toby mccosker reputation
toby mccosker reputation
toby mccosker reputation

How Reputation Is Made and Broken in Construction — Toby McCosker

Apr 9, 2025

Your Name Is Your Leverage

In the construction world, your reputation travels faster than your quotes.

It’s not the ad spend, the website, or the sign on your ute that seals the next deal—it’s what people whisper when you’re not in the room. And believe me, they whisper.

I’m Toby McCosker, and I’ve learned firsthand how fast a name can rise—and how fast it can fall.

Building a Reputation Takes Sweat

In construction, you build more than homes. You build trust. And it takes years.

You show up when it’s raining.
You answer calls after hours.
You absorb the pressure and don’t let it hit your crew.

And when the project’s done, if the client says your name with confidence, you’ve just laid the foundation for the next job.

But Breaking a Reputation? That Takes One Mistake

It only takes one shortcut, one missed call, or one poorly handled disagreement. And suddenly, everything you’ve built becomes a question mark.

Reputation in this industry isn’t stored online.
It’s passed over fences.
It’s echoed in site sheds.
It’s muttered during supplier coffee runs.

The Toby McCosker Rule: Keep Your Word or Lose Your Worth

I’ve made mistakes. I’ve taken hits. But I’ve also owned every single one. That’s the difference between having a reputation and keeping one.

  • If you say you’ll be there—be there.

  • If you promise a standard—hit it.

  • If you mess up—say so, and fix it fast.

Here’s the Hard Truth:

Reputation isn’t what you say.
It’s what others repeat.
And in construction, repetition is everything.

I’m Toby McCosker. I’ve seen reputations break like brittle timber and rise again through resilience. If you want to last in this industry, remember:

You don’t get a second chance at a first impression, but you do get a second job if you earn it.

More from Toby McCosker

Lessons from the Frontline: Leading Through Adversity
How pressure shaped leadership beyond the job site.

Reputation vs. Reality: What the Media Got Wrong
Why headlines don’t always tell the full story.

Tobias (Toby) McCosker is the founder of Built By Toby. After two decades in construction and business, he now shares raw lessons from the frontline.
Explore more at BuiltByToby.com.au