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Contractors get reviewed everywhere. Lee Burns wants them to have a voice, too. On The Critical Path Podcast, Lee joins Brad to share the story behind C-Square (Contractor Square) and why construction business owners need a place to connect, share knowledge, and review the customers they work for.

From unpaid invoices and difficult clients to underbidding and the challenge of finding reliable subcontractors, Lee and Brad discuss the problems that can hold a construction business back. Lee explains how C-Square grew from real contractor experiences into a community built around one mission: connecting and protecting contractors.

In this episode: • Why contractors need customer reviews, including zero-star ratings • The real stories that inspired C-Square • Why helping other contractors can make more sense than tearing them down • Pricing questions, underbidding, and sharing business knowledge • Construction calculators, community feedback, and ideas for a future GC/subcontractor marketplace • The value of skilled trades and the administrative work behind every successful project Whether you’re a general contractor, subcontractor, remodeler, or construction business owner, this conversation explores what becomes possible when contractors stop working in isolation and start helping each other.

Learn more about C-Square: https://csquare.app/ LeeBurnsGames.com

00:00 Introducing Lee Burns and C-Square

00:51 Why helping people drives Lee’s work

02:58 How Lee and Brad connected and became partners

05:33 How unpaid jobs and homeowner warnings inspired C-Square

10:03 Researching the need for a contractor community

12:49 Jokes, showcasing work, finding subs, and a marketplace

14:44 The mission and Lee’s decision to lead the company

17:45 The value of contractors: turning jobsite disorder into a home

21:57 A town square for contractors and customer ratings

22:56 Brad’s unpaid $28,000 invoice and first zero-star review

26:19 Review concerns, retaliation, and positive customer reviews

28:38 Why Brad joined C-Square and chose the family business

31:13 The struggle to turn hard work into a stronger business

34:05 Why contractors stay small and compete against one another

37:28 Joining forces and building the contractor community

40:40 How customer information reduces uncertainty

43:44 Pricing questions and a possible market-rate channel

46:40 Undercutting, new contractors, and sharing what jobs really cost

48:36 Competition, scarcity, and helping other contractors

50:24 Mike Rowe, the trades shortage, and the industry’s future

53:11 Why Lee still loves hands-on construction work

54:10 Calculators, feature ideas, development costs, and feedback

56:06 The proposed GC/subcontractor job marketplace

59:10 Construction’s administrative bottlenecks

1:00:15 Regional availability, the waitlist, and rollout plans

1:01:18 The team’s strengths and childhood construction memories

1:03:14 Where to find C-Square and closing thanks

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