How DeSimone Builders Is Betting On The Middle And Playing The Long Game

When construction veteran Eric DeSimone decided to strike out on his own this year, he wanted to build a company that would change industry standards for the better.

His venture, DeSimone Builders, aims squarely at the middle market, a slice of the industry that is both underserved and increasingly frustrated with how business is done, DeSimone said.

One of the firm’s goals is to create systems that both reduce the need for change orders that drive up project costs and kill trust and that can cut down on requests for information, the paperwork that bogs down construction schedules.

“We believe preconstruction is not a box to check,” DeSimone said. “It’s where projects are won or lost. If we invest heavily in scope clarity, constructability and alignment, then when the first shovel hits the ground, every stakeholder is rowing in the same direction. That’s how you add real value and build trust.”

While DeSimone is a proponent of artificial intelligence tools, the new company’s innovation is cultural, not technological, he said. DeSimone Builders will be structured so that employees can earn equity stakes in it.

Bisnow sat down with DeSimone, founder and CEO of DeSimone Builders, to hear his take on how the old ways of doing business in construction need to change, how he’s putting people first and how technology can help.

Bisnow: By launching DeSimone Builders, what problem are you trying to solve?

DeSimone: The construction industry is plagued by systemic inefficiencies. Inadequate documentation, fractured communication, excessive change orders and chronic cost overruns have all become normalized and accepted as part of doing business.

In the low-interest environment of recent years, where capital was cheap and asset prices continued to rise, it was easier to tolerate cost overruns. Everything inflated upward.

Things are different today. Inflation, higher interest rates and tighter capital markets mean there’s no cushion for mistakes. Cost overruns become deal-killers.

Bisnow: Where do most projects go wrong?

DeSimone: Lack of planning and communication. Design documents are often incomplete or rushed. The scope is unclear. Constructability reviews get skipped. That sets the stage for confusion, which snowballs into disputes, delays and cost overruns.

To be sure, design errors will never disappear entirely. They’re part of the process. But how we prepare for them, mitigate them and communicate through them is where opportunity lies.

Bisnow: What’s the DeSimone Builders approach to change orders?

DeSimone: Change orders are the silent project-killer. They disrupt schedules, inflate budgets and erode trust between parties. I’ve seen projects delayed by 200% and costs spike by 40% because of scope changes. Owners feel taken advantage of, contractors go on the defensive and architects are caught in the crossfire.

If we all know a table needs legs, but the drawings don’t show them, we’re doing an injustice if we don’t account for that in our numbers. To then send a change order saying, “The drawings didn’t show legs on the table,” is not acceptable, and in fact is more akin to being a clerk than a builder. Instead of being paper pushers, we encourage our teams to anticipate, interpret and take ownership.

At DeSimone Builders, we believe in radical ownership and radical transparency. That means planning for what’s obvious, assuming responsibility where others might duck it and treating every client dollar like it’s our own. We put structured change management protocols in place, but our real focus is on avoiding unnecessary change orders in the first place.

Bisnow: What’s your firm’s approach to cost overruns?

DeSimone: Too many firms underbid to win the work, then scramble to recover through change orders. It’s a tactic that destroys long-term credibility for all of us in the industry.

At DeSimone Builders, our core values are integrity, precision and accountability. We refuse to play the short-term game. Instead, we give realistic estimates.

When we break the stereotype of the contractor who lowballs and nickel-and-dimes later, we earn something far more valuable than a signed contract. We earn trust and hopefully convert a client for life.

Bisnow: As seasoned professionals retire, the construction industry is facing a massive labor shortage. What are you doing to attract and retain talent?

DeSimone: You can overpay people to lure them over, but if your culture is toxic, they won’t stay. The new generation entering the workforce is expected to change careers 10 times or more in their lifetime. Companies that can beat that statistic will win.

That requires building a culture where people feel valued, mentored and invested in something bigger than themselves. At DeSimone Builders, leadership development isn’t optional.

We have a library of mandatory book reads and structured coaching sessions for every team member. Leadership at every level compounds. When superintendents, project managers and executives are all trained in ownership and accountability, it creates a culture where everyone leads. That’s how you elevate performance, strengthen culture and deliver projects that exceed expectations.

My goal is to create a firm that outlasts me. Our long-term vision includes an employee stock ownership plan, which will enable the people who help us build this company to own it.

Bisnow: There's a sense of FOMO about AI permeating the industry. What’s your view?

DeSimone: AI is about to be the biggest disrupter in our lifetimes. AI isn’t about replacing people with robots, it’s about amplifying what teams can do. Imagine doubling, quintupling or even increasing your staff’s effectiveness tenfold.

AI can spot risks earlier, streamline documentation, predict cost impacts and help us make better decisions faster. The firms that embrace AI will thrive. The ones that ignore it won’t survive.

Bisnow: What size of client and project is DeSimone Builders targeting?

DeSimone: In the industry, clients are stuck choosing between boutique firms that give personal service but can’t scale and big corporate construction managers that have resources but are rigid and transactional. The middle market has been left underserved and, frankly, underwhelmed.

That’s the gap DeSimone Builders fills. We bring the agility and client focus of a boutique firm, backed by the systems and accountability of a large contractor.

This article was produced in collaboration between DeSimone Builders and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.