Books by Don Bronchick

Lessons from the field.
Put on the page.

Most construction lessons are learned the hard way. These books were written so you don’t have to learn all of them that way.

They draw on more than three decades of building companies, working for builders, managing subcontractors, and understanding firsthand what makes residential construction businesses succeed—and what causes them to fail.

Real-world experience. Practical guidance. No theory for theory’s sake.

For contractors & trade professionals

Built From the Ground Up

A Contractor’s Lessons from a Life in the Field

Why I wrote it.

Too many contractors spend years mastering their trade without ever learning how to build the business behind it.

I wrote Built From the Ground Up because I kept seeing good contractors digging in the wrong place. They were focused on the work itself without understanding the foundations necessary to build a company that can grow profitably and sustainably.

Construction isn’t simply a lowest-price-wins business. Service matters. Relationships matter. Reliability matters. Understanding what home builders truly value matters.

I’ve spent more than three decades proving that you can win work, build strong customer relationships and make money without being the lowest price. This book is about showing other contractors how.

What's inside.

Built From the Ground Up explores the foundations behind a profitable, sustainable construction company — from positioning and sales to estimating, operations, people, financial management and long-term growth. It’s about building the systems and disciplines to scale without losing control, competing on more than price, creating customer relationships that last, protecting what you’ve built and learning to think like a business owner rather than simply a tradesperson.

Based on 30+ years in residential construction, $300M+ in completed projects and work across 68,000+ new homes.

For real estate investors

The Ultimate Guide to Rehabbing

Working with Contractors, Building Codes and Construction

Why I wrote it.

I was seeing too many savvy real estate investors do everything right when buying a property — and then lose control when construction began. They knew how to find the opportunity. They knew how to negotiate the purchase. But many didn’t know how to select, contract with and manage contractors and subcontractors, and I saw some being taken advantage of in pretty significant ways.

I wrote The Ultimate Guide to Rehabbing to help level the playing field. The goal was simple: give independent real estate investors the construction knowledge, documents and practical tools they need to protect themselves, maintain control of their projects and make better decisions when working with contractors and subcontractors.

What you'll learn.

The guide covers contractor and subcontractor selection, contracts and scopes of work, change orders, payment controls, lien waivers and mechanics lien exposure, permitting and building-code requirements, concealed conditions and other real-world issues that can derail a rehab project. It is a practical resource designed to help investors understand the construction side of the deal, protect their money and reduce risk.
Written from the perspective of a licensed general contractor who has worked with hundreds of contractors, subcontractors, developers and home builders.

Two books. Two audiences.

Experience is a
hell of a teacher.

I’ve spent more than three decades learning lessons in residential construction — some through success, some through mistakes, and most by doing the work.

These books are my way of passing those lessons on.