Every contractor has two kinds of jobs.
The ones that made money.
And the ones that felt busy but somehow left nothing behind.
The dangerous part is when you can’t tell the difference.
Profitable jobs share patterns
Jobs that make money usually have a few things in common:
Clear scope
Predictable labor
Minimal surprises
Good communication
They may not be flashy, but they run smooth. Crews know what to do. Materials show up on time. You’re not putting out fires every day.
When you track jobs properly, these patterns become obvious.
Time-wasting jobs also share patterns
Jobs that drain you tend to look like this:
Constant changes
Unclear scope
High customer stress
Labor overruns
These jobs steal your attention, your energy, and your profit. The worst part is they often feel important while they’re happening.
If you’re not tracking job performance, these jobs just feel like “part of construction.” They’re not. They’re warning signs.
Why memory lies to you
At the end of the year, memory plays tricks.
You remember the chaos.
You forget the quiet wins.
That’s why relying on gut feeling to decide what work to take next year is risky. Data beats memory every time.
Use this simple test
Ask yourself this about each completed job:
Would I take this exact job again at the same price?
If the answer is no, you need to know why.
Labor?
Materials?
Crew efficiency?
Customer issues?
Without job costing, you’ll never get a straight answer.
The goal for next year
Next year isn’t about doing more work. It’s about doing more of the right work.
ProfitDig helps contractors identify which jobs are worth chasing and which ones should be priced higher or avoided altogether.
Busy is optional.
Profit is the goal.