From Napkin Sketch to Shovel in the Ground: The Pre-Con Process That Sets Your Field Teams Up to Win | Ep. 376

Most construction companies treat pre-construction as an estimating department. That’s a mistake that’s costing them projects, relationships, and profit.

In this episode of Construction Genius, I sit down with Sam Potts, Director of Pre-Construction at JP Cullen—a fifth-generation, family-owned, self-performing general contractor doing $900 million a year out of Wisconsin. Sam shares how her team approaches pre-con as a strategic function that goes far beyond putting a number together, and how that mindset has become a competitive advantage.

Key Topics Covered:

• – Why pre-construction managers should be treated like project managers, not estimators
• – How to understand what truly matters to an owner and align the budget around their mission
• – The “yes-if” mentality: saying yes to owner requests by finding creative solutions instead of defaulting to “no because”
• – Using the Risk Opportunity Log to eliminate surprises and keep budgets transparent
• – How cost transparency accelerates trust-building with owners—even skeptical ones
• – The shift from directing to coaching as a leadership approach and why it matters
• – Where AI fits in pre-construction today and what it means for developing junior estimators
• – Why the best business development happens when technical experts are in the room
• – Sam’s career journey from PM track to pre-con director—and what made her stay

Listen or Watch the Episode

Episode Chapters

• 0:00 – Introduction & Meet Sam Potts, Director of Pre-Construction at JP Cullen
• 1:30 – The True Purpose of Pre-Construction (It’s Not Just Estimating)
• 4:00 – Discovery Meetings: How to Ask What Keeps Owners Up at Night
• 5:30 – How to Align Business Development and Pre-Construction Teams
• 8:30 – Managing Owner Expectations from Sales to Pre-Construction
• 10:00 – The Risk Opportunity Log: How to Eliminate Budget Surprises
• 12:00 – Design Build vs. CM at Risk vs. Design Bid Build Explained
• 14:00 – How to Communicate Uncertainty to Owners Without Losing Credibility
• 17:00 – Career Path: From Project Manager to Pre-Construction Director
• 20:00 – Leadership Lessons: Why Coaching Beats Directing
• 22:00 – Why Technical Experts Are the Best at Construction Business Development
• 25:00 – The “Yes-If” Mentality: Solving Impossible Owner Requests
• 29:00 – Balancing Speed, Accuracy, and Flexibility in Construction Budgets
• 33:00 – What Separates a Good Estimator from a Great Pre-Construction Leader
• 36:00 – AI in Construction Estimating: Opportunities and Risks for Pre-Con Teams
• 39:00 – Two Things That Make Pre-Construction a Competitive Advantage

About the Guest

Sam Potts is the Director of Pre-Construction at JP Cullen, a fifth-generation, family-owned, self-performing general contractor headquartered in Wisconsin with approximately $900 million in annual revenue. Sam holds a civil engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has built her career at JP Cullen, progressing from site engineer to project management track before finding her passion in pre-construction. She leads a team of 11 and is focused on developing pre-construction managers—not just estimators—who can serve as true quarterbacks of the project delivery process.

Resources

Connect with Sam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-potts-64b613114/

JP Cullen Website: https://jpcullen.com

JP Cullen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jpcullen/

JP Cullen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jpcullen1892

JP Cullen YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/JPCullen1/videos

Previous Episodes with Expers from JP Cullen

Episode 170 – How to Run a Successful Family Business with George Cullen
https://www.constructiongenius.com/podcast/how-to-run-a-successful-family-business-with-george-cullen-ep-170/

Episode 186 – Secrets of a Successful Multi-Generational Company with the Cullen Clan
https://www.constructiongenius.com/podcast/secrets-of-a-successful-multi-generational-company-with-the-cullen-clan-ep-186