Diving Into Construction: How I Started My Business

Starting a construction business isn’t about having everything perfectly aligned. It’s about taking the leap, even when the conditions aren’t ideal. When I first launched my company, I didn’t have the experience, the resume, or the financial security that most people would consider prerequisites for success. What I did have was determination, a network of supportive people, and an unshakable belief that I could figure things out along the way.

It all began when my wife, who was working with a developer, came across a lot with a set of plans. The developer had initially promised to back me financially, but when that fell through, I was left with an opportunity and no funding. The lot was priced at around $265,000 during the early days of COVID—affordable for land in our area but still well beyond what I could cover alone.

Instead of giving up, I pivoted. I drafted an email and sent it to 25 friends. In it, I laid out a simple business plan: here’s the cost of the land, the estimated construction budget (based on calls I’d made to local builders to get a price-per-square-foot average), and the projected sales price supported by comps my wife pulled from the neighborhood. I explained how much I needed from each investor and what kind of return they could expect. Within 24 hours, the deal was done. My wife, my future business partner, his brother, and a neighbor all invested, each contributing around $90,000.

The next hurdle was securing a construction loan. Despite my experience working for a billion-dollar construction firm, lenders didn’t see me as qualified. They required at least two years of experience as a licensed general contractor, not just as an employee. After countless rejections from banks and private lenders, we finally secured financing through a personal connection—one of the investors knew a lender willing to take a chance on us. It wasn’t luck; it was the result of persistent effort, endless calls, and refusing to accept “no” as the final answer.

When we broke ground in 2021, we owned the land outright and had financing in place for the build. We listed the property while it was still in the framing stage, and a buyer from California made an offer almost immediately. They put down a 20% deposit—about $400,000—which we smartly used to cover construction costs. This eliminated the usual delays that come with waiting for bank draws and saved us on loan interest.

By the time we sold the house, we’d achieved a 100% return on investment. Each investor who contributed around $96,000 walked away with nearly $196,000. That kind of return is rare, especially in today’s market, where a solid 30% profit margin on a spec home is considered excellent. But beyond the financial success, this project gave me something even more valuable—confidence.

Confidence that I could take what I’d learned in corporate construction and apply it to residential projects. Confidence that even without a long resume or deep pockets, I could create a system that worked. I built spreadsheets, cost codes, schedules, and selection processes—all based on the organizational strategies I’d used in commercial construction. And yes, we made mistakes—about $50,000 worth of them. But even with those setbacks, we exceeded our original profit projections.

Here’s the key takeaway: you don’t need to be fully prepared to start. If I had waited until I had more experience, more money, or more connections, I’d still be sitting at a corporate desk, wondering “what if.” Entrepreneurship in construction—or any field—is about taking calculated risks. It’s about leaning into the discomfort, making mistakes, and learning from them.

The lesson learned from my first project is simple: just dive in. Make the calls, send the emails, and don’t be afraid to hear “no.” The opportunities are out there, but they won’t wait for you to feel ready.