Part 5: The Construction Stage

I’ll be honest. I know nothing about construction. Its not my bag, and I kept well away from the tools during the construction phase at Skyridge Glamping.

The good news is I know plenty of people who do understand construction.

I called up Bygnal Duston, founder of Open Sky near Zion National Park. Bygnal personally led a small crew through the construction phase, culminating in a beautiful resort that guests adore.

I grilled Bygnal on project budgeting, choosing contractors, mistakes to avoid, and more.

P.S. Check out last week’s dispatch on funding your resort if you haven’t already.

The Bygnal Interview

Nick: How do you create a realistic construction budget?

Bygnal: “I’ll be the first to admit, I never went through construction management school, and early on I was terrible at budgeting. I was always way over.

But there’s a lesson in that. You can pull together bids and plans, but the real world is always different. If you sit down and try to create a picture-perfect budget, it’ll probably scare you off anyway.

The smarter play is to get as many bids as possible, really vet your contractors, and then expect things to go wrong. Weather delays, material shortages, shipping hiccups—they all happen. And you’ll change things as you go.

That’s why a healthy contingency is critical. Lenders will often require one, but in my opinion, if you don’t have a fully itemized list from reputable contractors, you should be putting in 20–25% contingency just to be safe.”

Nick: What are some of the hidden costs that first-timers tend to overlook?

Bygnal: “Soft costs caught me out more than once. Things like design fees, engineering, and interiors. It depends on how deep a team you’re building, but those numbers add up.

Loan interest is another one. If your construction loan drags out because of delays, the interest bill alone can sting. But the biggest hidden cost, by far, is infrastructure. Roads, groundworks, utilities: that’s where projects can live or die. Spend as much time as you can getting solid numbers there. FF&E and the units themselves are actually much easier to predict.”

Nick: How do you approach choosing and vetting contractors?

Bygnal: “Contractors can make or break your project. The cheapest bid is almost never the best option. I put a lot more weight on relationships and compatibility than on cost, unless I really understand the construction and can keep a closer eye on it.

I’ll always talk to their previous clients, go see their other projects, and get a feel for how they work. Because here’s the thing: time delays and overruns can cost you a fortune. If you can, build a contingency clause into your contract - something like backcharging them $100 a day if they overrun. And be meticulous with contracts. Understand their full scope, their timelines, everything.”

Nick: What’s the key to keeping a project on schedule?

Bygnal: “If you can afford a great project manager, do it—it’s worth every penny. Beyond that, prep as much as you can up front.

Set clear expectations, make sure your contracts include timelines, and then stick to the plan. The quickest way to derail a schedule is by constantly adding extras or making changes that aren’t essential. Keep the train on the tracks.”

ick: Which construction or design choices make the biggest difference to guest experience, versus those that are more “nice-to-haves”?

Bygnal: “Guests care about certain fundamentals: a good bathroom, doors that lock, and a wow factor the moment they arrive. Those are the things I’ll never compromise on.

Beyond that, a clever contractor can often suggest alternatives that give you the same effect as an interior designer’s idea, but without the massive bill.

As for nice-to-haves, seclusion, high-end patio furniture, and lounge areas definitely add to the experience, but they’re not deal-breakers. Motorized blinds, heated floors - those are luxuries, not essentials.”

Nick: If you were building another resort tomorrow, what’s the one thing you’d do differently based on past projects?

Bygnal: “Doing more research on permitting, without question. On one project, I underestimated how the state regulations would kick in once the sewer system crossed a certain size. That mistake cost me a fortune in engineering. If I were doing it again, I’d fully understand the city and county limits, and design the project to stay within those boundaries.

On the flip side, one thing I’m glad I did was plan for future expansion—running water lines big enough, leaving room for extra power, and identifying future sites. If you can lay the groundwork for expansion early, it’ll save you a ton of hassle later.”

That’s all folks!

📰 The Posh Report

The new Posh Outdoors website is live! 

You can check it out here.

We've had a fantastic first few months in business. Our 5 units at Skyridge Glamping have generated more than $450,000 USD of bookings since the booking calendar opened in May.

All of these bookings have flowed through Skyridge's website, and will continue to do so. Part of the Posh Outdoors strategy is ensuring each partner location has its own strong, local brand.

But we wanted a website of our own, to showcase Skyridge and explain why our revenue share program is a great way of adding unique lodging units to properties with on-site businesses.

As we line up our next partner locations and prepare to raise more capital, the website marks the first step in the next chapter of Posh Outdoors.

P.S. If you have a beautiful property (preferably with an existing on-site business), check out how our revenue share partnerships work. We’d love to talk :)