Build a construction business that works for you — not the other way around
Thirty years of hard-won construction and business knowledge — condensed into one complete academy that teaches you how to build profitable projects, lead winning crews, and scale a construction company that works for you.
"I built this academy to give you the business education the trades never gave you — so you can build something that actually works for you."— Amadio Payne
What you'll learn
What you'll be able to do
- Accurately estimate and price residential and commercial jobs for profit — not just to win the bid
- Write professional proposals, scopes of work, and airtight contracts that protect you and impress clients
- Execute every major construction phase — concrete, framing, drywall, roofing, flooring, trim, decks, and more — using industry best practices
- Manage projects end-to-end: scheduling, subcontractors, change orders, cash flow, and client communication
- Hire, lead, and retain dependable crews and subs while building a company culture that doesn't depend on you personally
- Build a recognizable brand, generate consistent leads online, and scale strategically without overextending your business
How it works
A school that adapts to you
This isn't a set of static videos. Every lesson is generated live and tuned to where you actually are.
We learn your level
A quick placement check tailors your starting point so you're never bored or lost.
Lessons adapt as you go
Each lesson is written for your pace and your goal, adjusting as your skills grow.
Your AI coach keeps you moving
Checkpoints, feedback, and gentle nudges turn progress into a real result.
The curriculum
What's inside your school
6 modules · 23 lessons
Construction Fundamentals & Trade Mastery
Before you can run profitable jobs, you need to know how they're built. This module covers every major residential construction phase from the ground up — giving students the field-level knowledge, vocabulary, and best practices that earn crew respect and client confidence. Sequenced in true build order so each lesson reinforces the next.
- 1.1Site Prep, Concrete & FoundationsIncluded
- 1.2Structural Framing — Walls, Floors & RoofsIncluded
- 1.3Roofing, Decks & Exterior SystemsIncluded
- 1.4Interior Systems — Drywall, Flooring & Drop CeilingsIncluded
- 1.5Painting, Trim Carpentry & Finish DetailsIncluded
Remodeling & Commercial Construction
Residential new construction is not the only arena. Remodeling jobs have unique risks, hidden surprises, and client dynamics that demand a different playbook. Commercial work operates under a different set of rules entirely — different codes, different stakeholders, and different expectations. This module equips students to move confidently across both markets.
- 2.1Remodeling Strategy — Kitchens, Baths & AdditionsIncluded
- 2.2Commercial Construction Differences & Best PracticesIncluded
Estimating, Pricing & Proposals That Win Profitable Work
This is where most contractors fail — not in the field, but on paper. Winning jobs for the wrong price is worse than not winning them at all. This module teaches the complete estimating and sales system: from reading plans and performing takeoffs, to calculating true job costs, to writing proposals that close at profitable prices. Sequenced so students understand cost before they ever write a number.
- 3.1Takeoffs & Quantity SurveysIncluded
- 3.2Job Costing & Overhead Recovery — Price for ProfitIncluded
- 3.3Writing Proposals, Scopes of Work & ContractsIncluded
- 3.4Change Orders, Payment Schedules & Closing the SaleIncluded
Project Management — From Kickoff to Punch List
Winning the job is the beginning. Delivering it profitably, on schedule, and with a client who refers you is the real product. This module covers the complete project management lifecycle — planning, scheduling, field coordination, client communication, and closeout — using real-world frameworks that work for one-person operations and growing companies alike.
- 4.1Pre-Construction Planning & SchedulingIncluded
- 4.2Subcontractor Management & Field CoordinationIncluded
- 4.3Client Communication, Change Management & Problem SolvingIncluded
- 4.4Project Closeout, Punch Lists & Referral GenerationIncluded
Business Operations — Financials, Hiring & Systems
A great contractor who can't run a business will eventually lose both. This module covers the operational backbone of a profitable construction company: financial literacy, hiring and leading people, equipment strategy, and building systems that let the business run without the owner managing every minute of every day. This is where skilled tradespeople become business owners.
