the facts change. Stubbornness kills productivity.
7. The superintendent who says, “This is stupid,” might be your best innovator.
Don’t dismiss the grumbling veteran. They often see what’s broken before anyone else. Listen carefully and they might just save you millions.
8. Tech should enable collaboration, not competition.
When systems pit stakeholders against each other, costs balloon, relationships sour and projects stall. Build tools that encourage solving problems, not pointing fingers.
9. Rework isn’t a mistake problem. It’s a communication problem.
Most rework starts with a communication breakdown. Whether unclear drawings, missed emails or outdated specs, the issue lies in the way information flows. Fix that and you’ll fix most of the errors.
10. If it doesn’t scale, it’s a hobby, not a solution.
A tool that only works on one project isn’t a solution; it’s a science fair project. Build systems and solutions that grow with you.
11. You can’t manage what you can’t measure.
Budgets, schedules, quality, safety: they all need clear metrics. Build data governance into your processes early or you’ll pay for it later in change orders and claims.
12. The ROI of tech isn’t in features.
It’s in the results: fewer RFIs, smoother handoffs, fewer headaches for crews. Focus on real outcomes, not shiny objects.
13. When in doubt, make it visual.
Construction is a world of drawings, specs and models for a reason. Diagrams, dashboards, photos and sketches communicate faster than words alone ever will.
14. Contractors who out-serve win.
Be the company owners want to call back. Out-serve, out-communicate, out-collaborate. That’s how reputations (and repeat work) are built.
15. AI won’t replace you. But the person who uses AI better than you might.
Treat AI like it’s a power tool and not a toy. It can be dangerous in the wrong hands and game-changing in the right ones.
16. If IT and Operations aren’t in the same room, you’re not aligned.
Tech teams and field teams must speak the same language. Otherwise, you’ll buy tools that look great in the office and crash on the jobsite.
17. The “Frankenstein tech stack” eats margin for breakfast.
Every bolt-on system adds complexity, cost, friction and confusion. Build with a plan or end up with a patchwork monster no one can control.
18. Data without context is just trivia.
Raw numbers mean nothing if you don’t know what they’re telling you. Combine data with real-world insight before you automate workflows and decisions.
19. Culture beats software. Every. Single. Time.
Toxic culture will sink even the best tools. Healthy teams with mediocre systems will still find a way to win.
20. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
Take the time to get the process right. Rushing leads to chaos. Smooth workflows deliver projects faster, with fewer surprises.
21. Curiosity builds careers.
Ask “Why?” more than “How?” The best builders stay curious and that curiosity leads to better systems, better projects and better leaders.
22. Work-life balance isn’t a luxury.
Exhausted teams make mistakes, miss deadlines and ultimately leave the industry. Protect their time and you’ll protect your margin.
23. If your meeting could’ve been a job walk, you wasted everyone’s time.
Construction problems live in the dirt, not in PowerPoint. Get out of the conference room and go see the work.
24. Tech without training is just shelfware.
The rollout isn’t over when the software goes live. Ongoing training keeps adoption (and ROI) alive long after go-live day.
25. Every project is a prototype for the next one.
Document lessons learned. Refine your processes. Treat each project like a lab for building a smarter future.
26. Empathy belongs in construction too.
Deadlines, weather delays, material shortages—everyone’s under the same pressure. Leading with empathy builds stronger teams and smoother projects.
27. Leave it better than you found it.
Whether it’s a jobsite, a process, or the industry itself, make it better for the next person.
28. Celebrate the wins.
Construction is hard work, but we build some pretty amazing stuff. Take a moment to appreciate the bridges, hospitals and stadiums that will stand for generations.
It Takes All of Us: Building Smarter, Together
At the end of the day, the construction industry doesn’t need more finger-pointing, failed tech rollouts or leaders too proud to admit when the process is broken.
What we need is shared wisdom. We need to be honest with ourselves when considering what works and what doesn’t. And most of all, we need to empower the people who swing the hammers, pull the wire, pour the concrete and run the crews to work smarter, not harder.
These 28 rules aren’t commandments carved in stone. In fact, you may disagree with some and that’s OK. But make no mistake, these rules are scars, lessons and experiences collected over a career spent in a hard hat and boots. My hope? That you’ll add your own, share them with others and help shape a construction industry that’s more connected, more collaborative and more fun to be part of.
After all, we’re not just building projects. We’re building the future.
Construction is cool, tell your friends!