Construction Hot Takes

How do you lose $25 million on one job? By building exactly to the construction spec while a second engineering spec, signed off by your own leadership, sat unread until the systems were turned on. If you run design-build work, sit between an engineering department and an estimating department, or have ever assumed someone upstream read the owner's performance criteria, this is the failure that nobody catches on a walkthrough.


In this episode, Adam Cooper walks through the job with Greg Gorman and Jeff Robertson, answers the comments it drew, including whether submittals should have caught it and whether the estimator deserves the blame, and gets into what it actually cost the people involved.


Here is the TikTok video source for the comments:
‘$25M Spec Miss’: https://www.tiktok.com/@construction.hottakes/video/7657698121111129358 


Build a business that runs without you: https://ascentconsults.com/build-it-better-ebook/

Chapters:

00:00 – Cold Open and Episode Introduction
00:24 – The Specification Mistake That Cost $25 Million
02:02 – How Did the Error Escape the Submittal Process?
04:33 – Why Didn’t the Owner Catch It Earlier?
05:47 – Was It Really the Estimator’s Fault?

5 Reasons Construction Projects Fail: https://blog.ascentconsults.com/5-reasons-construction-projects-fail
For operational assessments and process review: https://ascentconsults.com/ops_assessment/

Adam Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcooper/
Greg Gorman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-gorman-hern%C3%A1ndez-mba-115ba34/
Jeff Robertson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrobertson72/
Check out all the Construction Hot Takes episodes on the Ascent website!: https://ascentconsults.com/construction-hot-takes-podcast/

Follow Ascent Consulting on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsult
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/

Follow the Construction Hot Takes Podcast on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionhottakespodcast/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@construction.hottakes
#Construction #DesignBuild #ConstructionManagement 



What is Construction Hot Takes?

Hosted by Adam Cooper, CEO of Ascent Consulting, alongside Senior Consultants Gregory Gorman and Jeff Robertson, Construction Hot Takes show dives into the gritty, unfiltered realities of building a profitable construction company. With nearly 100 years of combined experience, they’ve been there—from carrying gear on job sites to leading Ascent, a consulting powerhouse that exclusively serves construction companies across North America.

Each episode is packed with insights, strategies, and insider knowledge from the industry’s top consulting firm for contractors. Discover what big national contractors know about growing a business, get actionable advice on boosting efficiency, and learn how to supercharge your project pipeline. Tune in, get inspired, and gain the knowledge to take your construction business to the next level.