What if your construction project was losing money, but you wouldn’t find out until it was too late?

Most developers worry about rising construction costs, labor shortages, and unexpected expenses. But one of the biggest threats to a project’s profitability may be something far less obvious: delayed construction draws, outdated financial information, and problems that go unnoticed until they’ve already affected the budget.

After analyzing more than 10,000 completed construction projects, Built identified a troubling pattern. Projects experiencing significant financial losses were often affected by delays, and a single construction draw cycle lasting more than two weeks could substantially disrupt a project’s schedule.

In this episode, Aviva Sonenreich and Chris DeVito, General Manager at Built, discuss why construction projects lose money, how delayed financing affects development profitability, and what owners and developers can do to improve financial visibility before small problems become expensive mistakes.

Chris explains how construction financing works behind the scenes and why slow movement of capital between lenders, developers, general contractors, and subcontractors can create a chain reaction of delays. When funding gets held up, projects may face additional carrying costs, extended general conditions, lost rental income, and unexpected financing expenses.

The conversation also covers construction budget standardization, financial forecasting, insurance costs, project risk management, and the importance of asking lenders the right questions before construction begins.

Whether you’re a commercial real estate developer, construction project owner, investor, general contractor, or lender, this episode provides practical insights into preventing construction cost overruns, improving project financial management, and protecting development profitability.

Key Topics Discussed

• Why Construction Projects Lose Money: The hidden financial risks owners often discover too late.
• Lessons From 10,000+ Construction Projects: How one delayed construction draw can derail an entire project.
• The True Cost of Construction Delays: Carrying costs, lost rental income, and financing expenses.
• Construction Financing Challenges: Why slow payments between lenders, developers, and contractors create problems.
• Financial Visibility in Real Estate Development: Why monthly reports and outdated spreadsheets aren’t enough.
• Preventing Construction Cost Overruns: How earlier financial insights help developers identify and address risks.
• AI in Construction Management: How automation improves financial tracking, reporting, and efficiency.
• AI vs. Human Judgment: Where technology helps and why experience still matters.
• What Developers Should Monitor Weekly: Construction draws, outstanding payments, and change orders.
• Construction Budgeting Best Practices: Why standardized budgets and clear lender processes matter.
• Hidden Construction Insurance Costs: Rising premiums, expired policies, and unexpected expenses.
• The Power of Real Estate Data: Why better information leads to smarter investment and development decisions.

About the Guest

Chris DeVito is the General Manager at Built, a financial operations technology platform serving the real estate and construction industries. His work focuses on helping lenders, developers, and construction professionals improve financial visibility, streamline construction draw processes, and manage project funding more efficiently. Through Built, Chris brings a technology-driven perspective to addressing funding delays, identifying financial risks earlier, and improving coordination between the stakeholders involved in construction projects.

About the Host

Aviva Sonenreich is the Managing Broker and Owner of the Warehouse Hotline, a Denver commercial real estate brokerage specializing exclusively in industrial properties. She leads the firm’s brokerage operations, negotiates industrial sales and leasing transactions, advises clients on acquisition and disposition strategies, and oversees the company’s marketing and business development efforts. Through Commercial Real Estate Secrets, she interviews leading investors, brokers, developers, and industry experts to provide actionable insights on commercial real estate investing, brokerage, leasing, development, and market trends.

Buying, Selling, or Leasing Industrial Real Estate in Colorado?

The right real estate decision starts with the right information. Whether you’re acquiring an industrial investment property, selling a warehouse, or negotiating a lease, understanding market conditions, property values, and potential risks can make a significant difference in your bottom line.

At The Warehouse Hotline, we specialize in industrial property sales, investment acquisitions, warehouse leasing, and landlord and tenant representation throughout Denver and Colorado.

We help investors, property owners, and businesses evaluate opportunities, understand market pricing, and negotiate transactions with confidence.

Make your next industrial real estate decision with an experienced local broker on your side.