Forget Dropshipping. Be The Middleman For $800+/Job (Drop-Servicing)

Forget Dropshipping. Be The Middleman For $800+/Job (Drop-Servicing)

In this insightful video, Chris Koerner sits down with Jeff from Houston, Texas, who built a concrete leveling business making around $1,000 profit per job within just three months of starting. Jeff shares how he subcontracts all the work, hits nearly $20K revenue early on, and is on track for $100K profit in his first year. This article details Jeff's strategy, customer acquisition methods, operational workflow, and plans for scaling.

Meet Jeff: The Concrete Leveling Entrepreneur

Jeff is a W2 employee, husband, and father of two who started a concrete leveling business as a side hustle. Despite being new to the industry - just 90 days in - Jeff has engineered a system to quickly generate leads, quote, and close jobs remotely, while subcontracting all the work.

  • Total revenue so far: Nearly $20,000 (majority earned in last 60 days)
  • Profit margins: Around 30-40% gross margin per job
  • Profit goals: $50K–$100K gross profit in the first year; aiming for $1 million in topline revenue next year
  • Business model: Subcontract all work, focus on quoting and customer relationships, no employees

What Is Concrete Leveling and Why This Industry?

Concrete leveling fixes uneven sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, and slabs by injecting a foam mixture underneath to lift and level the concrete instead of replacing it. It's:

  • A cost-effective alternative to full concrete replacement (roughly one-third the cost)
  • Has high profit margins ($800+ net per job) with relatively low startup costs
  • Provides rapid service: repaired concrete can handle vehicle traffic within 15 minutes
  • Solves everyday homeowner problems like trip hazards or aesthetic improvements without expensive full replacements

Jeff observed that concrete leveling has a large and growing market in Texas, particularly Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth, with sprawling metropolitan areas requiring service across wide geographies. This created a ripe opportunity to provide easy, scalable solutions.

How Jeff Acquires Customers

Jeff uses a multi-channel customer acquisition strategy combining organic and paid methods:

  • Facebook Ads: Generated his first lead within hours of launching a campaign with a $4.60 cost per lead
  • Nextdoor: Organic posts to engage neighborhood communities with positive word-of-mouth
  • Google Business Profile: Organic search leads and website inquiries through chatbots
  • Outbound Campaigns: Text campaigns targeting HOA managers and property managers overseeing multiple properties
  • Referrals: Happy customers naturally referring business

Jeff emphasizes the importance of fast responses to leads, leveraging CRM tools to instantly qualify prospects and maintain follow-ups that build trust over time.

The Quoting and Closing Process

Jeff’s approach avoids traditional site visits that solopreneurs typically conduct:

  • Uses virtual quoting by collecting detailed photographs and info remotely
  • Believes quoting multiple jobs remotely is more efficient than driving extensively to inspect fewer sites in person
  • Typical close rate is around 33%
  • Takes about 1 hour per quote, aiming for 10 quotes per week
  • Requires about 35–40 leads per month to sustain $10,000/month net profit goals

Virtual quoting enables scaling without geographic constraints or sacrificing personal time, allowing Jeff to manage the business while keeping his full-time job.

Operations: The Concrete Leveling Process

Jeff subcontractors the labor. Here’s a breakdown of the workflow:

  • A truck with a trailer contains key equipment: generator, air compressor, heaters, and two raw materials (A and B) stored in 55-gallon drums
  • The materials mix chemically at the gun's nozzle, creating expanding foam that fills voids under concrete
  • Holes roughly the size of a dime are drilled to inject this foam, which expands to lift the slab to level
  • Holes are sealed with non-noticeable sealant (especially if the concrete isn’t stained)
  • Entire process can lift concrete within 15 minutes, allowing normal use almost immediately

Equipment and Costs

  • A turnkey trailer setup starts around $120,000
  • Raw materials cost $2,000–$3,000 per 55-gallon drum pair
  • The gun (key tool) costs about $5,000 and requires proper maintenance
  • Jeff subcontracts jobs, paying subs about $600–$700 per job while charging roughly $1,000–$1,100 to customers
  • He bundles a free power wash service (valued around $100) after leveling, subcontracting it to local providers as an added customer wow factor

Scaling and Growth Strategy

Jeff’s longer-term plan includes:

  • Expanding into smaller Texas markets with little competition - cities like Port Brownsville and Corpus Christi with populations in the 200–300K range
  • Partnering with or acquiring solo providers in these markets to scale operations
  • Building a subscription-style service for commercial and retail property managers offering ongoing leveling coverage:
    • Selling high-ticket annual contracts with guaranteed leveling services to minimize liability risks and trip hazards
    • Using the model to justify equipment investments and broader geographic expansion
  • Winning municipal and government contracts (e.g., City of Houston, Texas DOT) by creating efficient bids

Jeff stresses focusing on quality communication and delivering high-quality work rather than engaging in price wars, which often lead to problematic customers.

Technology Stack

Jeff keeps the business streamlined with a tech toolkit including:

  • Replet for website development: simple, clean landing page capturing 95%+ of incoming leads through forms and chatbots
  • HighLevel CRM: Manages texting, lead follow-up automation (AI chatbots), appointment scheduling, and other sales pipelines
  • Frequent use of texting as a primary communication channel for speed and convenience

Time Commitment and Work-Life Balance

  • Jeff balances this business alongside a full-time job and family life
  • His peak week involved closing three jobs in two days, taking about 5 hours/week for quoting
  • Outsourcing all labor allows him to focus on sales and customer communication with minimal hands-on work
  • With proper systems, Jeff suggests it’s realistic for a motivated person to earn $10,000/month net profit working part-time

He credits a supportive family and great subcontractors for enabling this balance.

Key Takeaways from Jeff’s Business Model

  • You don’t need to own equipment or be the laborer; acting as the middleman with subcontractors maximizes scalability and cash flow
  • Focus on fast, virtual quoting to maximize the number of bids you can make per hour
  • Use multi-channel marketing and persistent follow-up to generate steady inbound leads
  • Incorporate value-adds like free power washing to differentiate from competitors
  • Build relationships with commercial property managers for higher-ticket, recurring revenue services
  • Hire subcontractors with insurance; keep your overhead low and manage costs tightly

Connect With Jeff

Learn more about Jeff and his business:

Additional Resources & Community

This article summarizes insights on running a drop-servicing concrete leveling business that comes with low startup costs, scalable operations, and potential for high profit margins - all while working a full-time job.

Disclaimer: This content is for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. Results may vary based on individual efforts and market conditions. Always perform your own due diligence.

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