The Preconstruction Podcast

Spencer Thompson, Lead Estimator at Cardinal Civil Contracting, joined Gareth McGlynn at Advancing Preconstruction 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. As a self-performing heavy civil contractor operating across the Carolinas, Cardinal Civil works in some of the most geologically unpredictable terrain in the country.

Key Topics Covered:

• Earthwork Pitfalls: The lack of geotechnical report data as the biggest risk in civil estimating, and how soil types can change completely from one site to the next on the same road.
• Early Involvement: Why bringing the civil contractor in at the early design phase allows the team to fit the design around the site, not the other way around.
• Retaining Walls: How placement near property lines and the need to import specific backfill material can create major unplanned cost and scheduling impacts.
• AI in the Workflow: Using Microsoft Copilot with EIA diesel price data to build fuel escalation models and present projected cost scenarios to clients.
• And much more.

You can connect with Spencer via his LinkedIn.

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