- 5.1Bookkeeping, Cash Flow & Financial FitnessIncluded
- 5.2Hiring, Leading & Retaining Your CrewIncluded
- 5.3Equipment, Purchasing & Vendor RelationshipsIncluded
- 5.4Systems, Workflows & Running a Business That Doesn't Need YouIncluded
Brand, Marketing & Strategic Growth
The best contractor in town with no one knowing about them is out of business. This final module covers how to build a brand that commands premium prices, market that brand consistently across digital and traditional channels, generate leads without depending on luck or word of mouth alone, and scale the company strategically — knowing when to grow, how to grow, and how to avoid the growth traps that destroy profitable small contractors. This module is placed last intentionally: systems and operations must come before scaling.
- 6.1Building a Professional Brand & Company IdentityIncluded
- 6.2Online Presence — Website, Google & Social MediaIncluded
- 6.3Lead Generation — Referrals, Networking & Paid ChannelsIncluded
- 6.4Strategic Scaling — When to Grow, How to Grow, and How Not to Blow ItIncluded
Who it's for
Is this you?
The Aspiring Contractor
You're ready to enter the trades and want to start with a complete foundation — field skills and business knowledge — before you ever swing a hammer on your own dime.
The Working Subcontractor
You've built a solid reputation working under GCs and you're ready to go independent — this academy gives you the estimating, contracts, and business systems to make that move confidently.
The Low-Bid Survivor
You're winning plenty of work but never getting ahead — the job costing, overhead recovery, and pricing modules will show you exactly why and fix it.
The Solo Operator Ready to Scale
You're maxed out doing everything yourself and need the hiring, crew management, and systems training to build a company that can grow without burning you out.
The Experienced Tradesperson
You've mastered your craft over years in the field, and now you want to turn that expertise into a profitable, professionally run business with real brand presence and consistent leads.
The Remodeling & Commercial Crossover
You do solid residential work but want to break into remodeling projects or commercial construction — the dedicated modules on both give you the strategy and best practices to compete.
Questions
Frequently asked
Your teacher
A note from your teacher
Amadio Payne
I know where you are right now, because I've been there — and I've watched hundreds of good contractors end up in the same place. You're skilled. You know the trade. You can build things most people can't. But the jobs never seem to pay what they should, the cash flow is always a white-knuckle ride, and you're the first one on site every morning and the last one to leave — and somehow you still feel like you're one bad month away from starting over.
That's not a trade problem. That's a business problem. And nobody taught you the business.
That's why I built Construction Academy 101. After thirty years in this industry — working every phase of construction, running crews, managing projects, writing contracts, building a company from the ground up, and watching what separates the contractors who thrive from the ones who grind themselves out — I decided to put everything I know into one place. Not a weekend seminar. Not a YouTube channel with tips and tricks. A complete, structured academy that takes you from the dirt up: trade fundamentals, estimating, project management, business operations, and strategic growth. Everything you need to build a real construction company.
Here's the thing I want you to hear: the reason most contractors struggle isn't effort. You're already working harder than almost anyone. The reason is systems. You're bidding jobs without knowing your real cost. You're managing projects in your head instead of on paper. You're running a company with no financial structure, no hiring process, no brand. This academy gives you those systems — in plain language, with real job-site context, and without a single minute of filler.
One of the things I'm most direct about in this curriculum is pricing. Too many contractors are out there winning bids they should be losing — underbidding just to stay busy, then wondering why there's nothing left at the end of the job. I'll show you exactly how to do takeoffs, calculate your true overhead, price for actual profit, and write proposals and contracts that hold up and close deals. That one shift alone changes the trajectory of a business.
And when you're ready to grow — to hire a real crew, build a brand people recognize, generate consistent leads, and scale without blowing everything up — the academy takes you there too. I'll tell you when to grow, how to grow, and just as importantly, how not to wreck it chasing too much too fast.
If you're ready to stop trading time for dollars and start building something that lasts beyond you, I built this for you. Let's get to work.
— Amadio Payne
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- 6 modules, 23 lessons
- AI-adaptive lessons tuned to your level
- Quizzes & checkpoints to lock in progress
- Your own AI learning coach
- Learn on any device, at your pace
- Full access for as long as you're subscribed