Practical financial guidance for contractors, no jargon, no fluff.
Bookkeeper vs controller vs CPA for construction subcontractors: who records transactions, who owns job costing and cash, and who files the tax return.
Read MoreA profitable contract can still create a payroll cash gap. Use this practical contractor cash check before committing to your next big job.
Read MoreThinking about hiring a fractional controller but not sure how it actually works? Here is the exact 3-phase process I use with every construction subcontractor client, from initial cleanup through ongoing monthly oversight.
Read MoreShould you buy or lease your next piece of heavy equipment? Learn the cash flow, tax, and bonding implications of equipment financing versus leasing for construction subcontractors.
Read MoreRetainage is earned cash, but most subcontractors manage it informally, if at all. Learn how to build a retainage tracking system, close punch lists faster, collect lien waivers proactively, and use retainage as a cash flow planning tool.
Read MoreUnderbilling means you are financing the GC's project out of your own pocket. Learn how subcontractors can identify underbilling, improve their progress billing process, and protect cash flow.
Read MoreA job can look profitable until the last 20 percent of work reveals missed labor, unpriced scope, and overhead pressure. Learn how subcontractors can use monthly cost-to-complete forecasting to catch profit fade early and make better billing, staffing, and pricing decisions.
Read MoreSlow collections can make a profitable subcontractor feel constantly short on cash. Learn how to read your A/R aging, tighten billing follow-up, and build a collection rhythm that protects payroll, job cash flow, and growth.
Read MoreIf overhead is buried in one monthly expense bucket, your estimates may be guessing at the real cost of doing the work. Learn how subcontractors can separate field overhead from company overhead, allocate costs more intelligently, and price jobs with better margin discipline.
Read MoreIf your job costing only tracks gross wages, your labor rate is probably too low. Learn how subcontractors can calculate labor burden, price work more accurately, and protect margins before payroll costs quietly erase profit.
Read MoreExtra work should increase profit, not quietly erase it. Learn how subcontractors can price, track, approve, and bill change orders before profit fade shows up in the job cost report.
Read MoreIf your crews are busy but cash still feels tight, the problem is usually not effort. It is a missing weekly review process that connects job costs, billing, collections, payroll, overhead, taxes, and future cash needs.
Read MoreYou're paying for QuickBooks but only looking at your bank balance. Here are the 5 reports that actually tell you if your business is healthy.
Read MoreShould you stick with QuickBooks or upgrade to Sage, Foundation, or Procore? Here's the honest answer based on your revenue, complexity, and growth plans.
Read MoreIf you're allocating overhead as a flat percentage across all jobs, your most profitable work is subsidizing your losers. Here's how to see the real numbers.
Read MoreYour QuickBooks is a mess. Uncategorized transactions, no job tracking, bank recs months behind. Here's the systematic cleanup process that gets you back on track.
Read MoreA DOL investigator just called. Don't panic, if you've been doing things right, an audit is just paperwork. Here's exactly how to prepare.
Read MoreYou finished the work 6 months ago. The retainage is still sitting there. Here's how to forecast around it and stop getting squeezed.
Read MoreNY prevailing wage rates change frequently and vary by county. Here's how Long Island contractors can stay compliant and actually profit from public work.
Read MorePrevailing wage jobs come with serious reporting requirements. Here's everything you need to know about certified payroll, from WH-347 forms to common audit triggers.
Read MoreNothing destroys contractor cash flow faster than an unexpected tax bill. Here's how to plan quarterly estimates so April 15th is boring.
Read MoreEveryone says 'go S-Corp' but nobody shows the breakeven. Here's the actual calculation with real contractor numbers.
Read MoreThat 10% retention on every invoice adds up fast. Here's how smart contractors manage retainage to protect cash flow without damaging GC relationships.
Read MoreMost contractors don't run out of work, they run out of cash. Here's the 13-week cash flow forecasting model that keeps you solvent even when receivables are slow.
Read MoreYour Work-in-Progress schedule isn't just an accounting exercise, it's the document your surety, bank, and bonding company use to decide whether to back you. Here's how to get it right.
Read MoreQuickBooks Online wasn't built for contractors, but with the right setup, it can handle job costing effectively. Here's the step-by-step process I use with my clients.
Read MoreMost contractors think they're tracking costs. In reality, they're tracking expenses after the fact, not managing costs in real time. Here are the 7 most common job costing mistakes and how to fix them.
Read MoreGet practical contractor accounting insights from Lena Hanna, CPA, EA, CIA.